Our young people are Delaware’s future. But too many kids are being pushed out of school and put on the path to prison.
In 2013, close to 14,000 out-of-school suspensions were given in Delaware schools. Most were for minor things -- like being unprepared for or late to class, dress code violations, inappropriate behavior, and more. African-American students and students with disabilities were especially likely to get suspended.[1]
Missing school makes it harder for students to do well in class or on tests. And students who are suspended are more likely to be held back or drop out of school and to be involved in the juvenile justice system.[2]
Kids should have a chance to learn from their mistakes – that’s what school is all about. Join the Coalition for Fairness and Equity in Schools and tell school administrators: it’s time to end the school-to-prison pipeline.
Sign the petition now.
[1] Data obtained from the Delaware Department of Education and analyzed by the ACLU of Delaware.
[2] Civil Rights Project, “Are We Closing the School Discipline Gap?” (2015) . Council of State Governments Justice Center and The Public Policy Research Institute, Texas A&M University, “Breaking School Rules: A Statewide Study of How School Discipline Relates to Students’ Success and Juvenile Justice Involvement” (2011).
