On April 23, the White House released an Executive Order titled “Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies.” Despite its seemingly neutral title, the order sends a deeply concerning message to educators and policymakers: that equity in school discipline is a political liability, not a moral and educational imperative.
Executive orders are not law. They do not alter statutory rights or change the protections enshrined in federal civil rights legislation. But they do have power—the power to set tone, to embolden harmful practices, and to sow fear. This executive order, which revives unsupported claims that reforms intended to prevent the overdisciplining of students from any group somehow threaten school safety, offers no resources or new solutions. Instead, it aims to curtail progress by casting doubt on well-established facts and stoking opposition to inclusive, evidence-based discipline practices.
The Problem of Overdisciplining Students
The truth is, we already know what happens when students are overdisciplined. When they are suspended, expelled, or otherwise pushed out of the classroom, they are not learning. And the consequences stretch far beyond lost instructional time. Students who face exclusionary discipline are more likely to fall behind academically, less likely to graduate, and more likely to experience long-term economic hardship. The data is clear: overdisciplined students are at increased risk of entering the juvenile justice system and later the adult prison system, perpetuating cycles of poverty and incarceration that disproportionately affect Black boys, Black and Native girls, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families.
Students with disabilities are especially vulnerable under punitive discipline regimes. Despite protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, students with disabilities are suspended and expelled at rates more than twice that of their peers without disabilities. These disparities are not reflective of worse behavior—they are the result of systems that fail to provide appropriate supports and accommodations, and that respond to disability-related behaviors with punishment rather than care.
Making School Environments Safe for All Students
Schools should be the centers of community. They should be places where all students—regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or any other background—feel safe, seen, and supported. This means creating environments that foster positive relationships, provide mental health supports, use evidence-based restorative approaches, and build strong partnerships with families and communities.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Guiding Principles for Creating Safe, Inclusive, Supportive and Fair School Climates issued in 2023 laid out a blueprint for how to achieve this along with how federal funds support these efforts, including through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Stronger Connections grants. Grounded in data and research, the Guiding Principles offered real tools for reducing disparities and promoting fairness.
For example, creating positive school climates requires not just supportive practices, but also rigorous instruction and high expectations for all students. As outlined in the Guiding Principles, schools that foster strong student–teacher relationships while maintaining academically challenging environments are better equipped to engage students and reduce the need for exclusionary discipline. One effective approach is to implement project-based or service learning models that connect classroom instruction to real-world issues students care about—such as environmental justice or civic engagement—leading to more meaningful, respectful, and enriching learning experiences that keep students engaged and in school.
In recent years, schools across the country have made measurable progress in reducing exclusionary discipline—suspensions, expulsions, and other practices that remove students from the classroom—while making school environments more positive and safe for all students. These gains show that the choice between maintaining an “orderly” environment and supporting all students is a false one.
Some districts have demonstrated that it’s possible to improve school climate and reduce disparities at the same time. The Meridian Public School District in Mississippi, for example, transformed its disciplinary practices under a federal consent decree by implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and improving data collection and staff training. The changes in Meridian began with a civil rights investigation that found Black students experienced harsher punishments, including longer suspensions, than white students for comparable misbehavior, even where the students were at the same school with similar backgrounds. The reform in Meridian focused on reviewing data, preventing behavior challenges, and responding with supportive measures rather than punishment, while ensuring that disciplinary decisions were fair and equitable. As a result, the district saw a significant drop in suspensions and increased trust between families, educators, and students. Schools do not need to fall back on exclusion—they can, and many already do, choose prevention because it works and puts all students safely on paths to success.
Instead of continuing on that path, in January 2025, the Trump administration disbanded the Federal School Safety Board—a group that had only recently been established and was composed of educators, researchers, and public safety experts dedicated to promoting safe learning environments. The board was created in response to the urgent need for comprehensive school safety solutions, particularly after sustained advocacy by survivors and families affected by gun violence in schools. Eliminating this board not only dismisses the voices of those who have directly experienced school-based trauma, but it also undermines the role of qualified experts in shaping evidence-based policies. Rather than relying on fear, investing in sustained input from those with deep knowledge of school climate, trauma-informed practices, and youth development would be a more meaningful and productive approach to ensuring student and school safety.
Looking Ahead
Rather than advancing the work of making school environments safe for all students, this executive order undermines it—encouraging fear over facts and pushing schools to retreat from equity rather than meet this moment with courage and commitment to better schools and a better prepared workforce.
This executive order is just another sign that this administration is not willing to do what it takes to support states and local districts to use evidence-based practices to make American schools better than they were yesterday. Instead, they are determined to make our schools worse off, and less safe.
Discipline is not just a matter of enforcement—it is a matter of values. And our values must prioritize dignity, inclusion, and opportunity for every student. Every young person deserves the chance to grow, learn from their mistakes, and be supported in their full potential. Redemption should not be reserved for a select few—it must be a promise we extend to all young people, not just those closest to power.
