Education Department Directs Schools on Race-Based Discipline Practices

Why it matters locally: This federal guidance will directly influence disciplinary policies and practices in public and private K-12 schools and higher education institutions across Washington State, potentially altering how local school districts address disparities in student discipline.

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The U.S. Education Department, under the Trump administration, has issued new guidance to schools concerning student discipline. The department advises schools to stop factoring race into their disciplinary protocols. This directive addresses a long-standing discussion regarding how schools implement disciplinary measures and the role, if any, that race plays in those decisions.