School suspensions

The discipline issues of school students are being addressed in the worst possible way: by suspending them after their first act of disobedience or defiance. Therefore, problem students are being thrown overboard in the name of wanting to teach the rest of the student body.

Estimates show that 40% of suspensions in California are for “willful defiance,” meaning offenses related to being disrespectful, having a defiant attitude and disobeying. Disproportionate punishment-which used to be restricted to serious offenses-is now the way to tackle normal school discipline issues.

The excessive use of suspensions doesn’t solve the difficulties of problem students. On the contrary, suspensions do just the opposite by physically distancing students from school.

Still more worrisome is the fact that the suspension policy is disproportionately impacting students who are Latino, African American, Native American and disabled. These student groups in particular should not be left outside the educational system.

Garfield High School in Los Angeles has implemented an alternative method to address this issue. At one time, the school had hundreds of suspensions, but last year it only had one. Their secret? Training teachers whose students have discipline issues, among other problems, to apply classroom management techniques.

Separately, in Sacramento, Democratic Assemblyman Roger Dickinson introduced AB 2242, a bill to eliminate suspension or expulsion as punishments for “willful defiance” or other behavior that disrupts class.

We think it is necessary to change the culture in classrooms, where the goal is to teach all students and not only those who are well-behaved.