School query

Regarding reporter Joe Smydo's story " 'Whaling' Away Bad Behavior" (June 8):

Pittsburgh Schaeffer K-8's Primary Campus in Crafton Heights is receiving much deserved attention for its new policy of reinforcing good behavior and refraining from punishing bad behavior. However, one of the primary quantifiers of Schaeffer's success is the fact that it has gone from "more than 100 suspensions for bad behavior" in 2006-07 to merely 10 this school year.

Pardon me for pointing out the obvious, but isn't there bound to be a significant decrease in suspensions (and punishments of all sorts) if the school has issued a policy of ignoring, or at least not actively punishing, bad behavior?

I'd be interested to know how many cases there were this year that could have merited suspension or some other form of punishment, had the school been willing to administer it.

SARAH RUTHERFORD
Squirrel Hill