California – SB 274 or the “Keep Kids In School” bill in California will prohibit the suspension of kids for “acting up” while in school.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) who introduced the bill, says that kicking kids out of school would not allow students to continue to learn.  These suspensions will now apply to middle and high school students.  The practice has already been banned in kindergarten through fifth grade students.

“Skinner’s office said that willful defiance suspensions have been disproportionately directed at students of color, LGBTQ+ students, students who are homeless or in foster care and those with disabilities. 

Under the bill, teachers would have the authority to exclude a student from a particular class due to disruptive conduct without resorting to a school suspension. Instead, the responsibility would lie with school administrators to assess and implement suitable in-school interventions or support for the student promptly.”

“Willful defiance” is defined by the California education code as: “disrupting school activities or otherwise willfully defying the valid authority of school staff.”

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