This Is Happening In California Schools And Nobody's Talking About It
Many teachers believe student behavior has changed, but what if the real issue is something else? This article explores how California's discipline policies may be affecting classrooms and the students trying to learn in them.
7/25/2026
🏫 Many people believe teachers are struggling because students are different today than they were years ago.
I don't think that's the main problem.
The bigger issue may be that the systems schools use to manage behavior have changed. In California, schools face significant limitations when it comes to suspending students for behaviors such as defiance, disruption, or refusing to follow directions. These behaviors are often referred to as K violations.
💡 The reason for these changes came from a good place. Lawmakers were concerned that certain groups of students were being suspended at higher rates than others. Their goal was to reduce those disparities and create a more equitable system.
The challenge is that good intentions do not always create good outcomes.
When schools lose effective tools for addressing serious classroom disruptions, the impact doesn't stop with the student causing the problem. It affects everyone in the room. Teachers lose instructional time. Students lose learning opportunities. The classroom environment becomes harder to manage.
🧠 One idea I shared in the video is that schools are often dealing with a relatively small percentage of students who create a large percentage of behavioral issues. When those behaviors continue without meaningful intervention, they begin affecting the larger student population.
That's where the real concern lies.
This isn't about punishing students. In fact, suspension should rarely be the first option. Teachers should use classroom management strategies, parent communication, interventions, and support systems before considering more serious consequences.
🎯 But schools also need options when those supports don't work.
There's a saying I often come back to:
We do not rise to the level of our goals. We fall to the level of our systems.
If the system makes it difficult to address chronic disruptions, the entire learning environment suffers. The students who want to learn deserve classrooms where they can focus, participate, and succeed.
🔥 Ultimately, this conversation isn't about politics. It's about students.
Every child deserves a safe, productive learning environment. If we're serious about helping students succeed, we need to be willing to have honest conversations about what's working, what's not, and how we can improve the systems that support our schools.
🎥 Want to hear the full discussion?
Watch the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUlKUczQ8Nk&list=UULFQOIbqNhb_gseSVU6bE3uUA