States Seek to Handle School Discipline in Vastly Different Ways

New teacher Bill of Rights legislation passed in Alabama and Louisiana takes a different approach from California’s proposed restorative justice law.

Students arrive for classes at Taylor Allderdice High School in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on Jan. 23, 2024. Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo

As schools open for the 2024–2025 academic year, states differ regarding how teachers should deal with disruptive students.

Some are pushing for a more punitive approach, with suspensions for repeat offenders, while others disapprove of removing students from classrooms.