California Bans Suspensions for Talking Back to Teachers

The state of California has banned suspending students for talking balk to teachers.

Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September, the law, which goes into effect on July 1, 2020, extends the ban of suspensions permanently for “willful defiance” for students up to 5th grade and restricts them for junior high students until 2025. A ban was previously in place for students in 3rd grade and below.

“We want the teacher to be able to teach their class and not have disruptive students, but we also want to minimize these suspensions,” Sen. Nancy Skinner, who authored the bill, told The Mercury News. “The more a child is suspended, the more likely the are to do bad in school and just do bad overall.”

According to the California Department of Education, suspensions for willful defiance have dropped 82% since the law was first signed in 2015. However, opponents to the bill argued that the mandatory removal of suspensions diminishes the authority of teachers.

“Teachers and principals are on the front lines educating our children and are in the best position to make decisions about order and discipline in the classroom,” wrote former California Governor Jerry Grown.

What do you think? Should schools be allowed to suspend young students for willful defiance?

While out-of-home suspensions aren’t a possibility in our homeschools (unless it’s a time to cool off in the back yard), as parents we can be prepared with tips for raising a challenging child. Check out our encouragement and advice for dealing with a defiant child.