California teacher struggling with disciplining students due to state law: 'It's hard'
California teachers are grappling with the state’s lax expulsion policy, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
A Mendocino County preschool teacher, Kristin Hills, shared concern over her inability to discipline ill-behaved children due to the Golden State’s laws that restrict state-funded childcare centers from suspending children.
The Golden State in September issued "new" requirements for suspension and updated requirements for expulsion for the California State Preschool Program.
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The policy states that a child can’t be suspended or expelled due to behavioral issues. Teachers are expected to defer to the child’s parents to get picked up if a child misbehaves.
However, many preschool teacher’s hands are tied because of behavioral issues.
Hills said that children have been acting out since the COVID-19 pandemic and there is not much she can do. She explained that the children have been "biting" more frequently and that hitting and kicking are usual among 3-year-olds.
Some other behaviors have been reckless tossing of toys and even chairs across the classroom. Reportedly, such actions have posed a danger to other students and teachers.
"I don’t know anyone who disagrees with the need for this. No one wants to suspend and expel children," Hills told the L.A. Times. "But it’s hard."
On top of being unable to suspend children, some legislation creates more barriers to disciplinary action on students. Teachers can’t call parents to pick up the child because it is considered suspension due to legislation. Other languages in legislation dictate that teachers can’t separate students from the classroom because teachers are required to be with students.
California passed a series of bills two years before the pandemic to soften disciplinary actions against students.
The L.A. Times reported further that "at least 29 states now have policies restricting or eliminating exclusionary discipline."
Additionally, California lawmakers in 2021 passed SB419 in 2021 to prohibit the expulsion of a student enrolled in grades kindergarten to 8th grade for being disruptive or willfully defying authority.
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Khieem Jackson, a co-founder of Black Men for Educational Equity and co-sponsored the bill, told the L.A. Times that the "tool would help mitigate the preschool to prison pipeline."