Conservative Think Tank Reveals Best, Worst States for Freedom in Education

Florida takes first place. Oregon ranks last. Red and blue states show markedly different strategies on how to improve education, report says.

Children in a classroom hold their hands up to be called on during class at Carter Traditional Elementary School in Louisville, Ky., on Jan. 24, 2022. Jon Cherry/Getty Images

Citing the need for equity, lawmakers in several Democrat-controlled states have passed measures recently that make it harder to discipline students who act up in the classroom.

Schools in California, Illinois, Minnesota, Maryland, and other states have adopted student discipline systems based on “restorative justice” instead of suspending students for bad behavior.