Amid debates about school safety, the de Blasio administration has released new numbers that the city's public schools are suspending dramatically fewer students. NY1's education reporter, Lindsey Christ, has the story.
Student suspensions were down 32 percent this past summer and fall compared to the same period a year earlier. The city claims it's the direct result of a new disciplinary policy ordered by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
"It means fewer kids missing class time, and it means more schools have started to use these research-based practices that prevent problem behavior," said Kim Sweet, the executive director of Advocates for Children of New York.
While running for mayor, de Blasio complained that suspensions were disproportionately levied again black and special education students.
The city has not yet released the demographic breakdown of the 12,700 suspensions recorded from July through December. Those numbers are slated to be available later this year.
The new suspension numbers come amid a fierce debate about school violence. According to state data, principals reported 23 percent more violent incidents last year compared to the year before.
The mayor's critics have blamed that increase, in part, on the new suspension policy.
"I think the mayor has been deliberate in introducing policies that would reduce suspensions in schools," said Joe Herrera of Families for Excellent Schools. "However, I don't see that as equating to a safer school system."
At the same time, the number of crimes in schools reported to the city police department actually has gone down. City Hall cites those numbers in saying the new suspension policy is not making schools more dangerous.
Making the debate even more complicated, the number of suspensions has been falling for five years, ever since the City Council passed a law requiring the city education department to release suspension data.
The first release showed more than 73,000 suspensions in the 2010-2011 school year. Some schools, like Lehman High School in the Bronx, were issuing thousands of suspensions.
The mayor plans to continue to push schools to develop policies to prevent the need for suspensions. He has proposed spending $47 million in the new school year to help students with emotional and other problems.