In advance of the teachers union in St. Paul starting mediation over a new two-year contract, Superintendent Valeria Silva announced changes to address the growing problem of school violence. Apparently these are so-called cost-neutral changes, which means that no money has been dedicated yet to the implementation of even more layers of bureaucracy, but I am sure that if we are patient we will be handed the bill eventually.

It tended to get everybody’s attention when a student at Central picked up a longtime teacher and body slammed him into a concussion in early December. That got things hopping, especially with the teachers union.

Here we go. Here are the titles of various meaningless programs that were in a story about Silva’s pro-activity in the Pioneer Press on Tuesday:

“Support systems.”

“Instructional coaches.”

“Staff collaboration sessions.”

“Restorative practices.”

“Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports.”

“De-escalation training.”

“Anger management classes.”

Those terms getting thrown around sure make it sound like something is happening. Then add what the union wants, more counselors, social workers, nurses, psychologists and a $100,000 pilot project that would provide schools with a dedicated employee to work on school climate. What, the thermostat?

Man alive, are we being taken to the cleaners. There did not used to be school violence, at least school violence so short-fused that teachers have become fearful for their physical well-being.

School violence — student incivility — is an affectation of the misguided belief that students are to be coddled and excused for their poor behavior because they have experienced in their lives what the consultants have said is systemic degradation of their human condition. It is not the kid’s fault if he slugs a teacher because the kid has been unfairly assigned by the fate of his birth, or her birth, various different skin colors.

And as a result of the district buying this nonsense, the kids have been condescended to, extraordinarily, and believe themselves to be immune from the obligations and responsibilities of civic and ethical behavior.

If we are also to believe, correctly, that such training begins in the family home and the family home is not providing it, that is all the more reason that the schools are going down the wrong road of allowing kids to act on their imagined grievances. The schools need to provide that civic and ethical training rather than excuse some kid who starts a riot in the lunch room.

How? Well, if there didn’t used to be school violence, what was the template for the schools running certainly more smoothly than they are today? It was a respect for adults, for elders, for authority. It was the fear of getting sent to the office. Hell, these days if you get sent to the office, you might have to deal with an assistant diversity counselor, not a glowering principal who could make your life miserable.

School was not a place to experiment with social condescension. It was the place to learn, and teachers were in control. On Dec. 13, I wrote the speech that all teachers should be empowered to give on the first day of school. Forget all the other costly gibberish and return the gavel to the teachers.

“Good morning. I am the boss. You are here to learn. If you don’t believe that, then leave now and don’t come back. Walk the streets and be a bum. I don’t care. I also don’t care if that makes you uncomfortable. I don’t care if that offends you. You have no right not to be offended. If you stay in class and obey what I tell you and work hard, great things can happen in your life.”

Good Lord, that would save us a lot of money, not to mention produce a new crop of good kids.

Joe Soucheray can be reached at jsoucheray@pioneerpress.com.