Position Statement: Strengthening Student Discipline Through Student Assistance and MTSS

Safe, orderly schools are essential for both learning and teaching. Today, despite the best efforts of educators and administrators, student behavior remains one of the most serious challenges facing our public schools.

Assaults on school employees and repeated classroom disruptions are occurring at unacceptable levels across all grade spans, undermining student achievement and threatening employee safety.

Discipline problems of this magnitude cannot be solved through punishment alone. Schools are increasingly being asked to address complex behavioral, emotional, and mental health needs without sufficient resources or coordinated systems of support. I believe that restoring safety and stability in our schools requires a comprehensive, proactive approach grounded in Multi‑Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Student Assistance.

MTSS provides a framework that emphasizes prevention, early intervention, and increasingly intensive support based on student need. At its foundation, this approach focuses on creating positive school climates, teaching clear behavioral expectations, and identifying concerns early—before they escalate into repeated disruptions or safety incidents. When implemented correctly, MTSS reduces the number of students who reach crisis points and protects the right of all students to uninterrupted learning.

Student Assistance Programs are a critical part of this framework. These programs bring together educators, counselors, social workers, nurses, and community mental health professionals to identify students who are struggling academically, behaviorally, or emotionally and connect them with appropriate support. Rather than waiting for repeated disciplinary referrals or suspensions, Student Assistance focuses on early identification, targeted intervention, and ongoing case management to address the underlying barriers to learning.

I fully support ensuring that every school has access to a functioning Student Assistance Team that meets regularly, uses data responsibly, and coordinates services for students in need. These teams must be empowered to provide direct supports—such as counseling, skill‑building interventions, and referrals to community providers—so that discipline becomes corrective and supportive, not merely exclusionary.

We must also recognize that many serious discipline and safety concerns are closely linked to unmet mental and emotional health needs. That is why my campaign strongly supports placing qualified mental health professionals in every county and every school. These professionals are essential for supporting students in crisis, guiding threat assessment and violence prevention efforts, and helping schools respond effectively before behavior escalates into harm.

Importantly, Student Assistance Programs should serve as meaningful alternatives to repeated suspension whenever possible. Removing students from school without addressing root causes only increases disengagement and long‑term risk. When students receive timely, appropriate support, schools see improvements in behavior, attendance, and academic performance—benefiting the entire school community.

Finally, discipline systems must be coordinated, transparent, and continuously evaluated. MTSS and Student Assistance work best when schools use data to guide decisions, partner with families and community agencies, and regularly assess whether interventions are working. This coordinated approach ensures that resources are used effectively and that students and employees alike are supported.

Every student deserves a safe, stable environment in which to learn, and every school employee deserves a workplace free from violence and constant disruption. By fully implementing MTSS and Student Assistance Programs—and by providing the staffing and resources these systems require—we can restore order to our classrooms, support students before they reach crisis, and ensure that West Virginia’s schools are places where learning and teaching can truly thrive.

My top five priorities:

1. Fund Student Assistance and School‑Based Behavioral Health Positions as Core MTSS Staff

Priority: Establish dedicated, recurring funding to ensure every school has access to qualified mental and behavioral health professionals (counselors, social workers, psychologists, or licensed partners).

Why: MTSS and Student Assistance cannot function without trained professionals to conduct screening, interventions, case management, and crisis response. This moves support from “as available” to guaranteed capacity.

Legislative focus: Staffing ratios, allowable funding uses, and support for rural/regional service models.

2. Require and Resource Student Assistance Teams (SATs) in Every School

Priority: require and pay for each school to maintain a multidisciplinary Student Assistance Team with protected meeting time and clear authority within the MTSS framework.

Why: Student Assistance Teams are the engine that turns MTSS policy into real intervention—coordinating referrals, monitoring progress, and preventing repeated disciplinary escalation.

Legislative focus: Minimum team composition, release time protections, and integration with MTSS decision‑making.

3. Establish Student Assistance as a Formal Alternative to Repeated Suspension

Priority: Codify Student Assistance interventions as a preferred response for non‑dangerous, recurring behavioral issues before repeated suspension or exclusion.

Why: Repeated suspension without intervention worsens behavior and disengagement. Student Assistance provides corrective, supportive responses that protect classroom learning.

Legislative focus: Alignment with discipline statutes, clear thresholds, and documentation requirements tied to MTSS tiers.

4. Support Early Identification Through Universal Screening and Data Integration

Priority: Provide statutory authority and funding for schools to use age‑appropriate behavioral and mental health screening tools like screen4success as part of MTSS.

Why: Early identification prevents escalation into classroom disruption or safety incidents and allows Tier 2 supports to work as intended.

Legislative focus: Data privacy protections, parental communication standards, and limits on punitive use of screening data.

5. Create a Statewide Framework for School–Community Mental Health Partnerships

Priority: Incentivize and standardize partnerships between schools and community mental health providers to support Tier 3 interventions and continuity of care.

Why: Schools cannot meet intensive needs alone, especially in rural counties. Coordinated partnerships prevent gaps, duplication, and student drop‑off.

Legislative focus: Contracting authority, shared service agreements, and streamlined referral pathways.