I am writing to ask each of you for your help in tackling an issue of high importance. Last year, the Agency of Education produced a report regarding exclusionary discipline in Vermont. You can get a copy here.
At a high level, the good news is that Vermont schools exclude students at 1/3 the rate of schools overall in the nation. However, across the state, we see persistent disproportionality in exclusion; students of historically marginalized populations (students who are non-white, living in poverty, or have a disability) are excluded with greater frequency than we would expect given their representation in the population overall. Of some concern, the highest rates of exclusions are for ambiguous reasons in circumstances in which alternatives to exclusion are possible.
Every time a child is out of class or out of school, that child is missing critical instructional time. When that happens with frequency, it may discourage or erode the child’s success in school.