skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

New WA School Discipline Rules Yet to be Finalized

play audio
Play

Monday, December 30, 2013   

OLYMPIA, Wash. - A state law meant to clarify how Washington school districts deal with discipline problems was passed in June - but the rules still haven't been finalized. The law was passed because policies for suspending and expelling students have varied widely among districts and disproportionately affect students of color. A 2012 survey revealed not all school districts have even kept records of their disciplinary actions.

Chris Korsmo, executive director of the League of Education Voters, explained the law now requires emergency expulsions to be converted to another form of discipline within 10 days.

"What we do know is, keeping kids in school has far better consequences than expelling those kids from school. Sending kids home, they're maybe going to be unsupervised and they're not going to get any learning time. It's obvious that in-school suspension would be far more desirable than just putting kids out," Korsmo said.

The rule-making process is moving too slowly, she added, which is putting some students at risk.

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) acknowledges the need for better discipline records. Mike Donlin, who supervises the OSPI School Safety Center, said having more and better data should help address issues of racial disproportionality. He added that they also plan a greater focus on mental health services.

"Sometimes there's other stuff going on, and the risk factors that affect students are not simply what would fall into a discipline category - they need more," said Donlin. "We're looking at those things, as well. Hopefully, in the end, we can put this package together and it'll have all the supports needed, for all the students."

According to OSPI, the changes may involve more training for teachers and more staff to do the record-keeping and administer the suspension and re-engagement plans.

Donlin said a Student Discipline Task Force is expected to have draft rules ready for public comment "soon," meaning early in 2014. The process is technically ahead of schedule, he noted, since the rules do not have to be in place until the start of the school year in 2015.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021