CRCSD is committed to safety and well-being

I’ve served on the Cedar Rapids Community School Board for 6 years and have seen firsthand how safety has become an increasing priority given what we see nationally, regionally, and locally. As a parent, I did not always know how to reach out for help and saw inconsistent responses across our schools regarding student behavior and safety. These experiences motivated me and my fellow board members to prioritize these issues as we started this school year.

We've also been paying close attention to the community conversation about keeping students and staff safe. We want to be clear: the safety and well-being of every person in our schools is our highest priority. While this is easy to say, making it a reality has been a complex and challenging process. Over the past two years, we've made good progress on student behavior, thanks to the hard work of our staff. This work continues, and the lessons we've learned are guiding us forward.

High expectations show we care

We believe high standards for behavior show we care. Every day, parents and families trust our district with the care of their children, and we take that responsibility very seriously. We know our parents expect their children to be safe and respectful at school, and we’re committed to honoring this trust by holding these expectations. Across our 31 school buildings, we have worked to make our expectations and consequences consistent.

Support Is key to meeting expectations

High expectations are meaningless without equally high levels of support. The help we provide should be specific to each student’s needs, but our expectations should never be lowered. We’ve invested$2 million in behavioral support to give our students and staff the resources they need to succeed.

Focusing on what matters

For too long, we've used the number of suspensions as the main way to measure progress. While we want to include all students and try to avoid suspensions, sometimes they are necessary to keep everyone safe. This year, we're focusing on a more important measurement: the number of physical aggression incidents. We believe minimizing the number of incidents is as important as the frequency of suspensions. Our leaders have made this change, and we want to be transparent about the results. While suspensions have risen, reflecting our commitment to address behaviors early, we are encouraged that physical aggression incidents have decreased significantly in the first month of school.

It's important for our community to hear us say this: it is never OK for anyone in our schools to threaten or be physically aggressive toward another person, whether they are a student or staff member. If these behaviors happen, there will be a full investigation and consequences. We have also implemented new hearing guidelines to provide clear expectations and consistency at each stage of the discipline process. Our boundaries are clear, and we will support our staff and families when those boundaries are crossed.

Shared responsibility for our culture

Creating a safe and supportive learning environment is a job for the whole community. Our students, staff, and community deserve safe schools. These actions reflect our commitment to our district’s culture framework of Care, Clarity, and Communication.

We are committed to this work and will continue learning and adjusting. Of utmost importance, we must ensure intentional communication, timely follow-up, and meaningful support for students and staff who witness or experience physical aggression in our schools. These types of incidents require a clear response and support for everyone involved.

We invite our community to join us in this effort. Families, teachers, and staff are encouraged to share concerns with building administrators and district staff. We will continue monitoring progress transparently. Together, we can ensure every student and staff member feels safe, respected, and ready to learn.

David Tominsky, is a Cedar Rapids school board member writing on behalf of the Cedar Rapids Community School District Board of Education.