It was 2021 when Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed a law suspending the state’s proficiency standards for reading, writing, and math to promote equity in public education. This September, the Oregon Association of Scholars released a study concluding that the law "made a racist claim that graduation requirements were 'white,' baselessly attacked Oregon teachers, erroneously cited research about 'belonging,' misrepresented research on discipline standards based on race and, perhaps most egregiously, attempted to 'dumb down' education standards for students of color."

Speaking of misrepresenting research on discipline standards based on race, The Washington Free Beacon reports this week that a new collective bargaining agreement centers the public school districts' disciplinary actions on "racial equity and social justice."

Race, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

The Free Beacon reports:

When a student exhibits "continuous disruptive behavior," the agreement says, school officials must develop a "support plan" for the student, which can include disciplinary measures such as detention. That plan "must take into consideration the impact of issues related to the student's trauma, race, gender identity/presentation, sexual orientation … and restorative justice as appropriate for the student," according to the agreement. The new disciplinary policy also eliminates mandatory suspensions for students who threaten or harm others—now, those students may only be removed from their classroom, not from school altogether.

The policy change reflects a broader effort at both the federal and local levels to develop race-conscious disciplinary rules for public school students. Earlier this year, for example, the Biden administration released a memo urging schools to refrain from suspending students for truancy, arguing that "significant disparities by race … have persisted in the application of student discipline." School districts in Washington and Illinois, meanwhile, have adopted disciplinary policies that aim to provide a "culturally responsive" and "restorative approach" to student discipline.

Truancy, huh? According to that exhibit at the Smithsonian, being on time is a characteristic of "whiteness."

Don't forget gender identity and sexual orientation.

We've reported on other efforts to achieve equity in education, such as not requiring students to show their work, not punishing them for not turning in homework on time, and doing away with advanced math classes until junior or senior year.