Tots in lots of school fights
MANY OF THE youngest kids suspended from city schools were barred from their classes because of fighting, newly released city Education Department data show.
A whopping 383 out of 801 suspensions for students in kindergarten through second grade in the 2015-16 school year were for infractions categorized as “altercation and/or physically aggressive behavior,” according to a new city tally of suspensions for kids in those grades.
Other infractions that resulted in suspensions included reckless behavior with risk of injury (115 instances) and using force against school staffers (104 suspensions.)
The new data first reported by the education news site Chalkbeat Tuesday night, comes as Education Department officials finalize a controversial plan to ban all suspensions for students in kindergarten through second grade.
Education spokeswoman Toya Holness said the city’s efforts to reduce suspensions are working.
The number of suspensions in kindergarten through second grade fell by about 60% over the past four years. There were 2,000 suspensions in the 2012-13 year, about 1,200 more than the most recent school year saw.
“By investing in and expanding successful school climate programs — including restorative trainings, mental health programs and social-emotional supports — we are keeping students in the classroom where they can learn,” Holness said.
The city’s overall suspension rates for all grades have been falling for years, but critics point out that black and Hispanic students are still far more likely to be suspended than their peers.
The most recent figures show suspensions fell 17% in the 2014-15 year, with 44,626 suspensions issued, down from 53,000 in the 2013-14 year.
Figures for the 2015-16 school year will be available in October, Education officials said.
The city’s plan to ban all suspensions for students in kindergarten through second grade would begin with the school year starting on Sept. 8.
The proposal faces opposition from critics including officials for teachers and principals unions, who have said the city doesn’t have adequate training and supports in schools.
But activists such as New York Civil Liberties Union Advocacy Director Johanna Miller have praised the plan.
“A suspension is an ineffective intervention for such a small child because it doesn't teach them how to behave differently in the future,” she said.