PUSD School Board Hears Recommendations on Reducing Elementary School Suspensions of Black Students

The Pasadena Unified School District reached consensus on a set of recommendations from a task force working to decrease suspensions among Black elementary school students, according to one board member.

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In the fall of 2021, after students returned to schools from distance learning due to the pandemic Black elementary school and special education students faced more suspensions than Asian, Latino and White students, according to the presentation.

Black students make up about 10% of the students in the district.

A Black Student Success Task Force was convened to address school discipline practices leading to disproportionate suspensions in black elementary schools students, according to a statement released on Monday.

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The recommendations included only allowing out-of-school suspensions in Transitional Kindergarten (TK) through 5th grade in incidents where violence results in injury or incidents that lead to mandatory expulsion, in accordance with the California Education Code.

Additionally, the recommendation also included limiting out-of-school suspensions to not more than two days and providing restorative intervention and practices to students to facilitate a comprehensive return to campus.

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The African American Parent Council (AAPC) established the Black Student Success Task Force at the advice of Superintendent Dr. Brian McDonald {snip}

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“The AAPC, District, administrators, teachers, PUSD families, students, and community partners engaged in these thoughtful endeavors in response to persistent overrepresentation of Black children in disciplinary measures. While suspensions have declined over time, disproportionality remains,” said Nia Bailey, president of the African American Parent Council.

“{snip} We will disrupt persistent disproportionality in suspensions and keep our kids in the classroom where they belong.”