Bill Seeks To Ban "Willful Defiance" Suspensions In California Schools

A new bill in the California Senate would ban so-called "willful defiance" suspensions in k-12 schools throughout the state. The legislation (SB 607) comes amid a recent push from social justice organizations for schools to adopt "restorative justice" or PBIS approaches to school discipline issues, as well as a looming sunset for an existing law that bans "willful defiance" suspensions in grades K-3. While many youth advocacy organizations support the move, some teachers fear it could result in further problems. Journalist David Washburn has covered the issue for the education-focused publication Ed Source, and joined us on Valley Edition to talk about the bill.