President Trump signs Executive Order reinstating discipline in school classrooms

MARYLAND – President Trump has caused a bit of controversy with his most recent Executive Order to bring discipline back into the school system.

Common Sense in Classrooms

Since covid, studies show over 70% of teachers say students are more prone to violently misbehave and with the attacks on teachers rising, President Trump decided to put common sense back in the classrooms.

White House Staff Secretary, Will Scharf was there to present the order. “Basically, they focused on CRT, and sort of diversity ideology instead of actually just enforcing the rules in classrooms to ensure a safe learning environment. This executive order revokes that prior guidance and puts us back in a place where hopefully the Department of education can focus on education and teachers can focus on teaching in a safe environment.

Safe & Secure

Psychologist Dr. Samantha Scott is the clinical director of the Child & Family Center in Salisbury and says children should feel safe even when they’ve done something wrong, and though discipline like corporal punishment may have been used in the classrooms and homes in the past, research shows it wasn’t always helpful.

“All the information out there shows that corporal punishment is just not an effective means to change child behavior. And in fact, we know it causes a really negative outcomes both in the short term and long term… We just know a lot better now, and a lot of us probably are “okay” but why not do better if we know there’s better ways to change child behavior?”

School Resource Deputies

Signed April 23, 2025, and entitled: Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies, says in part the Federal Government will no longer tolerate known risks to children’s safety based on an unlawful “equity” ideology.

Worcester County Sheriff’s Officer Sgt. Michael Valerio says School Resource Deputies are the last resort for classroom conflicts, and sometimes teachers have to make their own judgments. “In those events where it goes beyond the pale of just being disruptive in the classroom, and it crossed that threshold into disorderly because it’s a big grey area what is a disruptive classroom? We don’t get involved until it escalates to a very high level.”

Bad Behavior

Dr. Scott says children can feel emotions like guilt, shame, fear, or anxiety as a result of not only corporal punishment, excessive yelling and periods of isolation, and that doesn’t matter if it’s coming from a parent, teacher, coach, or sitter.

She says kids are picking up aggressive habits off social media, but there are better ways to handle bad behavior. “The research really does show if you use more positive principles and you teach a child what you want them to do and you model what you want them to do. So, for example, if you don’t want them to hit then why would you hit them and tell them not to hit?”

Dictating Discipline

Corporal punishment is legal in Maryland as long as a mark isn’t left on the child and Sgt. Valerio often times it’s a thin line between abuse and discipline. If Congress passes this it puts the authority in the States’ hands, he’s confident Maryland will do what’s best for the kids.

“No matter what executive order comes out, I’m confident collaboratively between us and Worcester County schools, we’re going to find the best approach that we can that works for us and our community.”

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon told President Trump why this was important for her to stand by. “Absolutely because it gives teachers the authority now has discipline in their classroom and discipline the person who is being disruptive. We took that away.” Locals say we’ll just have to wait and see how Delmarva will dictate discipline.

The Order also instructs the Secretary of Education that classroom discipline must follow race- neutral disciplinary policies. If you or someone you know would benefit from child therapy or parenting classes, contact the Child and Family Center at 410-860-8227.