School discipline bill passes Texas House, heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk
A bill that would allow suspensions for students from pre-K to second grade passed in the Texas House late Wednesday night and is off to the governor's desk.
House Bill 6 details how to discipline students in pre-K through second grade and homeless students when there is a repeated and significant disruption. It would overturn Texas laws that previously protected those students.
Senators have previously softened those guidelines, which gives individual schools more autonomy to discipline students. The latest version allows in-student suspensions for as long as the school sees fit, as long as principals review placements every 10 days.
Under HB 6, students can be suspended if there's an offense related to weapons; if students threaten the immediate health and safety of others; or if they repeatedly or significantly disrupt the classroom, as determined by the campus administrator.
"It's common sense to give teachers the authority to remove disruptive students from classrooms," Gov. Greg Abbott posted on social media after the bill was passed. "We must restore discipline in our schools."
Two Kennedale ISD educators recently told CBS News Texas their pros and cons of the bill.
"I watched a 5-year-old tear up a kindergarten classroom, and when I say tear it up, I mean destroy it. It's real," said. Kennedale ISD superintendent Dr. Chad Gee. "And how are those teachers supposed to educate all the students in their classrooms with that going on?"