By: Abi Lenze & Ava Lenze
Suspension is the temporary removal of a student from their education environment due to a violation of the school’s policies. When a student violates school policy, there are corrective punishments written in the handbook for each violation. These punishments can include suspension, detention, such as after-school or lunch detention, in-school suspension, and, in some extreme cases, expulsion. Many new studies have shown that suspensions, off-campus, have a greater negative effect on attendance and future behavior. “I want our kids here, anytime something can be handled here when our students are present, I feel it will always be more beneficial,” says Heather Lindsay, 9th and 10th-grade counselor at Southeast High School.
Suspension is meant to discourage students from repeating their offense. Punishment at home, in addition to removal from sports and extracurricular activities, is enough to put a stop to most inappropriate behaviors. Without the proper support at home, however, students will likely continue down the same path. This improper support may continue to drop out altogether. “Being suspended once doubles the chance a student will drop out, raising the risk to 32 percent from 16 percent,” Daniel J. Losen and Tia Elena Martinez wrote in their article Out of School & Off Track. This statistic should raise concern for parents and staff members, encouraging conversation about alternative methods of discipline.
Many other districts have looked into other forms of discipline that share more benefits and allow for higher growth rates instead of recurrence. When talking to Mason Harsh, assistant principal of Southeast High School on the topic of suspension, he stated, “We don’t like to go to suspension first… I think that connecting with people is the biggest drive… you’re trying to figure out what motivates because you’re trying to curve behavior.” This has been seen in other districts where they are implementing restorative circles and restitution are being implemented. In the restorative circles, children can talk through their emotions and help the students better understand what they have done. “Engaging in a brief conversation with the student allows the student to reflect on what occurred, problem solve the situation, and understand what appropriate future actions (including support from adults) are necessary,” states NASSP in their article, Alternatives to Suspension. Not only will this help to solve the problem at hand, but the idea of chatting with the principal isn’t everyone’s favorite thing, creating a further preventive measure. Another alternative form is restitution; students make a plan of action that pushes them to repair damage caused by their actions. In this, they create a plan of action involving an apology, a meeting with the teacher, and repair to any physical damage. This holds students accountable while also providing a way to view their mistakes, learn from them, and avoid repeating them.
Expulsion is necessary in extreme cases to protect students and faculty. With an increase in violence among students, it is sensible to jump to the removal of students for the “greater good”. In the less extreme cases of suspension, repeat offences could lead to expulsion. With proper support, however, these repeat offenses should not occur. This is especially true when it comes to the use of drugs and alcohol. Being at home constantly may increase the student’s ability to use substances and make access easier. If parents care very little or nothing about preventing these cases, the cycle of abuse will continue.
Alternate methods of discipline encourage students to actually think about the behavior. Keeping students in school provides greater opportunities for recovery and lessens the possibility of relapse. Students and faculty should come together to support each other when possible, encapsulating the “We Before Me” pillar and avoiding separation among the student body.
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