Delhi's Superintendent Adolfo Melara's response in the Journal's article and on the district web site regarding school discipline and diploma devaluation is deceptive and excusing.

He insinuates that, because the number of suspensions have decreased by 46 percent at the high school, that discipline is no problem and that teacher and parent complaints are bogus.  

Incorrectly and counter to the Education Code and his district's own policy, he also says that he considers minor offenses like classroom disruption, defiance, and refusal to follow classroom directions are "non-suspendible."

He has turned the teacher's complaint i.e., “Nothing is being done discipline-wise.... We just want to do our job and teach the kids that want to be here, but some students are unruly and don’t do anything in class.” into a suspension number issue.

It isn't, but it is an issue of parent, student, and administrator responsibility to maintain healthy and demanding learning environments.

The fact is that many administrators are being intimidated by two metrics the California Department Education uses to evaluate and sanction schools — The Suspension Rate Indicator and the Graduation Rate Indicator.  To meet the goals of these indicators, no suspensions and high graduation rates, districts are setting quotas on the number of suspensions and reducing graduation requirements.  It is all a show — sort of like bragging about reduced speeding tickets by raising the speed limit to 120 mph.  

The losers are the vast majority students who go to school with manners and work hard for their diploma.  Their instructional hours are stolen by those who don't want to be there and are unruly. And, because students, who do no work graduate, diplomas are devalued.  It is hard to see how California will have a world class education system by rewarding bad behavior and by playing deceptive statistical games.