Misha Karigaca was a middle school principal when the Oakland Unified School District revamped its disciplinary policies in 2015 to end willful defiance suspensions.

Instead of sending a student out of class for a minor infraction, teachers were encouraged to de-escalate by talking to the child quietly or writing them a note in class.

“We’re not just going to move the problem and kick the can down the road to somebody else,” Karigaca said. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-04-24/california-lawmakers-consider-banning-willful-defiance-suspensions-schools