The district has had to coordinate those logistics to successfully place educators into classrooms and keep the pipeline functioning. REBUILDING SOCIAL SKILLS THROUGH SEL AND RESTORATIVE PRACTICES As staffing stabilizes, the district is also addressing a challenge that is increasingly common nationwide: social and emotional skill gaps. Dr. Scott describes a student population shaped by trauma and normalized instability—conditions that limit the effectiveness of traditional discipline and consequence-based approaches. In his words,“you can’t scare them,” and suspending students often creates greater risk because school may be the safest environment they have. To address this, the district has embedded social emotional learning into the school day and has intentionally invested in restorative justice practices. Peace circles and conflict-resolution approaches are being used to teach students how to navigate disagreement, regulate emotion, and resolve conflict in healthier ways. Dr. Scott points directly to the role of social media and pop culture in shaping behavior, noting that schools are often left managing the fallout from weekend conflicts that spill into the building on Monday morning. In this environment, the district is focusing on culture and climate intentionally, recognizing that achievement cannot be separated from emotional regulation, safety, and student belonging. CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION AS AN ENGAGEMENT TOOL For Dr. Scott, CTE is not just workforce development. It is also a strategy for engagement and attendance. He describes a proven model from prior districts where students were offered structured electives such as barbering, cosmetology, culinary arts, music production, STEM, and agriculture. The impact, he explains, was twofold. Students gained real skills and exposure to careers, 188 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02
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