Should Schools Suspend Suspensions?

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Originally published in TEACH Magazine, January/February 2019 Issue

By Adam Stone

Briana Robinson is no big fan of suspension as a disciplinary tool.

“For me, it is best for students to be in class,” says Robinson, a Grade 5 teacher of English language arts at the Key Academy, a public charter school in Washington, DC. “They come to school to learn and I want them to be in school as much as possible. When a student is suspended, they are no longer in that learning environment.”

She is not alone in this. A growing chorus of educators and researchers have lately come together to urge schools away from suspension as a way to tame repeat classroom offenders. A range of studies suggest suspension is often unfair—skewed by race and gender—and also unproductive, leading to worse rather than better academic outcomes.

Moreover, advocates say, there are better ways to deal with discipline issues. Communication, caring, and inclusivity can reshape the classroom for the better. Here we’ll take a look at some of the concerns that have been raised around suspension and then consider emerging alternatives.

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Adam Stone is a seasoned journalist with 20+ years’ experience. He covers education, technology, government, and the military, along with diverse other topics.

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Adam Stone
Adam Stone
Adam Stone is a seasoned journalist with 20+ years’ experience. He covers education, technology, government, and the military, along with diverse other topics.

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