Over the top. Extreme. Detrimental. That’s how some describe disciplinary practices taking place in classrooms around the country, including schools in the Rochester City School District. They say what used to get students sent to the principal’s office now gets them suspended and kicked out of school. According to a recent study released by the Advancement Project, one in ten Rochester City School students was suspended in the 2012-13 school year. The majority of those suspensions were not for carrying weapons, drugs or engaging in serious fights.
On this segment of Need to Know we discuss the consequences of suspensions and changes that could be on the way in the District in relation to its Code of Conduct. Guests include: Van White, President of the Board of Education of the Rochester City School District; Freemontá Strong, a Youth Organizer with the Center for Teen Empowerment and a sophomore at School Without Walls; Rosemary Rivera, Organizing Director of Citizen Action of New York.