MYD to PBIS at Olivia Park Elementary School

Email correspondence with Principal Edie Reclusado of Olivia Park Elementary School, Mukilteo School District - A former Make Your Day school

Jennifer,

Over the course of my time as the principal – eight years – at Olivia Park, I have guided our staff in a study of what we value in terms of behavior, discipline and citizenship.  We have spent time evaluating whether the MYD program was highly effective in supporting those values.  We also worked with parents in a manner that allows us to partner in teaching their students about positive choices, productive outcomes, and natural consequences.  Finally, year by year, we began to make adjustments to the program to better suit our needs.  As more and more staff were new to our building, it only seemed right that we devise a plan that was organic – one that my staff members were invested in because it reflected their values, supported their ability to teach in the classroom, and had an educational component that would help children learn from mistakes.  Compassion was at the heart of our work.  And, being a Title I school, we read Ruby Payne’s A Framework for Understanding Poverty.  It is essential to know and understand the population you’re working with and what their familial norms might be.

We now have what we call the POLAR (our mascot is a polar bear) Plan.  We teacher our children to be: Proud, Organized, Leaders, Accountable, Respectful, and Safe. “Offenses” are categorized into two areas – those that are minor and those that require a time-out, problem-solving, call home, or possible suspension.  Children may be sent to our Solution Center (manned by me and the dean of students) where we can talk, devise an individual behavior plan, make restitution, or select a natural consequence.  The idea that changing behavior takes time and energy has to be confronted by everyone; and the truth of the matter is, change will only happen if the child is motivated and sees how it  is to his/her benefit, and is willing to change.  We have seen amazing results this year with full implementation of our program.  Students are beginning to think for themselves, evaluate the nature and effectiveness of their choices, and determine great consequences for themselves and hold one another accountable.  Finally, we are seeing less frustration from the adults about repeat offenders, more appreciation by the adults for children who experience growth and make better choices, as well as a great sense of community by all of the adults as we guide the children together.  As a school, we’ve experienced incredibly fewer serious infractions, resulting in significantly less suspensions, and a great deal more parent partnership.  I am pleased with our journey!

I am happy for you to share what I’ve written and would welcome questions, etc.  Some solid resources for you: Jim Fay, Love and Logic and The Leader In Me from Franklin Covey.  Good luck!!

Edie

From: Jennifer

Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 4:37 PM
To: Reclusado Edie L.
Subject: Re: Make Your Day

Thank you for your response, Principal Edie.  Our school district currently uses the Make Your Day program.  MYD appears to have positive behavior as a philosophy, but I feel the actual program is more negative and stifles academic growth.  I am trying to get our district to consider an alternative using a Positive Behavior Interventions and Support model or PBIS.

I would love to hear more about how your teachers and staff transitioned away from Make Your Day.

May I share this email with other parents in our district interested in an alternative?

Jennifer

----- Original Message -----

From: Reclusado Edie L.

To: 

Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 7:52 AM

Subject: RE: Make Your Day

Jennifer,

The Make Your Day program was in place when I became principal.  While I could see the merits of this program and wanted to honor the hard work done by the staff here, I struggle with some of its components philosophically.  Initially, with the guidance of Earl, we made some modifications to how we implemented the pure program.  Then we just experienced difficulties as a staff – those who were part of the initial training had one vision and I had another.

We are no longer a Make Your Day school, but we still have a progressive discipline policy.  We have moved our focus away from stringent script and elevated consequences to a model that more realistically reflects “real life” and offers a large educational component.  Our aim is to change poor behavioral choices through increased awareness and knowledge.

Let me know if I can be of further service,

Edie

From: Jennifer

Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2012 10:29 PM
To: Reclusado Edie L.
Subject: Make Your Day

I am an interested parent in another school district in Washington.

Olivia Park Elementary School of Mukilteo School District is listed on the Make Your Day website as being a school that uses the Make Your Day program.  Are you still using this program at your school?  

Thank you,

Jennifer