NCLD Responds to Executive Orders on School Discipline Reform & Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy

Washington, D.C.—April 24, 2025— The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) condemns the latest executive order (EO) issued on April 23rd, 2025, “Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies”. This harmful EO will directly impact students of color, specifically, students of color with disabilities, as they are more likely to be disciplined than their white and non-disabled peers.  In conjunction with the EO, “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy”, encouraging a colorblind society is fundamentally flawed. It fails to recognize our country’s history of systemic racism and ableism, attempting to reverse decades of progress addressing disparities that students of color and students with disabilities face. 

Years of research point to inequities in education for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and students with disabilities. These inequities are particularly apparent regarding discipline rates, including exclusionary discipline such as suspensions and expulsions. ​Black students with disabilities make up 16% of all students in schools, but account for 25% of students with one or more out-of-school suspensions, according to the Civil Rights Data Collection (2020-21). Black students were the only race/ethnicity of students with disabilities served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), whose boys and girls were both disproportionately represented in suspensions and expulsions. Being placed in a restrictive setting or disciplined more frequently and harshly can negatively affect a student’s academic success and mental health, perpetuating future employment and economic opportunities. Recognizing these disparities has been critical for driving systemic change and student improvement.

The “Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies” EO prohibits “discriminatory-equity-ideology-based” school discipline, which is not only oxymoronic but also weaponizes language about discrimination. The right to be free from discrimination is a fundamental civil right. NCLD will continue to be bold in our push for equitable practices in schools for students of color and students with disabilities. We urge school districts to maintain and continue efforts to have more preventive-focused disciplinary policies and evidence-based practices, and recognize our country’s history of marginalization.