Latest news with #HouseBill6
Associated Press
2 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Texas to expand how schools discipline students
Texas schools will be able to use harsher punishments to discipline students after the Texas Legislature passed a sweeping package on Wednesday — part of their efforts to stem student violence after the pandemic. 'Disruptions are impeding both the ability of teachers to teach and the ability of students to learn,' said state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. House Bill 6 would extend how long schools can place students in in-school suspensions from three days to as long as they see appropriate. Principals would need to review the placement every 10 days. Students facing in-school suspension still complete schoolwork in a different classroom on school grounds. Because the bill would allow schools to use out-of-school suspensions to discipline all students when they engage in 'repeated and significant' classroom disruption or threaten the health and safety of other children, it would make it easier for schools to discipline students experiencing homelessness and the state's youngest students. That's because the bill would reverse state laws from 2017 and 2019 that put limitations on when and how those students could be disciplined. When schools do out an out-of-school suspension to students in kindergarten through third grade, they'll need to provide documentation of the students' disruptive behavior. Both chambers have approved the legislation — the Senate last week and the House last month. With the House's approval Wednesday of 19 Senate amendments to the bill, 114-19, it now heads to the governor. The legislation also amends when schools send students to alternative education settings, a strict environment that often leans on computer-based work and is in a different building. While students caught vaping were previously required to go to alternative education settings, schools can now give students caught with a vape device less severe consequences if it is their first offense. Schools can also teach students in alternative education programs remotely — a mode of instruction that was shown to contribute to learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perry, who shepherded the bill in the Senate, said the legislation was six years in the making. 'We've reached a crisis point where there's just some kids that absolutely are such a deterrent to the overall learning process that we have to find a better way,' Perry said on the Senate floor last week. 'With that, HB 6 found that balance. I like where we landed.' ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
School discipline bill passes Texas House, heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk
The 89th Texas legislative session ends in less than a week. Here are outstanding bills The 89th Texas legislative session ends in less than a week. Here are outstanding bills The 89th Texas legislative session ends in less than a week. Here are outstanding bills 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?"
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas to expand how schools discipline students
Texas schools will be able to use harsher punishments to discipline students after the Texas Legislature passed a sweeping package on Wednesday — part of their efforts to stem student violence after the pandemic . 'Disruptions are impeding both the ability of teachers to teach and the ability of students to learn,' said state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. House Bill 6 would extend how long schools can place students in in-school suspensions from three days to as long as they see appropriate. Principals would need to review the placement every 10 days. Students facing in-school suspension still complete schoolwork in a different classroom on school grounds. Because the bill would allow schools to use out-of-school suspensions to discipline all students when they engage in 'repeated and significant' classroom disruption or threaten the health and safety of other children, it would make it easier for schools to discipline students experiencing homelessness and the state's youngest students. That's because the bill would reverse state laws from 2017 and 2019 that put limitations on when and how those students could be disciplined. When schools do out an out-of-school suspension to students in kindergarten through third grade, they'll need to provide documentation of the students' disruptive behavior. Both chambers have approved the legislation — the Senate last week and the House last month. With the House's approval Wednesday of 19 Senate amendments to the bill, 114-19, it now heads to the governor. The legislation also amends when schools send students to alternative education settings, a strict environment that often leans on computer-based work and is in a different building. While students caught vaping were previously required to go to alternative education settings, schools can now give students caught with a vape device less severe consequences if it is their first offense. Schools can also teach students in alternative education programs remotely — a mode of instruction that was shown to contribute to learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perry, who shepherded the bill in the Senate, said the legislation was six years in the making. 'We've reached a crisis point where there's just some kids that absolutely are such a deterrent to the overall learning process that we have to find a better way,' Perry said on the Senate floor last week. 'With that, HB 6 found that balance. I like where we landed.' The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Two bills to keep an eye on as the Texas legislative session wraps up
Here's what bills are left to be signed as Texas Legislature wraps up 89th session Here's what bills are left to be signed as Texas Legislature wraps up 89th session Here's what bills are left to be signed as Texas Legislature wraps up 89th session As the final week of the Texas legislative session begins, there are a few education bills that could make it to the finish line. One of those is the public school funding bill, which is most likely to make it to the governor's desk. The public school funding bill, known as House Bill 2, would increase funding for public education to $8.5 billion. That's a $500 million increase compared to the deal earlier this month. Schools will see per-student funding, or basic allotment, increase by $55, which opponents have said isn't enough. Even with the small increase, it would be the first bump to basic allotment since 2019. The Texas House will most likely accept the bill this week, then it will move to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. Another bill that could cross the governor's desk is House Bill 6 – school discipline for younger students. This bill 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 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. The House must concur before it goes to the governor.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senators soften student discipline bill, giving Texas schools more flexibility
The Texas Senate, in an about-face, approved a sweeping rewrite of the state's student discipline laws that provides schools with more flexibility to manage student behavior. The final legislation, which included many amendments, moderated portions of the bill the Senate had previously sought to harden. The House must concur before it goes to the governor. 'Disruptions are impeding both the ability of teachers to teach and the ability of students to learn,' said state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, who shepherded the bill in the Senate. 'We have attempted to draft a bill that achieves the goals of both the House and the Senate.' The latest version of House Bill 6 would allow schools to place students in in-school suspensions for as long as they see appropriate, so long as principals review the placement every 10 days. Students facing in-school suspension still complete schoolwork in a different classroom on school grounds. The bill clarifies that those students must be under the supervision of faculty. The legislation also amends current law that requires schools to send students who are caught vaping to alternative education settings, a strict environment that often leans on computer-based work and is in a different building. The House wanted to repeal the law altogether. The Senate's version gives schools flexibility to hand students caught with a vape less severe consequences if it is their first offense. [Classroom violence went up in Texas after the pandemic. Is more discipline the answer?] And because the bill would allow schools to use out-of-school suspensions to discipline all students when they engage in 'repeated and significant' classroom disruption or threaten the health and safety of other children, it would make it easier for schools to discipline homeless students and the state's youngest students. That's because the bill would reverse state laws from 2017 and 2019 that put limitations on when and how those students could be disciplined. Senators on Thursday acknowledged the challenges the youngest students face behaving in the classroom. An amendment Thursday would require schools to provide documentation of disruptive behavior before they doled out an out-of-school suspension to students in kindergarten through third grade. When schools consider removing students with disabilities, they must involve professionals who are knowledgeable about how disabilities manifest. That person may be a special education teacher, a social worker or a school psychologist. Perry on Thursday said the legislation was six years in the making. 'We've reached a crisis point where there's just some kids that absolutely are such a deterrent to the overall learning process that we have to find a better way,' Perry said. 'With that, HB 6 found that balance. I like where we landed.' The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
