Anonymous wrote:The law absolutely allows kids to be suspended. EOTP MS suspend kids all the time. What DC also needs is a faster pathway to alternative schools for kids who engage in violence repeatedly.

+1, one of the reasons we left our EOTP elementary was discovering they had a high suspension rate (>5 suspensions per year), which means they have a lot of behavioral issues and that the current approach isn’t working.

Agree we need alternative tracks for repeat issues— these kids need major intervention and the violence should be treated as a major issue that requires specialty instruction (that includes mental health support, classes in emotional regulation, and greater parent outreach and communication). Suspension doesn’t really work because schools wind up suspending the same kids over and over.

The post is lacking necessary information for anyone to know what would be appropriate. If the student has a documented disability that could mean this behavior was a manifestation of the disability, then they would not be allowed to be suspended. Regardless, suspensions don’t actually help. Should the child be removed for the classroom for a bit if necessary? Absolutely. But not letting a kid come to school is not even a bandaid.

Above was responding to PP sending their child to school despite a suspension.

Wait, your child breaks a school rule and gets suspended and your response is to send them anyway? You don’t mention the context so if it was completely innocent/accidental I can understand your frustration. But if was intentional/used inappropriately you aren’t helping your child by thumbing your nose at the school/rules.

Anonymous wrote:Students need to walk out and demand safe learning spaces

No. These are children who deserve to be protected by the adults in charge. The adults need to address this. If they don’t, other adults need to speak out.

~10 are destroying the education of 1400. How can a child feel safe enough to learn if they’ve witnessed two different teachers purposefully hit within one week?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There really is nothing wrong with just kicking them out.

So they can further spiral? These are kids. I’m not willing to give up on kids.

I'm not either. But keeping them disrupting the experience of other kids (or harming teachers!) should be the priority. If the answer is in-school suspension, then give schools the resources to monitor and counsel these kids.

Anonymous wrote:There really is nothing wrong with just kicking them out.

So they can further spiral? These are kids. I’m not willing to give up on kids.

There really is nothing wrong with just kicking them out.

Anonymous wrote:If you have indifferent parents, which many kids with behavioral problems do, out of school detention is not a punishment. It’s freedom. They need in-school suspension and behavioral therapy.

I have long felt that the way to get these "parents" engaged is to impose by statute liability on them. If our position is that these are kids who aren't responsible, then presumably the next sentence is "their parents are."

If you have indifferent parents, which many kids with behavioral problems do, out of school detention is not a punishment. It’s freedom. They need in-school suspension and behavioral therapy.

Local politicians must be enjoying the show. Sad.

I hope the teacher sues the family, admin, and the system. And wins.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids at our ES serve both in-school and out-of-school suspensions and DCPS actually tracks the number/percentage of suspensions at schools as one of their metrics, so I have no idea what "law" the PP is referring to that prohibits this.

Copying from the Alice Deal thread:

(from the Fair Access to Schools Act)

Beginning in school year 2019-2020, no student in grades kindergarten through 8 may be subject to an out-of-school suspension or disciplinary unenrollment, unless a school administrator determines, consistent with school policy, that the student has willfully caused, attempted to cause, or threatened to cause bodily injury or emotional distress to another person, including behavior that happens off school grounds;

Note that--as you said, PP--DCPS tracks suspensions, and as suspensions are viewed unfavorably, admins avoid them.

+1

DCPS disincentives suspending kids. It looks bad for the administration. Couple actual physical violence with not paying teachers their retroactive pay on time and the teacher shortage is not surprising at all.

Anonymous wrote:Kids at our ES serve both in-school and out-of-school suspensions and DCPS actually tracks the number/percentage of suspensions at schools as one of their metrics, so I have no idea what "law" the PP is referring to that prohibits this.

Copying from the Alice Deal thread:

(from the Fair Access to Schools Act)

Beginning in school year 2019-2020, no student in grades kindergarten through 8 may be subject to an out-of-school suspension or disciplinary unenrollment, unless a school administrator determines, consistent with school policy, that the student has willfully caused, attempted to cause, or threatened to cause bodily injury or emotional distress to another person, including behavior that happens off school grounds;

Note that--as you said, PP--DCPS tracks suspensions, and as suspensions are viewed unfavorably, admins avoid them.