We Need School Discipline Reform But We Also Need to Protect Teachers

One of my second-graders, Tony, generally entered the classroom happy. But it took a very small thing to make him furious. Tony, who had been diagnosed with anger impulsive disorder, would get angry if he didn’t know the answer to a question, if I took too long to assist him with his work or if he didn’t understand the lesson.
One day, Tony was angry that he couldn’t be first in line. He began to yell at the other kids and push them.

When I intervened, he wasn’t pleased. He choked me with my necklace, screaming at the top of his lungs. He pulled hard and the necklace left markings around my neck.
In 2015, the Illinois Legislature passed the
Senate Bill 100 (SB100) with the aim of creating more effective discipline practices. The bill means that students like Tony can no longer be suspended. SB100 eliminates zero-tolerance policies and limits suspension and expulsions. Instead, schools must implement appropriate and available behavioral interventions.



While the passage of SB100 was a good thing, my school did not offer an alternative discipline policy, nor did it provide training on developmentally-appropriate disciplinary methods that would help to serve students like Tony and to help guide and support teachers like me as they address students’ behavior and struggle to meet their needs. At least in my school, the bill was not implemented as it should have been..