SCENARIO: “The Riverview Middle School Climate Crisis” River…

SCENARIO: “The Riverview Middle School Climate Crisis” Riverview Middle School, a 1,050-student campus serving grades 6–8th, has long been known as a stable, community-centered school. However, over the past year, school culture has declined sharply due to escalating discipline issues, increased social media conflicts spilling into the school building, chronic absenteeism, inconsistent classroom expectations, and growing frustration among staff and families. You have been serving as the administrative intern for the past semester, learning the systems and routines of the school. On an otherwise ordinary Wednesday morning, the principal calls you into her office with an urgent tone. Overnight, several students created a viral TikTok “Riverview Tea Page” featuring videos and anonymous posts accusing teachers of unfair grading, mocking students with disabilities, sharing hallway fights, and reposting edited clips that falsely portray staff yelling at students. By 7:00 AM, the videos had spread widely among students and parents, generating dozens of emails demanding explanations, investigations, and action. Teachers are upset, students are anxious, and parents are calling nonstop. While dealing with the social media chaos, the principal receives an email from the State Office of Attendance and Student Services. Riverview has been flagged because its chronic absenteeism rate has climbed to 29%, one of the highest in the region. Sixth grade alone has 41 students with more than 15 unexcused absences. Multiple students have missed school due to bullying concerns or social media harassment by peers. Three families have contacted the district office and the school’s Board Chair directly, stating that they no longer feel the school is safe or supportive. Discipline data from the first semester show a 42% increase in physical altercations, a spike in class disruptions, and a pattern of disproportionate referrals involving male students. Teachers report that the schoolwide behavior plan is inconsistently enforced from classroom to classroom, leaving students confused about expectations and procedures. Some teachers feel unsupported when they send a student out and the student returns with no explanation. Others are unsure when to contact parents, when to document behaviors, or how to apply classroom management strategies effectively. Meanwhile, the climate survey results paint a troubling picture. Students express that they “don’t feel heard,” “don’t know the rules,” and “don’t trust adults to be consistent.” Teachers say communication is unclear, follow-through is inconsistent, and there is no unified vision for discipline, supervision, or parent communication. Several staff note that the morning arrival area and lunch courtyard have become hotspots for conflict due to low supervision. As all of this unfolds, the principal receives a message from State that Riverview will conduct a formal review in 30 days to review the action plan that needs to be formulated for this concern at the school. The principal calls you to her office and says: “I know that you are in the Leadership Program at Doral College, and I know that Ms. Montano is your internship professor and that your course work has trained you with the rest of your amazing professors, so by now I know that you are well prepared to help me. You’ve learned a lot this year, and now I want you to take the lead in putting all the pieces together.” You immediately begin reviewing the situation. The school, the families, and your principal depend on your ability to transform these challenges into an opportunity for leadership. Riverview Middle School is in a moment of crisis—and you are now the point person responsible for guiding it toward stability, safety, and renewed trust. What do you do?  
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