Lawmakers in West Virginia are working to address concerns from teachers about disruptive student behavior in elementary schools. Republican leaders in education are pushing for legislation that would give teachers more authority to remove troubled students from the classroom.
However, the state faces a significant challenge—less than half of West Virginia’s counties have alternative education programs available for students who are removed from class. Lawmakers acknowledge that expanding these programs is unlikely due to budget constraints.
Currently, after students are removed, they may face suspension or be placed in specialized classrooms with fewer students and access to mental health support. At the elementary school level, only about one in four counties have such programs. Expanding these programs would require additional funding, but lawmakers have passed large tax cuts in recent years, reducing state funds available for education.
The leaders of both the House and Senate education committees have expressed concern about the lack of alternative education options but are doubtful that additional funding will be allocated given other competing education priorities.
Student Behavior Issues on the Rise
Over the past decade, school officials in Monongalia County have noticed a significant increase in student anxiety, which has worsened since the pandemic. Deputy Superintendent Donna Talerico explained that many students are overwhelmed by their emotions, leading to disruptive behavior like refusal to sit still, climbing on furniture, or running out of classrooms.
“We prefer to just be able to teach,” Talerico said, acknowledging the challenge of managing such behavior.
In December, Kanawha County elementary school principal Stephenie Haynes testified about the physical aggression she has experienced from students, including being kicked, punched, and headbutted by a third grader. Haynes said that both she and other staff members were covered in bruises due to this child’s behavior.
Some lawmakers recalled their own experiences from school, when corporal punishment was common. Delegate Dave Foggin, R-Wood, introduced a bill to allow physical discipline in schools, stating, “The only people that want to issue pain to children are people who really truly love them and want to correct their behavior.”
While student behavior remains a major concern, teachers’ unions have highlighted it as one of the top issues they face, alongside pay and burnout, according to a survey from the West Virginia Education Association. Despite this, physical attacks on teachers by students remain relatively rare, with around 500 incidents reported in the past year. Almost half of those incidents involved kindergarten through third-grade students, and many were committed by the same students.
The rise in behavioral problems is linked to the challenges children have faced growing up during the opioid epidemic. Tina Wallen, an elementary school principal in Wyoming, shared that many students come from homes affected by substance use disorder, with some being raised by grandparents or great-grandparents. She added that many of these children arrive at kindergarten not even potty-trained.
Legislative Changes for More Teacher Authority
In 2023, West Virginia lawmakers passed a law allowing middle and high school teachers to remove disruptive students for the rest of the day if their behavior interfered with the learning environment. If a student was removed three times in a month, the principal was required to either suspend the student or attempt to place them in an alternative learning program, if available. However, only 11% of students removed from the classroom were transferred to such programs.
This session, lawmakers are proposing new legislation that would give teachers in kindergarten through sixth grade the ability to place students in behavior intervention programs if they are violent or threatening. This definition focuses more on dangerous behavior, while the previous law focused on general disruption.
Under the new proposal, parents would be required to pick up their child by the end of the school day if they are removed. If they fail to do so, the principal could notify law enforcement, and the student would be suspended for one to three days while alternative learning plans are made.
Senate Education Chair Amy Grady, R-Mason, who is also a fourth-grade teacher, emphasized the need for teachers to focus on education, stating, “We’re trained to educate kids, and whenever we’re having to deal with violent behaviors, we’re not able to do the job.”
