Some States Move to Curtail Suspension and Expulsion of Students

Jenny Muñiz was quoted in a Route Fifty article on the ways California and Texas have sought to curtail expulsions, especially for young students of color.

Jenny Muñiz, an education researcher at the think tank New America, said that even well-intentioned teachers might not be able to understand how their biases would impact their decisionmaking about which students to punish. A former teacher herself, Muñiz said it’s important schools stop defining misconduct with vague terms.

“Willful defiance is a subjective term that has been used disproportionately as a motive to suspend or expel students of color,” Muñiz said. “Hopefully legislation like this will nudge districts and schools to better address the root causes of student misbehavior, and to create more opportunities for expanded teacher training and or chances to explore restorative justice approaches.”