School Safety, Discipline & Classroom Control

UPDATE

This bill passed the Legislature and was signed into law by the governor as 1997 WI Act 335

Background:

The Wisconsin Education Association Council and the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers are committed to the belief that all children have a right to learn in a safe and productive classroom. To support that belief, WEAC supports passage of 1997 Senate Bill 274 to provide for greater teacher authority in dealing with student disruption and inappropriate classroom behavior.

School administration officials, educators, parents, students and the general public agree that the presence of dangerous or disruptive students in the classroom is an infringement on the rights of other students. Senate Bill 274 will protect the rights of students who are deprived of a productive learning environment because of excessive demands made on teacher time, energy and attention by disruptive students.

Legislative History:

Key Components of Senate Bill 274:

• A teacher may dismiss from his or her classroom an unruly, dangerous or disruptive student, in accordance with a student code of conduct which must be developed by all school boards. The student code of conduct must define dangerous, disruptive and unruly behavior. The school district shall involve parents, pupils, members of the school board, school administrators, teachers, pupil service professionals and other members of the community in developing the student code of conduct.
• The code of conduct must specify additional grounds for removing pupils from class. It must set the procedures for determining the appropriate educational placement of a pupil who has been removed from class and has been assigned an interim placement by the school principal.
• The code of classroom conduct may provide different standards of conduct for different schools and may provide additional placement options for pupils.
• Senate Bill 274 provides for a legislative council study to address issues related to school discipline and alternative educational placements for unruly, disruptive and dangerous pupils.

WEAC/WFT Position:

The Wisconsin Education Association Council and the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers strongly support passage of 1997 Senate Bill 274.

Talking Points:

• All children have a right to learn in a safe and productive classroom.
• Teachers, students and the general public agree that the presence of disruptive students in the classroom is an infringement on the rights of students who are not disruptive.
• Teachers should have the authority to control their classroom environment. If a dangerous or disruptive pupil interrupts the learning process and violates a code of conduct, he or she should be removed from the classroom and placed in an alternative learning environment.

For more information contact:

Contact Jack Coe in the WEAC Government Relations Division at 800-362-8034 or by e- mail at coej@weac.org with any reactions, comments or questions.