Efforts to reform school discipline in California peter out

There was a push at the California state Capitol this year to put school discipline across the state more in line with restorative justice practices. That effort ultimately stalled out.  

The idea behind restorative justice in schools is to move away from zero-tolerance discipline, which emphasizes suspension and expulsion, and more towards mediation and skill building. 

Assembly member Akilah Weber, a Democrat from San Diego County, sponsored Assembly Bill 1919, which would have required schools to start adopting restorative justice policies that the state is already developing. 

“Taking them out of school is the last thing that they need,” she said. “Not only do they fall behind academically, but they also have this stigma on them of being that bad child.”

There was no formal opposition to the bill. 

A recent federal report shows that Black students, especially boys, and students with disabilities are disciplined in school at a disproportionately high rate. And a 2023 University of Chicago study that looked at over 200 schools for 10 years found that the practices reduced in-school arrests by 35%. 

Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill over the weekend, saying that while he supports introducing alternative conflict resolution methods in schools, the money’s just not there this year. 

Weber said that’ll cost more in the end. 

“Putting money towards restorative justice practices actually creates better students who create a better society, and are able to give back instead of take from,” she said. 

Another bill introduced this session, Assembly Bill 2441, would have loosened rules around when a school must call the police on a student. That bill died in the Senate after much debate and several amendments.