MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Tennessee lawmaker wants to pass a bill allowing teachers to remove students from their classroom.
The Teacher’s Discipline Act , sponsored by Tennessee Republican Senator Joey Hensley, was created to “fully support the authority of every teacher in the principal’s school to remove a student from the classroom.”
The bill creates a uniform approach for teachers to request a child who has consistently interrupted class be removed.
But some who work with troubled youth are worried the bill would unfairly target certain students.
“The data shows that African-Americans, Black and brown kids, are most affected when it comes to being disciplined for behavior issues in schools,” said Charlie Caswell, executive director of Legacy of Legends.
Representative Antonio Parkinson shared those concerns but says it’s equally important to create an environment where teachers can do their jobs.
“We want to make sure our teachers are able to teach also. I’m watching it, but I’m cautiously optimistic about it,” Parkinson said.
The bill’s sponsor released a statement in response to some of the criticism, saying, “Regardless of their race, this will apply to students who are misbehaving so the teacher can address that situation and continue to teach the rest of the classroom efficiently.”
Caswell believes a heavy-handed approach may not always be the best way to reach students. He says in many cases children are crying out for help and this bill doesn’t address that.
“It is for them an easier route than to really deal with what the trauma is. Especially coming out of this pandemic thing that these children have been dealing with and are dealing with,” Caswell said.
The Senate advanced the bill Thursday. The House needs another vote on it before it heads to Governor Bill Lee.
