Rep. Clark Joins White House Strategy Session on School Discipline

Congresswoman Katherine Clark this week joined a White House strategy session on school discipline with experts from across the country.

The White House gathering of school officials and child advocates came together to reevaluate standards in school discipline, including expulsions, suspensions, and other measures that can create barriers to academic success, according to an announcement.

Clark serves on the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

“When children come to school bearing the weight of neglect, hunger, abuse or other trauma, it’s difficult to learn,” Clark said in a statement. “Instead of helping them meet their challenges, severe school policies can cut off our most vulnerable students’ path to success and create a school to prison pipeline. It’s important for us to empower teachers with modern, evidence-based approaches that set high expectations for achievement, and promote long term academic success.”

Clark’s bill, the Supportive School Climate Act, aims to improve outcomes for students by promoting supportive environments while reducing suspensions, expulsions, and other overly harsh school disciplinary actions.