Booting disruptive, defiant students out of California classes and out of school could get a lot harder

A proposed state bill could end suspensions for students who defy teachers’ orders, disrupt school activities, or engage in other types of behavioral misconduct – requiring teachers to de-escalate such incidents instead of forcing a child from the classroom.

The bill, which was introduced by State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) earlier this year and will be heard by the appropriations committee next month, would extend an existing ban on so-called “willful defiance” suspensions.

Today, such a ban only applies to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Senate Bill 274 would add middle and high schoolers to the mix, and dissolve the existing ban’s expiration date of 2025.

“SB 274 is based on a simple premise: Students belong in school,” said Skinner. “Suspending youth from school for low-level behavior issues leads to significant harm, including learning loss and a higher likelihood that affected students will drop out of school completely.”

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