Rule requires Georgia schools to train discipline officers
The Georgia Board of Education on Thursday overhauled its policy for student discipline, ordering school districts to offer specific training for personnel involved in tribunals.
A change was mandated by the Georgia General Assembly, which during the recent legislative session passed Senate Bill 367 implementing the recommendations of the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform.
The new rule requires that each school district offer at least five hours of training for hearing officers and members of discipline panels and tribunals. It also requires that future hearing officers be active lawyers or have experience in education and says schools must ensure ongoing training.
The training must cover applicable laws and court decisions, due process, rules of evidence and ethical standards.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
