Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Associated Press
CLEVELAND
An Ohio lawmaker wants to make changes to reduce the number of young students being suspended from school – a punishment already banned for those youngsters in some other states and cities.
The Plain Dealer reports Ohio had 34,000 suspensions for students in pre-kindergarten through third grade last school year, and 36,000 the previous year.
The suspensions last up to 10 days and are issued for offenses ranging from disruption or disobedience to bringing a weapon to school or hurting fellow students.
Those numbers stunned Sen. Peggy Lehner, a Republican who leads the Senate education committee. She says that the suspensions can negatively impact learning and that Ohio needs a better way to handle such students.
She says a new bill she’ll outline today is aimed at addressing that.