The B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation has ordered a Vancouver elementary school teacher to be reprimanded and attend remedial coursework after being suspended on two occasions.
The first incident, resulting in a three-day, unpaid suspension, occurred in December 2021 when Lisa Schwarz barred a student on an individual education plan (IEP) from leaving the classroom during recess.
At the classroom door, Schwarz blocked the student, who required more breaks than usual, and made contact with the student’s hand when the student tried to turn the doorknob to get outside.
The commissioner’s ruling claims the student’s hand was bruised as a result of the physical contact.
“Schwarz failed to appropriately manage her classroom and responded to students’ behaviour in inappropriate ways,” the ruling said, including raising her voice inappropriately at students. One time, “Schwarz grew frustrated at students and asked them, ‘Why can’t you guys act like normal people?’ ”
Schwarz also used her personal cellphone during instructional time and exchanged text messages directly with a student, who was absent due to illness.
Schwarz also failed to properly follow procedures in her students’ IEPs. For example, Schwarz did not make changes to the substance of her students’ IEPs and did not appropriately consult with parents regarding the IEPs.
Schwarz was reassigned from the learning support program to work as a permanent teacher teaching on call.
Another incident, during the 2022-23 school year, that led to a five-day suspension involved the following: “Schwarz used inappropriate methods to address students’ interest in a controversial public figure known for making problematic statements about women, including by sharing an anecdote about sexual assault and attempts to address it in the justice system, and by playing a video that included age-inappropriate content, language, and discussions of sexual violence.”
Schwarz signed a consent agreement for the reprimand and pledged to successfully complete the course Creating a Positive Learning Environment through the Justice Institute of British Columbia.
