“Please, Don’t Call My Mother!”

What’s one of the most serious problems with kids today?

Discipline, most parents and teachers will agree. But that doesn’t necessarily mean more or even stricter rules, believes Lazares, an experienced school administrator with a special interest in middle-school students.

Instead, he tells parents and teachers how to make sure rules and penalties—at home and at school—are clear; if anyone can find a loophole, it’s a teenager. Communicate your rules and monitor infractions. And when punishment is necessary, think creatively: what’s the easiest way to ensure a child will never break this rule again?

If you’re the parent or teacher of a challenging child, you’ll appreciate this book’s recommendations for getting kids back on the path to success. If you’re a parent concerned about your local school’s discipline policies, you’ll find helpful advice in “Questions and Answers for Parents.”

John Lazares has been a public school educator for 27 years: a teacher, a principal and now a superintendent. The founder of a new alternative school for at-risk kids in grades 7-12, he is a recipient of the National Public School Relations Award of Honor. Coleen Armstrong spent 30 years teaching grades 7-12. An award-winning journalism teacher, she hosts a television talk show on educational topics.