NEA supports improved,
simplified discipline measures

All students should be expected to meet school conduct standards, although the consequences for misbehavior of some students might be different. NEA recommends changes in the discipline provisions to provide for removal of dangerous and chronically disruptive students to quality alternative education sites. While these students need to be removed from the classroom, we do not support completely denying all educational services to them. Removing students from the classroom without another alternative simply moves their problems from the school into the streets.

NEA supports including functional behavioral assessments and behavior intervention plans as positive efforts to improve behavior in both bills. NEA argued that the House bill, which grants broad authority to simply remove a student from the classroom for up to 45 days, "went too far." NEA also supports increased funding for high quality alternative settings for students with and without disabilities who are removed from school.

Note: Current law allows school personnel to remove a student for (1) up to 10 school days if the behavior is not judged to be a result of the student's disability; (2) up to 45 school days for weapon and drug violations; and (3) allows a hearing officer to remove a student for up to 45 school days if he/she is deemed to be a danger to self or others.

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