An MPS teacher at South Division High School is recoveringafter being punched to the floor all at the hands of a student.
TODAY’S TMJ4 made a number of calls to find out what type of safety training is being provided for staff and Thursday we got the answers.
The shocking video of the incident has been viewed thousands of times this week. But this isn’t the first violent video circulating from an MPS school.
Just a few months ago at Morse Middle School, a 14-year-old student was arrested for punching his principal in the face and in spring 2016 a teacher’s aide was arrested after shoving a teen to the floor at Bay View High.
A spokesperson with the district said, "The safety of our staff is a priority. Our first effort is to provide staff with the information and support needed to prevent situations from escalating."
MPS says they offer staff training in Nonviolent Crisis Prevention Intervention where they're trained to recognize cases where students may be experiencing trauma. Staff is encouraged to participate in MPS sponsored and external classroom management professional development opportunities.
The school says this training helps staff identify potential situations to deescalate them. MPS said it helps maintain a positive environment in each classroom.
And that’s not it, students are also provided with a number of coping skills, such as Restorative Justice Practices, mindfulness activities and other behavior modification programs.
Students also learn the consequences if they violate rules. Police say the student is awaiting charges. We reached out to the teacher who is recovering at home, he’s not ready to speak on camera yet.
