Earlier this year, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) issued Emergency Rules regarding student discipline without affording input from family advocates, students or parents.
The changes in discipline regulations included:
- Removing the requirement that schools consider alternative forms of discipline thatJayleen support students in meeting behavioral expectation BEFORE excluding them from classrooms
- An increasing focus on “maintaining an optimum learning atmosphere,” giving teachers the power to exclude youth for up to three days without it being considered a suspension
- Reducing student rights to Due Process. New regulations allow individual school districts to determine when a notice is given to parents regarding classroom exclusion. Both grievance procedures and opportunities to appeal disciplinary decisions are more restricted.
As noted in a Seattle Times opinion piece, disparity in the application of school discipline is deep. Students with disabilities and students of color are harmed at nearly twice the rates of other Washington students, and the rule changes could exacerbate this.
Although these changes were considered “Emergency” rule making, there was no clear emergency identified. The rules are temporary and there will be a review process.
NJP's partners, TeamChild, Attorneys for Education Rights, and Disability Rights Washington are meeting with OSPI and preparing comments to the permanent rules. Keep up on OSPI Rulemaking activity here: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/ospi-rulemaking-activity