Deevers Bill to Provide Discipline Guidance and Support to Local Teachers Approved by Committee

OKLAHOMA CITY–The Senate Education Committee today approved Senate Bill 1790, titled the Protected Learning Environments Act. Authored by Senator Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, the legislation aims to address the growing crisis of classroom disruption and teacher attrition by establishing guidance for a three-tiered discipline matrix to be published by the State Department of Education and implemented with flexibility at the local level.

The bill was developed in close collaboration with Dr. Elizabeth Pleasant, an Oklahoma educator and U.S. Air Force veteran with 20 years of teaching experience. Dr. Pleasant joined Senator Deevers in presenting the bill, emphasizing the urgent need for clear, consistent consequences for disruptive and aggressive classroom behavior to protect teachers and the educational outcomes of all students.

“High-quality education is impossible without safety and order in the classroom. I have heard from teachers who say they are spending more time trying to manage classroom behavior than they are teaching,” Deevers said. “This bill provides the structural backbone our schools need to restore a culture of respect and excellence, giving teachers the authority they need to lead and students the stability they need to succeed.”

Key provisions of SB 1790 include:

• A Three-Tiered Discipline Matrix: Directs the State Department of Education to develop a framework ranging from teacher-managed minor infractions (Tier 1) to serious incidents requiring immediate removal (Tier 3).
• Teacher Protection and Authority: Explicitly preserves the authority of teachers to remove disruptive or dangerous students and protects educators from retaliation for enforcing the discipline matrix.
• Transparency for Parents: Requires school districts to publish their discipline matrix and mandates parent notification and involvement for repeated or serious infractions.

The legislation is designed to be a guidance-based approach rather than a one-size-fits-all mandate, allowing local districts to tailor the matrix to their specific needs while ensuring that there is a discipline plan in place across the state.

SB 1790 is now on general order eligible for consideration by the full Senate.

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