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House Republicans are demanding that House Education Chair Roy Takumi, D-Pearl City, pass a bill out of the education committee that would give teachers the authority to remove violent students from their classrooms.
On Monday, Takumi and Democrats held HB 2329, which would have allowed teachers to exclude from their classroom any student who engages in conduct violating school rules and policies or who assaults, threatens, abuses, or intimidates a teacher, school employee, or student.
Teachers who felt they needed more authority to take disciplinary action against disruptive students generated the bill. At the House Education hearing, no one testified in opposition to the bill, which is part of the governor’s Legislative Package.
Earlier this week, KHON’s Joe Moore reported that a student had assaulted a teacher. He said all efforts to obtain information from the Department of Education about the assault failed.
We are outraged that, for the second year in a row, Rep. Takumi has stalled this protect-teachers measure.
Last year, House Republicans introduced HB 362, a similar bill, which Takumi refused to give a hearing to.
The starting point for education reform is to provide students and teachers a healthy and safe learning environment. The House Education chair won’t even do that.
”’Republican Galen Fox is the House Minority Leader and Representative for the district of Waikiki.”’
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