MPLS to make suspending students of color more difficult

Proposed suspensions of minority students will first need approval of superintendent's office.

November 7, 2014 at 6:20PM

The Minneapolis school district will make suspending students of color more difficult.

Starting Monday, every suspension of black, American Indian or Hispanic students will now be reviewed by Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson's leadership team.

Earlier this year, Johnson placed a moratorium on suspensions of pre-kindergarteners, kindergarteners and first graders.

"It's about reducing disproportionality of student suspensions," Johnson said.

Johnson said the moratorium has helped reduce suspensions by 50 percent.

Now she wants to reduce suspensions by another 50 percent by 2016 by having her team review each suspension of students of color.

"Changing the trajectory for our students of color is a moral and ethical imperative, and or actions must be drastically different to achieve our goal of closing the achievement gap by 2020," Johnson said.

about the writer

about the writer

Baird Helgeson

Deputy editor

Baird Helgeson is deputy local editor at the Star Tribune. He helps supervise coverage of local news. Before becoming an editor, he was an award-winning reporter who covered state government and politics. He has worked for news organizations in Minnesota, Florida and North Dakota.

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