We need to do a better job of holding students accountable for bad behavior
#student behavior #school discipline #accountability #California education #misbehavior in schools #passive parenting #nervous system regulation #consequences for students
📌 Key Takeaways
- Readers expressed differing viewpoints on addressing student misbehavior
- Some blame passive parenting and lack of consequences
- Others emphasize the need for education on nervous system regulation
- California legislation has limited disciplinary options for schools
- The debate continues regarding how to best address student behavior issues
📖 Full Retelling
Ray Herrera and Jennifer Sweeney, readers from Rancho Cucamonga and Lake Elsinore respectively, published contrasting viewpoints on student behavior and accountability in letters to the Los Angeles Times on February 20, 2026, following the newspaper's article about rising misbehavior among students. Herrera argued that passive parenting and state legislation have undermined disciplinary authority in schools, claiming that without proper consequences, children will continue to misbehave. In contrast, Sweeney, a retired educator and founder of Take a Second Look Educational Foundation, emphasized the need for better understanding of nervous system regulation in students, suggesting that dysregulated children cannot learn effectively and require specialized approaches rather than traditional discipline. The debate emerged after the LA Times highlighted concerning behavioral trends in California schools, including incidents of biting, kicking, and defiance among young students. Herrera criticized California laws that prohibit recess detention and suspensions for willful defiance, while also noting that suspension rates affect a school's eligibility for California Distinguished School recognition, creating what he perceives as misplaced priorities. Meanwhile, Sweeney advocated for teaching children to recognize and manage their emotional states rather than simply punishing unwanted behaviors.
🏷️ Themes
Education, Student Behavior, Parenting, School Discipline
Entity Intersection Graph
No entity connections available yet for this article.
Original Source
Feb. 20, 2026 8 AM PT 3 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . p]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix mb-10 md:max-w-170 md:mx-auto" data-subscriber-content> To the editor : Kudos to the Los Angeles Times for highlighting a major issue in today’s schools ( “Biting, kicking, wandering: Teachers see rise in misbehavior even among the littlest kids,” Feb. 17). However, it is just the tip of the iceberg. There are other issues affiliated with student behavior that only exacerbate the problem. Passive parenting isn’t working. Parents are not teaching their children the necessary skills to function in a school setting. On a daily basis, there are numerous students who throw tantrums and flop to the ground crying because they didn’t get what they wanted. Many are rude and disrespectful, both verbally and physically. I’m not sure when these things became acceptable behavior at home or at school, but they seem to be now. The state has passed legislation that has taken away authority from school personnel. For example, schools can’t assign recess detention , nor can they suspend for willful defiance . Without consequences, students will continue to misbehave. If my own kids knew there wouldn’t be consequences for not cleaning their rooms, do you really think they would do it? Advertisement In addition, the state has tied suspension rates to the California Distinguished School recognition. If a school has too many suspensions, good luck trying to earn that award. It’s not about how safe kids feel, or how teachers are supported. It’s about what looks good. Lastly, let’s stop blaming the pandemic. Kids have been back at school for five years now. It doesn’t take that long to relearn how to act at school or in a public space. It’s time we start expecting more fr...
Read full article at source