Hello everybody,
I recently had the opportunity to speak with two veteran educators-Kristin Shelton and Allyson Haveman-about one of the most urgent issues facing Texas classrooms today: student behavior. Their decades of experience, from Pre-K to high school administration, paint a sobering picture of classrooms increasingly disrupted by escalating behavior problems, vanishing support systems, and a sense of isolation among teachers.
In our latest ATPE News article, Can House Bill 6 Help Save Texas Classrooms?, we take a closer look at how these challenges have evolved and whether House Bill 6, recently passed in the 2025 legislative session, can truly offer meaningful relief.
HB 6 aims to give educators more authority to remove disruptive students and introduces virtual alternatives for continued education. But as Shelton and Haveman explain, the effectiveness of this legislation will depend entirely on how it's implemented, specifically whether it's backed by adequate funding, staffing, training, and long-term support.
Both educators agree: Laws alone won't fix what's broken. Real solutions require consistent behavioral support, mental health services, and respect for teachers' time and expertise.
So what do you think? If you could design one support system or policy to accompany HB 6 and ensure its success in your school or district, what would it be and why?
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David George
Managing Editor
Association of Texas Professional Educators
atpe.org | atpenews.org
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