Summary: Public schools across the country were put on notice in January 2014, when the Obama Department of Education issued a "Dear Colleague" letter notifying schools that differences in suspension rates among different student groups would be cause for a federal investigation. The Department forced school districts they investigated to overhaul their discipline policies, and the threat alone catalyzed changes in many others. In the wake of the guidance, suspension rates declined dramatically – and evidence suggests so too has school safety. Survey data, safety data, and news stories from across the country suggest that schools have become less orderly and less safe, leading some experts to ask whether the policy may risk leaving the students its advocates intended to help more vulnerable. Join us for a conversation on this important issue.
