Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has approved a new law changing the state’s school discipline policies. The new state law removes zero tolerance explusions and suspensions, and requires schools to exhaust all other means of intervention before suspending or expelling students.
(Photo : Scott Olson| Getty Images News) Illinois Gubernatorial Candidate Bruce Rauner
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner (R) signed on Monday a new law that reforms the state's school discipline policies, making it more effective and less exclusionary. The new state law, which takes effect in September of 2016, suspended students who have returned would be allowed to catch up on school work. Students suspended for more than four days would be offered support services, such as mental health consultation and academic counseling.
The Senate Bill 100, sponsored by state Representative Will Davis and Senator Kimberly Lightford, removes the "zero tolerance" expulsions and suspensions. It also requires schools to use all other means of intervention before they suspend or expel students. In addition, the bill bans fees and fines for misbehavior, and mandates schools to inform parents about the disciplinary measures being used, Christina Wilkie of The Huffington Post wrote.
"The students who are being tossed out of the school environment are the very students who should be kept within school boundaries at all costs," Lightford said in April. "We need to keep young people in school learning how to succeed and off of the street corner learning how to fail."
The Education Department's Office of Civil Rights reported that the state has among the widest disparities across the country between suspended white students and black students. The Huffington Post said Chicago Public Schools suspended 32 of every 100 black students during school year 2012-13, compared to the five of every 100 white students.
Beginning next school year, Illinois schools would have to come up with ways to implement the new state law, which applies to all public schools and charter schools.
"For too long, harsh school discipline practices have contributed to the under-education and over-criminalization of young people, and especially youth of color," said Dalia Mena, member of Voices of Youth in Chicago Education, the organization that supported the bill. "Illinois now provides more tools for schools to create environments where all students are valued and supported in their learning."
