When a student is facing a public school expulsion, the process is quick, intense and confusing. Suddenly a calm school life turns into a fast paced nightmare. Often schools push parents to sign a “stipulated expulsion” quickly to avoid the hassle of a hearing. What is a stipulated expulsion and
Gaslighting is bad, and especially bad when it involves kids and students. Unfortunately, gaslighting is incredibly common in student discipline and school investigations. Gaslighting in Student Discipline Here are some examples of gaslighting I have seen in California schools involving student discipline. A student who is communicating serious threats, diverts
Some of the saddest school stories involve students who are bullying victims. This is bad enough alone, but sometimes the humiliation and constant abuse are not the worst thing that happens to a bullied student. Instead, sometimes schools punish the bullied student when they fight back, to try to stop
Okay- everyone knows that fighting at school can get a student in trouble, but what if a teacher is hit during the process? What if it is unintentional? Or, worse, what if it isn’t? School suspension or expulsion can quickly be imposed if school personnel are hit or harmed by
Parents of a public school student on a 504 Plan (essentially an accommodations plan for a qualified disabled student) sometimes find themselves facing a 504 manifestation meeting. This manifestation meeting can be imposed with little notice and usually happens when larger student discipline is looming (e.g. school expulsion). Just what
California is a diverse state, with many different cultures, nationalities and languages. But what if parents do not speak English? How are they to read a report card or understand what is happening in an expulsion hearing? There are many triggers which mandate translations be provided by public schools, including
School officials are mandated to report some students to the police already. However, a new California law now mandates students must be reported for writings, pictures, art, journal entries and other depictions or communications, which could evidence homicidal intent. Watching students’ every communication, assignment, scribble, picture and otherwise, to see
Schools may legally question students to investigate bullying, ask about fights, or look into broken school rules. But, should students talk when questioned? Students Can Incriminate Themselves A school investigation can end up in a student revealing they committed an expellable offense and land them at the local continuation school.
Far too frequently, I hear from public school parents that a school will not cough up witness statements used to suspend a student. Is this legal or not? Documents used to discipline a student are typically considered student records of that student, which their parent must be given upon request.
Student expulsions occur more often than parents might think. Life may be going along smoothly, when a parent suddenly finds themselves on a call with a Vice Principal, demanding they come pick up their child, who is getting suspended. Upon arrival at school, the parent may be told that a
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