A report finds that suspensions can harm more than help students.
Dan Losen, the Senior Director of the National Center for Youth Law and one of the authors of the report, says suspensions take away instructional time and affect students' opportunity to learn.
Critics of suspensions say that schools need to consider students' home life before suspending them and not punish students with disabilities for behaviors they cannot control.
In San Francisco, suspension rates for Black students are currently lower than they have been in seven years, but in Oakland, Black students have been getting suspended more. White students in both districts have a steady, low trend.
High suspension rates lead to low attendance, resulting in a loss of critical state funding. It also results in fewer students graduating, which can limit their opportunities for the future.
