DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — A Dallas lawmaker wants Texas to join a group of states and cities prohibiting disciplinary suspensions for pre-K students. According to the Dallas Morning News research overwhelmingly shows children with disabilities and minority boys are disproportionately suspended from school.
Rep. Eric Johnson authored the bill that would ban school suspensions for children younger than six years of age. The Morning News quotes the Dallas Democrat as saying he has been concerned about the racial disaparity for some time but now it’s personal because he has a two-year-old in daycare.
“As the father of a black male child, I understand the worry and fear of how these kids can be put on a path to being criminalized or harshly punished for just being kids,” Johnson said. “They are too young for this. They need to be corrected and redirected, not told that they are bad or flawed.”
Opponents of the bill insist that teachers need to be allowed to maintain discipline in the classroom and in extreme cases, even among the very young, suspension is a valid option. Rena Honea, president of the Dallas teacher group Alliance AFT said, “Many times, that’s the only way to get parental involvement to happen. Sometimes parents don’t — or can’t — show up until the child has to stay at home with them. Even with 4 or 5-year-olds, suspension has to be an option for teachers to use.”
