Misha Karigaca was a middle school principal when the Oakland Unified School District revamped its disciplinary policies in 2015 to end willful defiance suspensions. The discipline models could be replicated throughout California public schools under legislation sponsored by State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). Senate Bill 274 would permanently extend the ban on willful defiance suspensions in middle and high schools after 2025. Since the district banned willful defiance suspensions, Karigaca said his office gets a little over 100 expulsion referrals per year. Skinner’s latest bill builds on Assemblyman Roger Dickinson’s (D-Sacramento) AB 420, which in 2014 eliminated willful defiance as a reason for suspension or expulsion in grades 1-3.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 25, 2023 15:57 UTC