I submitted this comment to CA SB274, which removes the ability to suspend ANY K-12 student for disruption. It also addresses truancy - and that's where Sen Skinner's bill went wrong

I doubt it is our good Senator Skinner's intention that MTSS, a positive behavior and wrap-around school system, only be used for tardiness and absenteeism. But that's what her revision of Ed Code Section 48900 (w) states. The provision to require the use of MTSS is buried under a subsection to address truancy and will be misinterpreted to only apply to truancy. If it’s not her intention, then SB274, as written, needs to be revised or rejected. The order of subsections matters. I know. I've tried to get top administrators to follow the spirit of Ed Code, but, nowadays, if there is any wiggle room, they will interpret it to their advantage - and it's gutting K-12 education.

Whenever a student is disruptive, by the very definition of the word, learning in the classroom has stopped. How is that fair to the students and parents of the kids that came to school to be educated? Subsection 48900(w)(2) needs to be moved to the top of the proposed revision - with some real consequences for lack of MTSS compliance. Real MTSS REQUIRES admin to step up.

Since the California Dept of Ed hasn’t yet bothered to check if all districts have a working Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), if/when passed, SB274 needs to have a delayed start date until every district can sufficiently prove they have a real and active MTSS. In doing so, California will then be able to better support students and hang onto teachers. It must be obvious to any sentient lawmaker that our current system isn’t working. Sen Skinner must take this opportunity to help fix it.

We need STRONG provisions to address the lack of accountability of school administrators to implement MTSS and other education legal requirements - not necessarily in this particular law, but somewhere prominently in Ed Code. As written, Sen Skinner's revision continues to place classroom behavior on the backs of teachers. It will drive more teachers out of the profession and, far worse, further erode the ability of California public and charter school students to get an education that will ensure a successful future. Isn't an appropriate education the entire point?

I left the teaching profession earlier than planned when it became clear that top administrators had no intention of stepping-up to make it possible for teachers to actually teach. They took advantage of the lax state oversight of administrators and never set up a real Multi-Tiered System of Support - then lied about it in the LCAPs (state school district plans). My local school district avoids ANY real consequences for bad behavior unless an important parent complains. Consequently, it is quickly becoming too dangerous to teach. As of today, March 29, 2023, my local district is advertising to replace 20% of their teaching force, and more teachers plan to resign. For my last eight years as a teacher, a profession I had loved, teachers became entirely responsible for behavior, attendance, supplies, parent communication, mental health issues, IEP accommodations, independent study files, and for the protection of students from bullying - all tasks for which I had previously received admin support. Did I mention BEHAVIOR? It's damn important! Without consequences, bad behavior grows exponentially and then no one learns.

Submitted March 29, 2023 at 12:48PM by MantaRay2256 https://ift.tt/6pAJguy