Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies

DateIssued:April,232025

Topic:Education

WHATDOESTHISEXECUTIVEORDERDO?

Thisexecutiveorderreplaceswhatitdescribesas“equityideologybased”disciplinepolicieswiththosethatuphold“commonsense”and safetywithoutusingframeworksthatcenterraceorequity considerations.

Theordershiftsschooldisciplinaryauthorityawayfromfederalagencies andcivilrightsguidance,grantingsolediscretiontoclassroomteachers andadministratorswithminimalfederaloversight.

Theorderrollsbackpreviousadministrations’commitmentstoaddress racialdisparitiesinschooldisciplinepractices,statingthatprevious directives“requiredschoolstodiscriminateonthebasisofraceby imposingdisciplinebasedonracialcharacteristics,ratherthanon objectivebehavioralone.”

HOWWILLTHISEXECUTIVEORDERBEENFORCED?

TheorderdirectstheSecretaryofEducation,inconsultationwiththe AttorneyGeneral,toprovidenewguidancetoStateandlocaleducation agencies(LEAs)regardingschooldiscipline.

Theorderthreatensthefederalfundingofschoolsthatfailtocomplywith CivilRightsActof1964TitleVIprotectionsagainstracialdiscriminationin theirschooldisciplinepractices.Inthiscase,theordereffectively reinterprets“racialdiscrimination”tofocusonperceiveddiscrimination againstwhitestudents,usingittochallengeequity-orientedpractices designedtoaddressdisparitiesaffectingstudentsofcolor.

Within60daysoftheorder,theSecretaryofEducationandAttorney GeneralwillworkwithGovernorsandStateAttorneyGeneraltobegin coordinatinganddesigningguidanceregardingschooldisciplinepolicies andpracticestomodel.Suchguidancewillrejectequity-based approachesandpromoterace-neutralstandards.

Within90daysoftheorder,theSecretaryofDefenseshallissuearevised schooldisciplinecodeforchildrenofmilitaryfamiliesthatisin compliancewiththeorder.

Within120daysofthisorder,TheSecretariesofEducation,Healthand HumanServices,andHomelandSecurity,alongwiththeAttorneyGeneral, willsubmitareporttothePresident.Thereportwillprovideupdatesonthe statusof“discriminatory-equity-ideology-based-schooldisciplineand behaviormodificationtechniquesinAmericanpubliceducation."

HOWWILLTHISEXECUTIVEORDERBEENFORCED?

Morespecifically,thereportistoincludethefollowing:

AnanalysisofTitleVIdisciplineinvestigationssince2009;

Areviewofhowfederallyfundednonprofitorganizationsmaybeusing taxpayerdollarstosupportdisciplineorbehaviorprogramsrootedin "discriminatoryequityideologies,"alongwithrecommendationsto preventfederalfundsfromsupportingsuchpractices;

Areviewofexemplarydiscipline-relatedpoliciesandcurricular practicesthat“donotpromotediscriminatoryequityideology;

Modelschooldisciplinepoliciesthatprioritizestudentsafety,uphold non-discrimination,andreflect"commonsense,"Americanvalues, andtraditionalvirtues.

HOWDOESTHISIMPACTBLACKCOMMUNITIES?

Reinstating"commonsense"schooldisciplinepoliciesmayhave significantadverseeffectsonBlackstudents,whoalreadyface disproportionatedisciplinaryactionsineducationalsettings.By eliminatingconsiderationsofracialdisparitiesindiscipline,theorderrisks exacerbatingexistinginequities.

Blackstudentsarealreadymorelikelytofaceharsherdisciplinary measures.Forinstance,Blackgirlsrepresent15%offemalestudentsbut accountfornearly50%ofsuspensionsandexpulsionsamonggirls.

StudiesindicatethatBlackstudentsoftenreceiveharsherpunishments forsimilarbehaviorscomparedtotheirpeers,suggestingthatdisciplinary actionsareinfluencedbysubjectiveinterpretationsratherthanobjective assessments.

Disparitiesindisciplinebeginasearlyaspreschool,withBlackchildren comprising19%ofpreschoolersbutaccountingfor47%ofmultipleout-ofschoolsuspensions.

Exclusionarydisciplinepracticescontributetothe"school-to-prison pipeline,"increasingthelikelihoodofacademicfailureandfuture incarcerationforBlackstudents.

Theremovalofguidanceaddressingracialdisparitiesindisciplinemay hindereffortstocreateequitableeducationalenvironmentsandreduce theeffectivenessofprogramsaimedatsupportingmarginalized students.Theexecutiveorder'semphasisonuniformdisciplinarypolicies withoutconsiderationofexistingracialdisparitiesmaydisproportionately harmBlackstudents,perpetuatingcyclesofdisadvantageandlimiting opportunitiesforacademicandsocioemotionalwellbeing.

MembersoftheCongressionalBlackCaucus(CBC)haveexpressedtheir disagreementwiththerecenteducationrelatedexecutiveorders.

Rep.Robert“Bobby”Scott(VA-03),alongwithdemocraticmembersof theHouseCommitteeonEducationandWorkforceissuedastatement: “Undertheguiseofeliminatingdiversity,equityandinclusion(DEI),the TrumpAdministrationissuedaslewofeducationrelatedexecutiveorders thatignoresthisnation’shistoryandcontinuedrealityofresistingequal educationalopportunitiestoallofAmerica’sstudents.Infact,through massiveresistance,statesandcommunitiesadoptedpoliciesand practices–throughfunding,disciplinarypractices,tonameafew–that disproportionatelyandnegativelyimpactstudentsofcolorandstudents withdisabilities.”FullStatement