ABSTRACT
Policies must be broadly canvassed so that they take into account the requirements of teachers, students, parents and school administrators. Student outcomes are better when school staff agree on and collaborate over disciplinary issues. This can be facilitated by the development of a school disciplinary policy that provides a framework for preventing and intervening with disruptions and for offering collegial support to teachers. A school-wide policy on discipline enshrines a strategic vision for the school that embodies capable leadership and attendance to the needs of students, teachers and parents. A policy will be useless— and perhaps even obstructive— when it is inconsistent with the culture of the school. The process of debating the assumptions behind a discipline policy and the active engagement of all members of the school community can enfranchise them to expose, and even challenge, covert cultural beliefs and practices, ultimately resulting in a transformation of these.
