school suspensions
I’ve been seeing a lot of high school AU fics for Voltron lately (no surprise :V), and just wanted to clarify a few details about suspension protocols for fic writers. Although suspension protocols vary depending on state and whether the school is private, charter, or public, (my experience comes from public schools in NYC) all have a basic framework that stays the same. And here they are:
As of recent years (I’m talking about post 2005), no student is “automatically” suspended.
The issue is (supposed to be) thoroughly investigated. All students involved are interviewed and spoken to; every student directly involved fills out a statement or incident report, and administration corroborates the reports to determine what happened, what lead to the incident, who were the persons involved, and how to best proceed.
Parents/Guardians are called in, and a conference is held. This is where the discussion of what the student(s) did wrong happens, as well as delivering follow-up actions/consequences for whomever needs to be held responsible.
Depending on the issue, this process can take as little as a few hours or as much as a few days. I’ve seen incidences where the process took a whole week before administration could finally pinpoint who the real culprits were and could determine what would happen next.
If administrators want to issue a suspension, there are certain protocols to follow beforehand depending on the type of suspension given:
IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS: This is the most common form of suspension. Administration fills out the necessary paperwork, and the student is pulled out of their regular schedule for a set number of days (usually up to 5 days; the max number will vary depending on the district, region, state, school, etc.)
In this type of suspension, the student reports to school as they normally do. Instead of going to their regular classes, however, they will be placed in a SAFE room (usually an office or an extra classroom specifically set aside for this purpose) that is staffed by a teacher (or teachers, if the school does not have the budget to hire and keep a single person as their SAFE room supervisor---which is not uncommon). The student’s teachers are expected to provide work for the student for each in-school suspension day the student has received.
SAFE rooms used to be called “ALS” (Alternative Learning Site) before 2009(?). Not sure about the date.
PRINCIPAL’S SUSPENSION: Depending on the incident or frequency of incidents, administrations can place students on a Principal’s suspension. Administration must file for such a request within the day the investigation is concluded. Depending on the district, region, state, school, etc (which I will now refer to as variables), the request may need to be approved by the superintendent first (which can take anywhere from a day to a week). The length of this consequence spans anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks---again, depending on variables.
There is a suspension hearing to get approval for this type of suspension. This is where the student, administration, counselors and/or teacher, and the student’s parent/guardian all congregate at the school district’s office/site. A suspension officer reviews evidence of the student’s actions and listens to testimonies from whoever can deliver them. The suspension officer determines the consequences, if they believe the student needs them.
If approval is gained, students must report to a suspension site (a building within their school district that is not their school; a building set aside for the express purpose of supervising students who have been suspended from their school) for the duration of their suspension. The teachers at the suspension site are responsible for assigning work and reviewing materials for the students within their supervision. Often, the curriculum has nothing to do with what the student has been learning in their own schools, and the student will return with large gaps in their learning.
SUPERINTENDENT’S SUSPENSION: This is the big one, the one that can last anywhere from 1 month to 5, or even more. Students receiving this suspension are to report to a suspension site (see above).
Student(s), administration, counselors and teachers, and the student(s)’s parents/guardians must report to the superintendent’s office to attend a suspension hearing (see above).
It is really difficult to get approval for this because the “proof of fault/intention” lies on administration. Administration must provide documentation demonstrating a multitude of factors before this consequence can be approved:
the student poses “genuine danger” to the school environment
the student has a history of violence or “defiant” behaviors that endangers the student themselves, the school environment, or both
the student has received adequate support in managing their outbursts or behaviors (counseling, de-escalation strategies, RTI/BIP (intervention plans), etc.)
all investigations have been conducted without personal biases or subjectivity
Again, the specifics of issuing a suspension varies depending on the type of school, the school’s district/region, the school’s state, etc. However, most systems follow this particular framework.
That’s pretty much it. Feel free to add or send an ask if you want anything clarified.