TCTA testifies on Senate discipline bills

The Senate K-16 Education Committee met on March 25th to discuss several discipline-related bills.

Legislative offices often reach out to TCTA first when it comes to school discipline, and this session is no different.

School discipline has been a persistent issue through the last few legislative sessions, with many school administrators and teachers observing increasingly serious student discipline incidents in schools, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Last August, a school administrator lost an eye when a student threw a wooden coat hangar at her while she was responding to a call for help from the classroom teacher; the incident was widely reported and the victim appeared at a House Public Education Committee hearing on school discipline to tell her story.

State legislators have taken a keen interest in school discipline this session, not only because of particularly violent incidents in their own districts, but also the number of teachers citing school discipline as a reason for leaving the profession. With critical shortages of teachers across the state, ensuring that the profession is safe for educators and students is key to making teaching an attractive career.

SB 27 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) contains a number of provisions aimed at bolstering rights of teachers. The bill would limit sanctions for resignations, improve the employee grievance process, create an incentive for districts to rehire retired teachers, provide a teacher time study, and enhance the authority of teachers in managing their classrooms. TCTA has worked extensively with the author to amend parts of SB 27 and testified in support of the bill.

TCTA Director of Governmental Relations Pamela McPeters testified in support of the bill. McPeters thanked Creighton for keeping the focus on teachers, with a significant pay raise in SB 26 and now increased teacher protections in SB 27. She explained that increased responsibilities but decreased time for teachers as a major factor for teacher attrition, then thanked Creighton for including a teacher time study to help improve working conditions at schools. McPeters continued by explaining the importance of strong rules for student removal and conditions for students to be returned to the classroom.

SB 1871 by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) focuses more specifically on school discipline than SB 27. It removes the ability for school districts to exempt themselves from Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code (school discipline) in District of Innovation plans, enhances the responsibilities of campus behavior coordinators, clarifies the student removal framework, changes rules related to in- and out-of-school suspensions, and increases access to telehealth services for students.

TCTA staff attorney Kaylan Dixon Smith testified in support of the bill. She has become an expert on school discipline issues while working to represent TCTA members and was invited to share her expertise. She was joined by a handful of school administrators who offered their perspectives as well.

The administrators spoke against removing their districts' ability to exempt themselves from Chapter 37, citing that the increased flexibility the exemption offers is key to maintaining discipline. They also stressed that teachers should exhaust all possible management techniques before referral and worried that a single campus behavior coordinator for a district would not be able to handle the volume of discipline issues. One administrator cited a survey of 2,500 teachers in his district: 44% had to evacuate their classroom due to a behavior incident and 82% experienced verbal threats from students.

Dixon Smith emphasized the importance of a return-to-class plan, created with the aid of a campus behavior coordinator, for students removed from class. Teachers often complain that students they send to the office quickly return without meaningful consequences, eroding the teacher's authority and their confidence in administrative support.

At one point, Creighton asked, "If a violent student is returned to the classroom, how does the teacher effectively resume normal instruction?"

Dixon Smith replied, "I'm not sure how, but they do, and that's why we're here."

She continued by describing how, despite the challenges facing teachers today, that they press on, but still need the support of the Legislature with school discipline. Committee members were supportive of her suggestions.

TCTA also registered in support of SB 570 (student attendance), SB 605 (disallows charters under sanction from expanding), SB 991 (data on chronically absent students), SB 1872 (student must be sent to JJAEP if they assault a teacher), and SB 1874 (immunity from disciplinary proceedings for employees who report violations of disciplinary policies).

TCTA will continue being involved in the bills heard today to make them as beneficial for teachers as possible.

Updates from the Capitol

Publication Date

March 25, 2025