The Fairfax and Arlington Special Education PTAs, along with 23 more organizations, jointly call on Virginia legislators to oppose a school discipline bill that will disproportionately harm students with disabilities, students of color, and those who are low income, without making schools any safer.
The 25 groups that oppose this bill include organizations that represent students with disabilities, students of color, LGBTQ students, individuals with mental health needs, children who have experienced trauma, teachers, social workers, and more. The organizations sent a joint letter to the Virginia Senate Education Committee urging the Committee to vote down HB 1461, and also issued a joint press release.
School discipline, student behavior and school safety are hot button issues these days. These groups recognize that a uniform mandate to remove students from the classroom for vague and subjective reasons, without addressing the underlying and individualized causes for students’ challenges, is not the solution.