Chronic misbehavior in American classrooms is driving teachers out of the profession and undermining student learning, according to new research highlighted on Chicago’s Morning Answer.
Policy analyst Neetu Arnold of the Manhattan Institute, author of the City Journal piece The High Cost of Classroom Disorder, explained that one of the most widely used discipline frameworks—Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)—may be part of the problem. More than 25,000 schools nationwide employ PBIS, which emphasizes rewarding positive behavior and minimizing punitive discipline such as suspensions and expulsions. Originally designed for students with serious behavioral disorders, the program has since been expanded and often paired with “restorative justice” practices that aim to reduce suspensions in the name of dismantling the “school-to-prison pipeline.”
Arnold argued that while the framework is well-intentioned, its real-world application has led administrators to downplay or ignore misconduct. Teachers report sending disruptive students to the principal’s office, only to see them return minutes later with snacks and no consequences. The result, she said, is a breakdown of order that leaves well-behaved students shortchanged and teachers unable to provide quality instruction.
One problem lies in how PBIS is measured. Compliance is tracked through the “Tiered Fidelity Inventory,” which rewards schools for reducing suspensions and adopting restorative practices, but penalizes them for relying primarily on punitive measures. This creates incentives to hide misbehavior rather than address it. In some districts, disparities in suspension rates by race are treated as evidence of discrimination, even without proof of intent—further pressuring schools to lower discipline statistics regardless of student conduct.
Research cited by PBIS advocates is also weaker than often advertised. Arnold noted that many studies measure success by declining suspension numbers rather than actual improvements in behavior, raising questions about whether the program produces safer classrooms or simply better-looking data.
The consequences extend beyond numbers. Teachers in high-poverty schools face classrooms where fights, threats, and chaos are common. Many leave the profession entirely, not because of low pay but because discipline policies prevent them from creating an environment conducive to learning. “Suspensions going down doesn’t mean behavior has improved,” Arnold said. “It may just mean administrators are under pressure to make their data look good.”
As policymakers debate how to address teacher shortages and student achievement gaps, the role of discipline—and whether frameworks like PBIS strike the right balance—remains central. Arnold’s work suggests that without a clearer line between acceptable behavior and consequences for misconduct, both teachers and students will continue to pay the price.