澳彩开奖: Trump鈥檚 school safety commission recommendations would make schools less safe
The Federal Commission on School Safety鈥攅stablished by President Trump following the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and led by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos鈥攔eleased a report today that recommends withdrawing the 2014 Department of Justice and Department of Education legal guidance on discriminatory discipline.
The threaten to make our nation's schools and students less safe;聽ignore settled law; ignore both evidence and evidence-based solutions; and ignore progress made towards safe, welcoming, and healthy schools for all students.
Every year,聽millions聽of our nation鈥檚 schoolchildren are suspended or expelled from school, overwhelmingly impacting the lives of children of color, children with disabilities, and LGBTQ youth.
The legal guidance聽recommended for聽rescission today was written to address the serious harm of unnecessary and discriminatory school discipline. In the school year when it was issued,聽thousands of聽3- and 4-year-olds were suspended or expelled from preschool.
Although black students made up only 19 percent of that pre-kindergarten population, they represented almost half of the young children suspended from public preschool. What鈥檚 more, research suggests that overly punitive school discipline harms聽补濒濒听students, decreasing overall academic performance.聽Rescinding the legal guidance will remove important best practices and resources for schools and school districts to ensure all students can succeed.
We know from years聽of research what really makes schools safer鈥攑ositive and inclusive discipline policies, access to mental health treatment, integrating supports and services into every classroom鈥攜et the Trump administration is recommending scrapping guidance that helps schools follow the law, and makes schools safer and fairer for all.
President Trump, Secretary DeVos and the rest of the commission are relying on ignorance, fear, and misrepresentation鈥攁nd in doing so, denying the realities of research, settled law, and the lived experiences of students and educators.
This report sends a message to our nation鈥檚 students that the federal government is no longer concerned about the negative consequences of overly harsh discipline鈥攂ut it does not change federal antidiscrimination law.
Any school with discipline policies or practices that discriminate against children based on race, national origin, religion, sex, or disability is still breaking the law. Make no mistake: The Trump administration is intent on circumventing Supreme Court precedent to make it easier for schools to discriminate against children, but it cannot do so simply by issuing a misguided report.
