A Texas law that took effect last school year, House Bill 6, expanded teachers' authority to remove disruptive students from classrooms. A teacher may dismiss a student after a single instance of disruptive behavior, without showing earlier misbehavior. The law also removed the cap on how many days a student can spend in in-school suspension, but placements must be reviewed every 10 school days.
Johnny Nhan, a criminology professor at Texas Christian University, said schools may be moving toward punishment without first addressing why students act out. Education attorney Elvin Houston, who represents school districts, said the law expanded when students can face discipline but did little to change the options schools have. He said those options typically involve removing students from regular classrooms, and that research has questioned how effective that approach is.
The three spoke at a panel discussion on October 28, hosted by the Texas A&M University School of Law, on the effects of school discipline on Tarrant County students. Houston said teachers are finding it hard to manage student behavior with limited support. Texas A&M law professor Jenny Carroll also took part in the panel.