[WardFive] Fwd: Grosso Reintroduces Critical Legislation to Ban Pre-K Suspensions and Expulsions

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For Immediate Release: January 7, 2015 Contact: Dionne Johnson Calhoun (202) 724-8105   Grosso Reintroduces Critical Legislation to Ban Pre-K Suspensions and Expulsions   Washington, D.C.--Yesterday, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) reintroduced the "Pre-K Student Discipline Amendment Act of 2014." This legislation prohibits the suspension or expulsion of a student of pre-kindergarten age from any publicly funded pre-kindergarten program operating in the District of Columbia. It also establishes annual reporting requirements for each local education agency on suspensions and expulsions data. The legislation was co-introduced by all of the current members of the Council.   Last year, upon the request of Councilmember Grosso, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education released a report "Reducing Out-of-School Suspensions and Expulsions in the District of Columbia Public and Public Charter Schools." The report found that during the 2012-2013 school year over 10,000 of the District's 80,000 public school students were suspended at least once. One hundred and eighty one of those students were enrolled in pre-kindergarten programs. "While I understand that managing a classroom of young children can at times be difficult, I have a hard time understanding what behavior of a 3- or 4-year-old would constitute an out-of-school suspension or expulsion," said Grosso. "We are beginning the school-to-prison pipeline before some students even have the opportunity to fully begin their educational pursuits." The adverse effects of out-of-school suspension and expulsion on a student can be profound. While there is no research that indicates that suspensions improve a child's behavior or make schools safer, studies have shown that students who are suspended or expelled are more prone to low achievement and landing in the juvenile justice system. Further, students who experience suspension and expulsion are as much as 10 times more likely to ultimately drop out of school than are those who have not. The District would not be the first jurisdiction to recognize that when it comes to our youngest students zero tolerance-style school discipline policies are not always appropriate. Last summer, the Chicago Public School Board of Education voted to prohibit the suspension of Pre-K through 2nd grade students except for cases involving extreme safety concerns. In Minneapolis, the Superintendent has implemented a new Pre-K through 1st grade suspension ban for non-violent offenses. "The conversation regarding student discipline is ripe in the District of Columbia," said Grosso. "We need to grapple with the fact that suspension is at odds with teaching the social and behavioral skills many students lack. I welcome that conversation as putting our students in the very best position to learn is a priority of the Committee on Education." ###     Copyright © 2013. All Rights Reserved.

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