Solving vs. Handling - Should Schools be held Responsible?

Should Schools be responsible for solving or handling social issues as those presented in the videos? What other social issues do you believe schools should be responsible for addressing in some form or another?

I feel that schools should be responsible for handling some social issues such as those presented in the videos but not necessarily solving them. In order to handle the situations, schools could use preventative measures to address the communities most critical needs when it comes to our children. Parent University is a great way to communicate with families on issues affecting our children as well as providing strategies they can use outside of school.
Teachers, administrators and staff should have intervention processes established within the school to enforce a zero tolerance policy in promoting safe schools. For example, identify what bullying is and the expectations as well as consequences when this behavior is exhibited. Provide seminars, anti bullying activities early in the school year or over the summer for both families and students. Seminars and activities can be offered through programs such as Parent University to increase awareness of rising problems.
If students are identified as bullies, first time offenders can be required to go to an anger management class offered in the community. As long as they are enrolled and attending the anger management class, they will be able to attend school. If students continue to show negative behavior, maybe have the student attend an alternative school temporarily (out of school suspension) in conjunction with meeting with a counselor. As stated in the Safe Schools Ambassador video by April Dominguez, Prevention Specialist, “In order to address the academic needs of a student their social and emotional well being really needs to be met first.”
Teachers, administrators, families, students, and local agencies, can build an intervention program to redirect students without pushing them out of the school systems, which in turn will only affect the drop-out rate. Some of the issues children come to school with go beyond the capabilities of what the school can “fix.” So I do not feel that schools should be responsible for solving the problem however, I do feel that using preventative measures, providing awareness, establishing expectations, making consequences known, having an established intervention program, will assist with redirecting children to the right path as well as doing their part in handling the issues.
Another social issue I feel schools should be responsible for addressing are those of families in need. There are schools that provide this type of service, but they are far and few between. When a student is exhibiting behaviors that stem from the home, teachers, school psychologists, and administrators should be knowledgeable of the resources available to those families. Inform the family of these available resources in turn, ensuring that a child’s basic needs are being met.