Many parents in Staten Island are now raising serious concerns about the safety of students at an elementary school in the borough. This issue began when a group of parents from a third-grade class at PS 8 in Great Kills said that one student’s behaviour in the classroom was making others feel unsafe. Their protest has now brought attention to how the New York City school system handles safety and discipline for young children.
Why Are Parents Protesting at PS 8?
Last week, several parents and grandparents stood outside PS 8 and handed out flyers. They were urging the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to take stronger steps to handle what they believe is a growing safety problem inside their children’s classroom.
According to the parents, one student has shown troubling behaviour, which made teachers, students, and their families feel unsafe. They said that this student was even suspended once earlier in the school year. Although the child’s exact actions haven’t been made public, the concerns were serious enough for families to take the issue to both school authorities and the police.
Police Involvement and Filed Reports
The worried parents said they filed two police reports about the situation. These reports were connected to threats made in the classroom. The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed that they do have two reports involving 8-year-old students from PS 8. However, names and full details were not revealed because the children are so young.
How NYC Schools Handle Student Discipline
This incident has sparked new discussions about how the DOE manages discipline, especially for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. New York City schools follow a rulebook known as the Discipline Code. This guide explains which student behaviours are not allowed and what actions schools can take in response.
When a student behaves in a dangerous or violent way, the school can choose from several actions. These include calling the parents for a meeting, stopping the child from taking part in activities outside the classroom, or asking a teacher to remove the student temporarily from class.
For more serious cases, there are two main types of suspension:
- Principal Suspension – the student is suspended for 1 to 5 school days.
- Superintendent Suspension – the student is suspended for 11 to 15 school days, depending on the seriousness of the behaviour.
What Parents Want the DOE to Do
The parents from PS 8 feel that the school is not acting quickly or firmly enough. They want stronger safety measures and clearer communication from school officials when such incidents happen. Their main concern is to make sure that classrooms remain safe and peaceful so that students can learn without fear or stress.
They also believe that one student’s repeated disruptive behaviour is affecting the learning and well-being of the entire class.
This situation at PS 8 shows how important it is for schools to have proper systems in place to deal with student behaviour, especially at the elementary level. While all children must be supported, safety must always come first. As the DOE reviews how it handles such cases, parents are hoping their demands will lead to stronger policies and quicker action in future incidents.
