Over the last few weeks, the rhetoric being used while discussing the so-called “Teacher Protection Act” (Assembly Bill 693) would lead you to believe our public schools are filled with violent criminals. Instead, what I’ve seen are public school teachers who are overwhelmed by large class sizes and public schools that aren’t adequately funded. AB 693 is a completely misguided attempt to improve school safety and only criminalizes some of our most vulnerable students while completely neglecting the needs of our public educators and schools.
AB 693 would have disastrous consequences for students by allowing them to be summarily removed from the classroom for minor violations of the code of classroom conduct without adequate due process protections, allowing administrators to be circumvented when deciding whether to initiate suspension proceedings, requiring law enforcement to report when a student is “taken into custody” (not necessarily arrested or charged) and removing school and teacher discretion in reporting students to law enforcement.
According to a report done by the Center for Public Integrity, Wisconsin is already ranked third in the nation for school referrals to law enforcement for students with disabilities, particularly emotional-behavioral disabilities. When I have visited schools in my district, they haven’t said that they need more police involvement or suspensions, but that they need consistent funding for special education staff and social workers. Special education funding in Wisconsin has been flat lined for a decade. Students with disabilities are not criminals; they are students. So, let’s give them the support of more teachers and staff instead of criminalizing them for often uncontrollable behavioral issues.
A School-to-Prison Pipeline
Furthermore, this bill would be devastating for students of color. It is no secret that these sorts of zero-tolerance policies and increased contact with law enforcement have led to the criminalization of students of color in our state. Wisconsin suspends black students at higher rates than any other state in the country. The U.S. Department of Education stated that students who are suspended are 10 times more likely to drop out of high school, experience academic failure and face incarceration.
We have failed these students and negligently allowed the school-to-prison pipeline to progress in our state and the education disparities between white and black students to grow. Instead of criminalizing students of color, we should invest in our education system to attract more teachers and improve our public schools to provide consistency for students and put an end to this vicious cycle of racial bias and discrimination in our schools.
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There is a sad irony that Republicans are claiming to be the protectors of teachers after their first major legislative act after assuming control of the state legislature was to strip teachers of their rights. Gov. Scott Walker’s attack on our teachers has driven them out of the profession and out of Wisconsin. If the goal was to protect teachers, this bill would restore their rights and repeal Act 10.
If the aim of AB 693 was truly to protect teachers, I would be an eager supporter of it. The truth of the matter is, however, that Republicans are using vulnerable students as scapegoats. The blame should not fall on our students, but on this Republican legislature’s habit of stealing from our public schools and giving to private, unaccountable voucher schools. We must make the investment in our public education system, because our educators and children deserve better.
Chris Taylor represents the 76th District in the Wisconsin State Assembly.
