B.C.-wide Tracker monitors student classroom clearings

When one student’s escalating behaviour prompts a teacher to clear the classroom, it disrupts learning for all students.

The Surrey District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) has now launched an online tool that allows educators and caretakers, such as parents, to keep track of the number of classroom clearings.

The goal of the Room Clear Tracker is to collect data that will help paint a clearer picture of the frequency of classroom clearings, who is affected, and what systemic supports are missing to prevent them from happening.

DPAC president Anne Whitmore says it points to a system that leaves teachers under strain when educators seem compelled to clear the classroom.

“Too few supports for complex learners. Too many students with complex needs in one classroom, too few education assist