ALBANY, N.Y. — There is a proposal in Albany to limit school suspensions and ban them in most cases for pre-k through third graders.
Supporters of the "Solutions not Suspensions Act" rallied at the State Capitol in Albany on Monday.
2 On Your Side reported earlier this month that some Buffalo Public School students and parents are upset about how the district handles suspensions and discipline. We also reported that roughly 5% of all students in the district have been suspended so far this school year.
On Monday, people from across the state rallied in Albany.
"To me, suspensions are a predecessor to many of the punitive things that happen, particularly to Black and Brown communities as we grow older. So I don't like it, and we have to get rid of it," said NYS Senator Cordell Cleare.
Along with several State Senators and Assemblymembers who support the "Solutions not Suspensions Act," Bethany Morgan, a mother of four from Buffalo, made the trip to Albany Monday morning to tell her story.
"As a mother, I have dealt with countless school suspensions attending nearly 15 suspension hearings for my family alone," said Bethany Morgan.
Morgan is now a family parent advocate using her experience to help others.
"I've been to so many suspension hearings without an attorney that I feel like I might as well be one myself," said Bethany Morgan.
Supporters of this bill say it values equity, saying suspensions make students feel criminalized and disproportionately impact students of color, students with disabilities, and students in the LGBTQ+ community.
This bill limits suspensions to a maximum of twenty school days and gives schools 24 hours to come up with an education plan. It also ends suspensions for pre-K through third graders unless it's to comply with federal law.
Morgan says one of her children was suspended for 30 days.
"Suspensions also have a huge impact on home life. Parents are thrown into a crisis of what to do with their children for the day or days. I lost several jobs because I didn't have PTO or vacation time to take off when my child was unnecessarily suspended," said Bethany Morgan.
If this passes and the Governor signs it, it would most likely go into effect in September of 2024. Right now, the bill is in committee.