Last month, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law what is widely considered the most sweeping effort in the nation to rein in punitive school discipline practices that have pushed disproportionate numbers of African American students out of school, typically for minor offences.
Senate Bill 100, which was passed with bipartisan support led by state Sen. Kimberly Lightford and state Representative Will Davis this past spring, prioritizes the creation of safe and orderly schools while addressing excessive use of the most severe forms of discipline.Under the legislation, students can only be suspended, expelled, or referred to an alternative school if all other “appropriate and available” alternatives are exhausted. In other words, suspensions and expulsions become the last resort, rather than the first.
Read the full article HERE.
Read the full article HERE.