Tags: school safety, School Discipline, educational equity
Executive Order on School Discipline Could Roll Back Progress
On April 23, the White House released an Executive Order titled “Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies.” Despite its seemingly neutral title, the order sends a deeply concerning message to educators and policymakers: that equity in school discipline is a political liability, not a moral and educational imperative.
Executive orders are not law. They do not alter statutory rights or change the protections enshrined in federal civil rights legislation. But they do have power—the power to set tone, to embolden harmful practices, and to sow fear. This executive order, which revives unsupported claims that reforms intended to prevent the overdisciplining of students from any group somehow threaten school safety, offers no resources or new solutions. Instead, it aims to curtail progress by casting doubt on well-established facts and stoking opposition to inclusive, evidence-based discipline practices.
The Problem of Overdisciplining Students
The truth is, we already know what happens when students are overdisciplined. When they are suspended, expelled, or otherwise pushed out of the classroom, they are not learning. And the consequences stretch far beyond lost instructional time. Students who face exclusionary discipline are more likely to fall behind academically, less likely to graduate, and more likely to experience long-term economic hardship. The data is clear: overdisciplined students are at increased risk of entering the juvenile justice system and later the adult prison system, perpetuating cycles of poverty and incarceration that disproportionately affect Black boys, Black and Native girls, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families.
Students with disabilities are especially vulnerable under punitive discipline regimes. Despite protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, students with disabilities are suspended and expelled at rates more than twice that of their peers without disabilities. These disparities are not reflective of worse behavior—they are the result of systems that fail to provide appropriate supports and accommodations, and that respond to disability-related behaviors with punishment rather than care.
Making School Environments Safe for All Students
Schools should be the centers of community. They should be places where all students—regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or any other background—feel safe, seen, and supported. This means creating environments that foster positive relationships, provide mental health supports, use evidence-based restorative approaches, and build strong partnerships with families and communities.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Guiding Principles for Creating Safe, Inclusive, Supportive and Fair School Climates issued in 2023 laid out a blueprint for how to achieve this along with how federal funds support these efforts, including through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Stronger Connections grants. Grounded in data and research, the Guiding Principles offered real tools for reducing disparities and promoting fairness.
For example, creating positive school climates requires not just supportive practices, but also rigorous instruction and high expectations for all students. As outlined in the Guiding Principles, schools that foster strong student–teacher relationships while maintaining academically challenging environments are better equipped to engage students and reduce the need for exclusionary discipline. One effective approach is to implement project-based or service learning models that connect classroom instruction to real-world issues students care about—such as environmental justice or civic engagement—leading to more meaningful, respectful, and enriching learning experiences that keep students engaged and in school.
In recent years, schools across the country have made measurable progress in reducing exclusionary discipline—suspensions, expulsions, and other practices that remove students from the classroom—while making school environments more positive and safe for all students. These gains show that the choice between maintaining an “orderly” environment and supporting all students is a false one.
Some districts have demonstrated that it’s possible to improve school climate and reduce disparities at the same time. The Meridian Public School District in Mississippi, for example, transformed its disciplinary practices under a federal consent decree by implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and improving data collection and staff training. The changes in Meridian began with a civil rights investigation that found Black students experienced harsher punishments, including longer suspensions, than white students for comparable misbehavior, even where the students were at the same school with similar backgrounds. The reform in Meridian focused on reviewing data, preventing behavior challenges, and responding with supportive measures rather than punishment, while ensuring that disciplinary decisions were fair and equitable. As a result, the district saw a significant drop in suspensions and increased trust between families, educators, and students. Schools do not need to fall back on exclusion—they can, and many already do, choose prevention because it works and puts all students safely on paths to success.
Instead of continuing on that path, in January 2025, the Trump administration disbanded the Federal School Safety Board—a group that had only recently been established and was composed of educators, researchers, and public safety experts dedicated to promoting safe learning environments. The board was created in response to the urgent need for comprehensive school safety solutions, particularly after sustained advocacy by survivors and families affected by gun violence in schools. Eliminating this board not only dismisses the voices of those who have directly experienced school-based trauma, but it also undermines the role of qualified experts in shaping evidence-based policies. Rather than relying on fear, investing in sustained input from those with deep knowledge of school climate, trauma-informed practices, and youth development would be a more meaningful and productive approach to ensuring student and school safety.
Looking Ahead
Rather than advancing the work of making school environments safe for all students, this executive order undermines it—encouraging fear over facts and pushing schools to retreat from equity rather than meet this moment with courage and commitment to better schools and a better prepared workforce.
This executive order is just another sign that this administration is not willing to do what it takes to support states and local districts to use evidence-based practices to make American schools better than they were yesterday. Instead, they are determined to make our schools worse off, and less safe.
Discipline is not just a matter of enforcement—it is a matter of values. And our values must prioritize dignity, inclusion, and opportunity for every student. Every young person deserves the chance to grow, learn from their mistakes, and be supported in their full potential. Redemption should not be reserved for a select few—it must be a promise we extend to all young people, not just those closest to power.
Tags: school safety, School Discipline, educational equity