Schools Combating Suspension with New Discipline Code

New York City's public schools have a new discipline code that aims to cut down on suspensions. And advocates say the measure could have some significant long-term effects.

For some students in New York City, getting suspended is relatively common. That's according to Johanna Miller, advocacy director at the New York Civil Liberties Union. Miller said the highest-risk kids are disproportionately black and Hispanic. She also said those kids are more likely to be suspended for insubordination, and are much less likely to graduate high school.   

"Those kids are really bearing the brunt of this system that doesn't help them change their behavior but just reacts through punishment," Miller said. "We're just driving down the graduation rate, and that's having a really serious, disparate impact on some students."

The updated discipline code aims to address these issues by requiring the Department of Education to approve behavior-related suspensions. The code also mandates new plans to diffuse violent or disruptive incidents. 

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