Discipline

November 1, 2021

Fighting for the education of Black students in California

A Sacramento organization is suing the state, alleging officials knew about discriminatory disciplinary practices for years and did nothing.

Diana Lambert

September 14, 2021

ACLU sues Bay Area school district over ‘separate, unequal and illegal’ special education program

Lawsuit: Black students and English learners in Pittsburg Unified are disproportionately shunted into special education and subject to harsh discipline.

Carolyn Jones

January 5, 2021

Why California needs to ban preschool suspensions and expulsions, experts say

Harsh discipline at such an early age can have lasting consequences.

Karen D'Souza

July 24, 2020

School police give way to more counselors in California districts as demands grow for reform

Demands for police reforms include increasing mental health services which are seen as key to helping young people, especially Black students, succeed studies say.

Carolyn Jones

June 25, 2020

California school districts should spend less on police, more on counselors, state leaders say

But the state needs to take stronger action to reform campus discipline, advocates say.

Carolyn Jones

January 13, 2020

Years of reform efforts contribute to declining African-American suspension rates in California

New data suggests restorative justice programs are effective at improving school climate.

Carolyn Jones

December 13, 2019

L.A. Unified’s ban on willful defiance suspensions, six years later

The Los Angeles district may provide lessons for California as it eliminates K-8 defiance suspensions across the state.

Carolyn Jones

October 29, 2019

In-school suspensions the answer to school discipline? Not necessarily, experts say

Counseling and tutoring should be embedded in school discipline programs, experts said.

Carolyn Jones

September 9, 2019

California to extend ban on pushing students out of school for disruptive behavior

Gov. Newsom signed legislation that will ban out-of-school suspensions for disruptive behavior and willful defiance after next July.

Louis Freedberg

September 9, 2019

Gov. Newsom must decide whether to expand ban on student suspensions for 'willful defiance'

Suspensions for willful defiance have declined sharply in recent years, but Sen. Nancy Skinner says more state action is needed.

Louis Freedberg

August 24, 2019

On reforming suspensions: a teacher’s plea to California’s lawmakers

Teachers need more support to help struggling students rather than bans that reduce their ability to manage their classrooms.

Jason Sanchez

July 1, 2019

Budget realities challenging California school districts’ restorative justice programs

As districts have worked to reduce suspensions and expulsions, they’ve increasingly turned to restorative justice as an alternative.

David Washburn

June 11, 2019

Rural California school district with high suspension rates under state investigation

Butte County’s Oroville City Elementary School District, which has a suspension rate that is three times the statewide average, is being investigated by the state Bureau of Children's Justice.

David Washburn

May 20, 2019

Lawsuit challenges use of restraint, seclusion in California special education school

The guardians of four special education students claim their children were illegally put in restraint holds and secluded.

Diana Lambert

April 19, 2019

As a candidate for president, Harris taking a softer stance on truancy than she did as a prosecutor

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris championed tough-on-truancy laws while serving as San Francisco’s district attorney and California attorney general. Now she's taking heat for it on the campaign trail.

David Washburn