Agreement reached on ‘willful defiance’ bill | EdSource

Agreement reached on ‘willful defiance’ bill | EdSource:

Agreement reached on ‘willful defiance’ bill

July 22, 2014 | By Susan Frey | No Comments



Assemblymember Roger Dickinson Representing the 7th California Assembly District

After several months of negotiations, Gov. Jerry Brown and advocates for less punitive disciplinary policies have compromised on a bill that would limit schools’ ability to suspend or expel students for “willful defiance,” according to Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, who is sponsoring the bill.

Under the new agreement, no student can be expelled for being willfully defiant or disruptive of school activities. That subjective category has come under fire because it has been disproportionately used statewide to discipline African-American students and, in some districts, Latino students. In addition, under the amended bill, administrators would no longer be able to suspend K-3 students and send them home for being willfully defiant.

The law will sunset on Dec. 31, 2018, when legislators will have a chance to revisit the issue.

“Advocates for change would very much like to go further,” Dickinson said, “but we realize the governor’s willingness to agree to take steps at all is a significant move.”

A bill that put more limits on the use of willful defiance passed the Assembly and Senate last year. But that bill was vetoed by the governor, who said he thought disciplinary decisions should be made by local administrators. Jim Evans, a spokesman for the governor, said Brown declined to comment because the legislation is pending.

Although willful defiance accounted for less than 6 percent of expulsions statewide in 2012-13, 43 percent of all suspensions were for willful defiance. African-American students make up 6 percent of statewide enrollment, yet they comprised 19 percent of all willful defiant suspensions.

“It’s hard work, but it seems to be effective when you communicate to students that they are valued, that you want them in school, and that you want them to succeed,” said Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento.

However, the suspension figures represent a drop from 2011-12, when 48 percent of suspensions were for willful defiance. In addition, some districts, such as Los Angeles Unified and San Francisco Unified, have eliminated the category altogether.

Both within the state and nationally, the trend toward more positive disciplinary practices is very clear, Dickinson said. “As momentum Agreement reached on ‘willful defiance’ bill | EdSource: