This school year, students have perceived a rapid uptick in disciplinary actions taken by teachers and administrators. Are the punishments getting too harsh, or are staff simply enforcing rules that have always been there?
School discipline is nothing new. Every student knows that actions have consequences—whether it’s showing up late to class, forgetting a hall pass or breaking the phone rule. But lately, students have begun to feel that even small mistakes can lead to outsized punishments. A growing number of students have received lunch detentions for minor infractions, such as having a phone visible between classes or being in the process of getting prepared with materials after the bell rings instead of before.
Yaretzy Padilla (11) believes that the recent disciplinary shift has gone too far. She describes punishments as “getting too unfair,” especially with the “new laws being passed around” and an increased push to control student behavior. While she personally hasn’t been on the receiving end of these stricter consequences, she’s witnessed friends get punished harshly for situations she feels were misunderstood or blown out of proportion.
Inconsistency in rule enforcement is a major cause of students’ frustration. “Why make rules if you’re not going to remind us about them and then get mad when they’re broken?” said Padilla. Some rules are emphasized constantly while others fade into the background—until suddenly, a student is punished for breaking a rule they didn’t realize was being enforced.
The “Bell to Bell, No Cell” law is new this year and has been a challenge for everyone. Teachers are instructed to write referrals if a phone is seen or used during class time. While this law was put in place to limit distractions and promote engagement, many students feel it is excessive. Students have reported being written up for checking the time or responding to an urgent text from a parent.
Supporters of the current discipline system argue that the rules are necessary to maintain order and ensure that learning comes first. They believe stricter enforcement helps create consistency across classrooms and discourages repeated rule-breaking. Without consequences, they say, some students might take advantage of leniency and disrupt the learning environment for others.
One of these supporters who wishes to remain anonymous added that without stronger or more consistent action, classroom disruptions will continue. “When no one gets any consequences, everything just keeps happening,” they said. “Teachers shouldn’t let students walk all over them.”
It’s a fair point—discipline plays an important role in shaping responsibility. But the question remains: where is the line between consistency and over-enforcement? When every small slip results in a detention or referral, students may start to feel more policed than supported. Instead of learning from mistakes, many say they feel discouraged, anxious or disconnected from school life.
There’s also concern about how these punishments affect students’ records. A single referral might not seem like a big deal, but repeated write-ups can add up quickly, potentially impacting eligibility for activities or even college applications. Some students argue that the system lacks flexibility, and that context—like intent or frequency—isn’t always taken into account.
As an alternative, Padilla suggests approaches like counseling and one-on-one conversations—methods that would help students learn from mistakes without feeling labeled or defeated—while still maintaining boundaries so students don’t take advantage of leniency.
