Teachers back tougher discipline, violent students out of classrooms

Colorado teachers are fed up with violent students, writes Chalkbeat's Melanie Asmar.

Half of teachers say they've been injured by a student, according to a report by the Education Safety Task Force, though it's not clear it was a scientific survey. Three-fourths have had a student attempt cause a physical injury to them or another adult in their presence.

The task force recommended that school staffers receive training in how to calm students, and have "instant communications" with an "incident response team and the main office. It also called for schools to create more "affective needs centers" to serve students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. In addition, it called for more alternative schools for students with severe needs.

Texas is getting tougher too, reports Sneha Dey in the Texas Tribune. "More than 3,300 Texas district employees were the target of a student assault in the 2023-24 school year, about a 15% increase from the year before." An assistant principal lost an eye.

New legislation allows longer in-school suspensions, ending the three-day limit. In addition,

"'repeated and significant' classroom disruption or threats to the health and safety of other children could now be met with out-of-school suspension, in a reversal of prior state laws that limited the punishment's use."

In April, President Donald Trump issued an executive order on “common sense” school discipline that lets schools deal with disruptive students without fear of a federal investigation if there are racial disparities in discipline. Under federal pressure, many students moved away from punitive discipline -- especially suspensions -- and toward "restorative" conversations. Now, some states are tightening discipline policies, reports Robbie Sequeira on Stateline.

A new West Virginia law, "creates a structured process for responding to violent, threatening or disruptive behavior" by elementary students, he writes. Students may be "removed from class, evaluated by counselors or behavioral specialists and placed on an individualized behavior plan." Eventually, if the misbehavior continues, the student "could be moved into a behavioral intervention program or an alternative learning environment."

Of course, some say stricter discipline unfairly excludes students from racial minorities or "Michigan’s 2017 law requires schools to consider restorative approaches before suspensions or expulsions," writes Sequeira. "This year, Maryland passed a law requiring the state to establish 'restorative practices schools,' specific schools with trained educators who use the approach in everyday discipline." But the tide may be turning. "Nevada began mandating restorative justice approaches in 2019, but scaled back that approach in 2023."

Teachers are tired of being punching bags.