Thurmond sets up hotline to report schools with unfair discipline practices

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has set up a tipline to report schools that disproportionally discipline students of color or with disabilities, or that disguise expulsion by transferring students to other schools.

The tipline was set up after there were reports that some districts have either involuntarily transferred students or encouraged parents to voluntarily transfer their students to other schools to avoid reporting expulsions, according to the California Department of Education.

The department also plans to offer guidance to school districts about how to more fairly mete out discipline and will offer a second round of community schools grants and implicit bias grants to help reduce disproportionate discipline.

“We have to educate our kids — not incarcerate them — and provide them with opportunities for learning and to succeed,” Thurmond said. “Taking students out of learning time through suspensions and expulsions is proven to push them toward the criminal justice system. School districts trying to hide actual discipline rates through practices such as masking expulsions as transfers will not be tolerated.”

The hotline number is (916) 445-4624 or email SchoolDiscipline@cde.ca.gov.