DENVER — The sponsors of school discipline accountability bill at the Colorado Capitol said Tuesday that the need is real, but the timing isn't right, and they'll scuttle the legislation for this year.
Sen. Janet Bucket, D-Aurora, and Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, issued a joint statement saying there's not a "path forward" for Senate Bill 182 this session, based on conversations with educators and law enforcement.
"While we have been disappointed by the divisive and inaccurate rhetoric around this bill, we remain committed to lifting up the voices of students and families who have faced the consequences of harsh discipline tactics," according to the statement first obtained by Colorado Politics. "We remain committed to engaging in a collaborative process of finding solutions that work for all parties, and we look forward to building schools that are safe for all students. We encourage schools and law enforcement to work with us to ensure that students are centered as we continue to work towards a safer, more equitable education system."
The bill was introduced on March 12 and was scheduled to be heard by the Senate Education Hearing on Wednesday.
The bill would have standardized reporting methods for school districts and charter schools to report disproportionate discipline data to state and federal departments of education. The bill also would have required each school district and institute charter school to report the specific action taken in response to each discipline violation.
>9NEWS readers can view the whole article at Colorado Politics.
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