More than 600 kindergarten and pre-K students were suspended in Massachusetts last year
More than 600 Massachusetts kindergarteners and pre-schoolers were suspended last year, according to a WBUR report.
Massachusetts public and charter schools suspended 603 of the state’s youngest students for offenses that included hitting, fighting, showing disrespect, throwing items, and being disruptive, according to the report.
Connecticut and Minneapolis currently ban kindergarten suspensions entirely, reports WBUR. Massachusetts requires principals to notify superintendents in writing before suspending students in kindergarten through third grade.
Alice Wolf, a former Massachusetts state representative who helped write the 2014 law, told WBUR the notification requirement has helped decrease the amount of suspensions.
“It means the schools are beginning to really think about how they’re operating,’’ Wolf, who now works with Massachusetts Advocates for Children, told WBUR. “And I think it will be a protection.’’
Read the full WBUR report.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com