The Alternative
to Suspension
Model:
DISCIPLINE IN THE ’WITH’
At-home suspensions
just don’t work, and
the conversation has
shifted to Other Means
of Correction and
Restorative Practice.
The ATS Model seeks
to help students own
their behavior and
implement replacement
strategies for
successful reintegration
into the classroom.
36
Leadership
As a site or district administrator,
the way we do discipline sure has changed;
even the verbiage is different. We used to
talk about “processing referrals,” and often
tried to get through as many as possible to
keep our discipline secretaries happy (and,
of course, to keep the foyer of the assistant
principal’s office free of children).
Times have changed, that’s true. The
conversation has shifted from one of a zero
tolerance, tough-on-violators stance to a
conversation espousing Other Means of
Correction, and Restorative Practice. Leg-
islation is clear. Assembly Bill 1729, enacted
Jan. 1, 2013 to become Education Code
48900.5, dictates that administrators cannot
simply suspend students for first-time viola-
tions of Ed Codes 48900 (f) through (r), as
has been done in the past.
While most of us were trained to attach
the 48900 (k) for defiance and disruption to
every suspension, we are now told the EC
is fundamentally flawed in that it discrimi-
nates against certain groups of students.
What we know is this: At-home suspen-
sions disproportionately affect students of
color, as well as students with disadvantaged
socio-economic status and special needs.
Moreover, we know that regardless of the
demographics, at-home suspensions just
don’t work.
Take this scenario as an example: A stu-
dent makes an inappropriate gesture toward
his high school physics teacher, which is
definitely not an acceptable behavior in the
classroom. In the typical scenario, the stu-
dent is sent to the office on a referral. The
student is then more than likely sent home
for between two and five days.
During that time, the student is angry at
the teacher for “getting him in trouble.” The
teacher is angry, upset and embarrassed that
the student made this gesture in front of 35
other students in the class.
When the student comes back to school, a
number of possibilities may occur: The stu-
dent may hope that everyone has forgotten
about the incident (not likely), or brag about
the incident and the fact that he “got to go
home” (a greater likelihood).
The student may be moved to a different
classroom, depending on the teacher’s re-
action to the entire episode, and if he isn’t
moved, the teacher is arguably less than
By Barbara Higgins and Barry Tyler