Alexander, of Ybor City, credits her effectiveness to the fact that she loves the children. The histrionic behavior of these kids earns them many adult enemies. I let them know I love them no matter how bad they get. At Pizzo, Principal Eileen Myers calls the suspension classroom the Focus Room. Focus is an acronym for Finding Options for Children's Ultimate Success.
Teachers say the program teaches students strategies for focusing on their academic performance.
Before the program began, errant children were given detentions. But those were crisis responses, Myers said. The aim is to deal with and prevent reoccurrences, she said. Since the program began, the daily average of students referred to the room has dropped from as many as 30 per day to as few as three per day. Alexander started her career in education as an assistant on the Hillsborough County public schools bus that transported exceptional students.