An Ohio lawmaker said she was stunned to learn that thousands of elementary students are suspended for disobedience or disruptions each school year and plans to introduce legislation that would ban such punishment except in cases where a student threatens to harm.
State Sen. Peggy Lehner, a Kettering Republican who leads the education committee, said a better alternative is training for teachers on how to de-escalate misbehavior, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
According to a state database, there were more than 17,000 suspensions or expulsions in preschool through third grade for disobedient or disruptive behavior during Ohio’s 2015-16 school year. More than 2,000 kindergartners were suspended for fighting or violence.
Lehner is seeking input from teachers and school officials before advancing her proposal. While local education officials agree early grade suspensions and expulsions should be rare, most oppose a state-imposed ban and prefer that discipline policies be left up school districts.
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