As schools open for the 2024–2025 academic year, states differ on how teachers should deal with disruptive students.
Some are pushing for a more punitive approach, with suspensions for repeat offenders, while others disapprove of removing students from classrooms.
In California, Assembly Bill 1919 calls for a K–12 “restorative justice program” to be implemented by the fall of 2026.
As an alternative to suspension, unruly students would be referred to social workers or child psychologists or placed in anger management programs.
The legislation encourages a case management approach where a team of school support service professionals customize a student’s plan to improve behavior. It does allow for suspensions for more severe cases of bullying or violent behavior, and racist incidents require additional interventions….