State Schools Superintendent Michele Blatt presents data on elementary behavior during legislative interims on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, at the state Capitol in Charleston, W.Va.. (Will Price | West Virginia Legislative Photography)
The highest rate of battery on a school employee from a child is occurring in West Virginia’s kindergarten classrooms — an alarming statistics that the state schools superintendent said is tied to the state’s multigenerational drug epidemic.
State Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt told lawmakers that 19% of battery cases were in kindergarten classes, and the number drastically dropped off as children moved up in grade levels.
“I don’t believe that we have kindergartners who are doing this out of willful intent to harm someone,” said Blatt, who spoke with lawmakers Jan. 7 at the state Capitol. “As we are thinking about these students, we know that we’re dealing with either students who are born addicted to alcohol or drugs. We’re dealing with students who are being raised by parents who are addicted to one of those substances.”
Del. Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, said the number of violent incidents was likely much larger than the data reported.
“These numbers are alarming to say the least,” he said.
West Virginia’s overdose rate is declining since its spike during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the state continues to lead the nation in overdose death rates and has the highest number of babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Fetal drug exposure is tied to a higher likelihood of mental disorders, adverse behavior problems and needing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Lawmakers are grappling with how to help elementary teachers address an uptick in violent and disruptive student behavior.
Teachers told lawmakers that they need more staff to help these children, who sometimes spend their school day in the principal’s office because there’s nowhere to put them. Test scores won’t improve until it’s addressed, educators said.
Many counties don’t have alternative learning centers for young students, and Blatt said creating those spaces must be a priority.
“What are we going to do with those students when those supports aren’t enough? Where is that alternative education placement? … I do believe in most instances, if we can get the proper supports and treatments in place for those students, and the support for those teachers in the classroom, then for many of these children we can change their trajectory,” she said.
Senate Education Committee Chair Amy Grady, R-Mason, has proposed asking counties to use their opioid settlement funds to build alternative environments.
The second highest rate of battery on a teacher (13% of incidents) occurred in third grade classrooms.
Blatt said that many children had never been taught how to behave in a classroom.
“We are truly dealing with students where no one has ever taught them how to behave in school or how to behave in any situation. Many of them have physical issues from the addictions they were born with,” she said.
Lawmakers will try again on student discipline bill
Blatt updated lawmakers on the West Virginia Department of Education’s STRIVE Initiative, which is meant to bolster schools’ resources for addressing kids’ behavioral health, chronic absenteeism and more. It offers financial resources, alternative learning programs, behavioral support and more.
“The STRIVE model is to make sure that not only do have have a touch point with what’s going on in all of our counties and what their needs are, but also that they are aware of all the resources that are available to them to support, whether it’s academic, social, emotional or behavioral needs,” Blatt said.
Additionally, the WVDE will work with Marshall Behavior/Mental Health Technical Assistance Center to examine seven schools with an excessive amount of battery on a school employee.
“While there were 511 of these incidents, we’re looking at 131 students. If you look at the data … what we’re finding is there’s a lot of incidents of the same child repeatedly,” Blatt said. “Whatever’s being done with that student to address those concerns, their needs are not being met, and we need to find a different way to address those needs.”
Del. Buck Jennings, R-Preston, said that discipline was one of “our biggest issues.”
“I hope you can come up with an answer that’s more than having another group study,” he said.
Lawmakers last year failed to pass legislation that would have given elementary teachers greater authority to remove students for disruptive, aggressive or violent behaviors. It outlined steps for how schools should deal with students who needed to be removed from their classrooms. Critics of the bill worried that it didn’t do enough to help address children’s mental health needs, and they noted that it didn’t come with funding to hire additional staff or create alternative learning spaces.
Some version of the elementary discipline legislation is expected to be considered during the upcoming 60-day legislative session. It begins Feb. 12.
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