Great Schools Issue Paper Snapshot Safety and Student Behavior Public concern about issues related to school safety and discipline has ranked at or near the top of opinion polls for at least two decades. Although most adults say that parents are responsible for the behavior of their children, they also expect schools to provide a safe and orderly environment.
All children have a right to learn in a safe and productive classroom.
Teachers, students and the public agree that the presence of disruptive students in the classroom is an infringement on the rights of students who are not disruptive. In 1997, a WEAC-supported bill was enacted that permits teachers to dismiss from their classrooms unruly, dangerous, or disruptive students, in accordance with a student code of conduct, which must be developed by all school boards. Schools mirror what is happening in society. The problems that exist in schools also exist in the larger society. Most schools also have implemented programs to help students deal with conflict in nonviolent ways.