Ohio: 36,000 suspensions for preK-3rd graders in OH; ban proposed

Nov 12, 2017, Cleveland.com: 36,000 suspensions for Ohio third graders and younger could prompt ban on harsh punishments http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/11/36000_suspensions_for_ohio_thi.html Ohio could join the growing number of states and cities to ban suspensions of young students as damaging and counterproductive, under a new bill to be released this week. State Sen. Peggy Lehner, who chairs the Senate education committee, says she is astounded that Ohio schools kick kids in kindergarten through third grade out of school more than 30,000 times a year. There were 36,000 such suspensions - removal from school for up to 10 days - of Ohio's 540,000 PreK-3 students in 2015-16 and 34,000 in 2016-17…. But others, she said, come from overzealous use of "zero-tolerance" policies and schools' inability to manage students. And just under half - 48 percent - are mainly for the lesser offense of disobedient or disruptive behavior. …