There is broad consensus among psychologists that corporal punishment can be harmful to children, but the U.S. has no federal laws banning it in public schools. Instead, it's up to states and local districts to decide.
Every year brings another measurement, another rating, another adjustment to the rules. The goalposts seem to shift just as people begin understanding where they were headed.
A minimal number of students saw consequences beyond detention, if that, and most punishments aligned with school's unexcused absence policy, ranging from a note home for parents to after-school detention.
Vermont schools are lowering chronic absenteeism, but about 1 in 4 students statewide are still chronically absent. State education officials want to update truancy laws to standardize definitions and focus on prevention over punishment.
Students in crisis move between schools, sometimes across town, sometimes across states. Too often, their records of behavioral concern or intervention do not move with them.
Make learning easy to enter but rich enough to reward persistence. Build classrooms where failure is viewed as feedback, goals are clear, and mastery is something students strive for.
When it comes to our most vulnerable learners—particularly those with individualized education programs—we must move beyond the label and embrace a more nuanced, human-centered approach.
Increased awareness often brings tough questions, and the way school leaders communicate about safety can shape how students feel each day they step on campus.
