U.S. Puts Schools On The Hook For Police Actions
Posted: 01/08/2014 12:00 am EST
The Obama administration issued the first federal legal guidance on school discipline Wednesday, telling school administrators they must avoid discrimination when doling out punishments, and must reserve harsh punishments that pull kids out of class as a last resort.
Because of concerns that schools unfairly punish students differently based on race, the U.S. Education and Justice departments are setting legal standards for managing students' behavior while avoiding discrimination outlawed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Effective teaching and learning cannot take place unless students feel safe at school,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement. “Positive discipline policies can help create safer learning environments without relying heavily on suspensions and expulsions."
Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder will announce the new guidance at a high school in Baltimore Wednesday.
The announcement comes one year after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., as many schools continue struggling to increase security. In response to Newtown, many districts armed teachers, added private security officersprivate security officers, and increased the number of "school resource officers," police officers trained to work with students. Congress failed to change federal gun laws after the massacre, leaving schools to face heightened anxiety from