☆ Education researcher: Bill to remove defiance-based suspensions goes overboard, yields squally consequences
Robert Salmon: Ship in Storm, 1828. Image in Public Domain
Local media remarks that SB 274, which deep-sixes the ability for schools to suspend students for “willful defiance,” is being questioned by some SJ teachers who prioritize safe learning environments. Lance Christensen, Education Policy VP at California Policy Center, discusses why defiant behavior is a valuable indicator of family life and future safety risk—and why teachers, admin, and students suffer when class discipline is curtailed. An Opp Now exclusive.
Opportunity Now: Some are wondering if SB 274 could actually make our schools more effective and fair for different types of students—or just introduce a slew of new problems. Your take?
Lance Christensen: Discipline has been an increasingly significant problem in California schools for a long time, making it a secondary consideration behind the emotions of social justice advocates. Our legislature conflates family problems with classroom discipline and has accordingly removed pretty much all the necessary tools for schools to maintain order. And SB 274 will only make classroom disturbances more likely and frequent, distract other students who are trying to learn, and push teachers away from wanting to be in the education profession at all.
It's also worth mentioning that willful defiance does correlate strongly with students who become school shooters. By removing schools' valuable remedial steps and the ability to identify students who may need extra attention and love, California could increase its number of school shootings.
ON: Is it true that doing away with willful defiance suspensions eliminates some discrimination against Black and LGBTQ+ students, as SB 274 supporters argue?
LC: No. That was the initial selling point of the bill. But really, SB 274 adds on to multiple pieces of recent legislation, such as SB 419 from Senator Skinner. This new bill purports that it would stop discrimination. In reality, it'll make contentious situations worse because teachers and administrators will have to resort to harsher penalties for disrespectful behavior.
And any teacher knows that willfully defiant kids aren't just Black and LGBTQ+. It seems like they're almost making this stuff up. For instance, I live in a mostly white and Hispanic community in a rural area. I've observed plenty of our local students, who are often not Black, behave problematically at school. I don't think it's a skin color or sexual orientation issue. It's a matter of parents needing to manage their child's challenges at home, and schools needing to have the tools to punish willful disruptions to the learning environment.
I can understand those on the other side saying, “My child is being targeted. They're being continually suspended and kept out of the classroom.” I've spoken to a few of these students and parents. And I know what it can be like to have a difficult child. Most of the time, these types of challenges with a student can be worked out through an effective school–parent partnership. So I'm not placing any blame on parents concerned about their students being targeted, especially if the discipline measures aren't productive. However, punishing the rest of the classroom because a teacher can't deal with one student will make classrooms significantly more raucous. I think they've thrown out the baby with the bathwater on this one.
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