Questions and Answers: Windham Central Office on Child Suspensions

Why are Windham 6 year olds suspended?

windhamweek interview with Windham's BOE central officeb

windhamweek: Could you tell me the steps taken before the child is suspended?

A child is suspended out of school when they are a safety threat. In school suspensions are reserved for behavior related issues that are disruptive to the learning environment.

windhamweek: Reasons for the suspensions?

The majority of suspensions in K and 1^st graders are fights, physical altercations, battery, throwing objects, disorderly conduct, safety code (bus suspensions).

windhamweek: Why Windham uses out of school suspensions the majority of the time opposed to in school suspensions?

Out of school suspensions are used for safety, not punishment. As you can see from the suspension reasons listed above, many students are a safety concern and to protect them and other students they must be removed from the school building. Windhams objective is to keep all of our kids in school. Out of school suspensions give us the time needed to develop a safety plan with teachers and parents of students who pose and threat and then return them to their school building as soon as possible. Our in school suspensions at the K and 1^st grade level are not suited for kids that are unsafe so we must use out of school suspension in these cases.

windhamweek: Do the police get involved?

No. The schools do not contact the police.

windhamweek: Average number of suspensions over the last 5-6 yrs.

The number of suspensions of age 6 and under (K and 1^st) over the past several years ranges from 15 to 23. These are not the total number of students suspended. The total suspensions have come from 6 to 8 of the same students. These numbers are inclusive of in school, out of school and bus suspensions.

windhamweek: In fact was there 29 suspensions in 2011-12?

No. There were not 29 suspensions. There were 17 and these were from 8 students. It should also be noted that these are not just Kindergarteners but 1^st graders as well. The articles data was for age 6 and under which is K and 1^st.

Read Main Story: Shocking: Ct  Kindergarten, First Grade Suspensions including Windham