"West Virginia Lawmakers Debate Teacher Power in Student Discipline Bill"

A West Virginia bill that would have allowed teachers to remove kindergarten and elementary school students from the classroom for severe misbehavior failed to pass after legislators missed a midnight Sunday deadline. The bill aimed to address school discipline and behavioral issues among children with trauma and adverse experiences at home, but faced opposition due to concerns about disproportionate impact on foster children, children with disabilities, and minority students. Lawmakers expressed frustration with addressing only the symptoms of societal problems and not the root causes.