ON THIS EPISODE ... we bring you an update on a story we first reported back in April.
That episode, which you can listen to here, was the result of our analysis into school discipline data for the youngest students in Missouri. We found stark disparities in how black and white children, especially those in kindergarten through third grades, are disciplined. (Check the numbers for your Missouri school district here.)
Well, a lot has happened since then.
The day after we ran that episode, public schools in the city of St. Louis joined only a handful of districts across the country and banned out-of-school suspensions for its youngest students.
And a couple weeks ago, more local school leaders pledged to do the same.
In fact, 20 school districts across the St. Louis region publicly agreed to reduce out-of-school suspensions in the early grades.
On this update episode, we talk with local school leaders about efforts to keep more kids in school, even when they act out.
