A state senator wants to toss out the idea of expulsions for kids who are in third grade or younger. The lawmaker says this can go a long way to closing the achievement gap for disadvantaged students.
Republican Sen. Peggy Lehner is proposing the ban on expulsions and out-of-school suspensions.
Lehner says there鈥檚 a clear link between suspensions and drop in academic achievement among students who are minorities, disabled or from low-income families.
鈥淲hen suspended a child is robbed of days and often weeks of learning every year,鈥� Lehner said.
There were 36,000 suspensions among preschoolers through third graders last school year. Of those suspended, 90 percent were economically disadvantaged.
Lehner鈥檚 proposal still allows a school to expel a student based on violent behavior.
