Students across New York are returning to classrooms, meeting new teachers and beginning a new year filled with possibility.
Yet for many students, particularly Black students and students with disabilities, back to school means a return to discipline policies that push them out of the classroom rather than help them succeed in it.
As state legislators, we have a responsibility to make sure New York’s schools live up to the promise of academic success for all students. That means recognizing that academic success, mental health, and a supportive school environment are deeply connected.
As sponsors of the Solutions Not Suspensions Bill, we believe this year must be the last New York begins without meaningful statewide reform of exclusionary school discipline.
Suspensions are often treated as the default response to student behavior, even when removing a child from the classroom does little to address it or make schools safer. Exclusionary discipline can disconnect young people from teachers, classmates, and support systems, causing them to fall behind and increasing their likelihood of involvement with the justice system.
Research has found that students of color are punished more frequently and harshly than their peers. In New York, Black male students with disabilities are more than twice as likely to be suspended as white students with disabilities and nearly 10 times more likely to be suspended as white students without disabilities.
A child’s race, disability, or ZIP code should not determine whether a mistake becomes a teachable moment or grounds for removal from the classroom.
The consequences can last well beyond a suspension. Suspended students are less likely to complete high school or pursue higher education and more likely to encounter the criminal justice system. Out-of-school suspensions cost New York students an average of 23 instructional days per 100 students each year. For Black students, that figure rises to 47 days.
We cannot improve academic achievement while policies push students out of the classroom.
The Solutions Not Suspensions Bill would help schools move toward more effective approaches, including restorative practices, mediation, counseling, and age-appropriate behavioral interventions. These strategies address harmful behavior while keeping students connected to their education and giving educators tools to resolve conflict. They also recognize that responding to student behavior should mean understanding and addressing its root causes, not simply removing a young person from the classroom.
Research shows restorative disciplinary practices can improve student behavior while reducing suspensions and student arrests. This is not about eliminating consequences or tolerating dangerous behavior. It is about ensuring our response solves problems rather than creating new ones. Policymakers rightly emphasize youth mental health and giving students the resources they need to succeed. Our school discipline policies should reflect those priorities.
Every school year represents a fresh start. We ask students to learn from their mistakes, grow, and do better. Our state should do the same.
For years, we have seen that exclusionary discipline deepens racial disparities and undermines educational achievement. As students return to school, lawmakers must make this the year that changes and give schools tools to support the whole student.
Passing the Solutions Not Suspensions Bill would move New York toward a discipline system rooted in safety, accountability, fairness, and educational opportunity. If we are serious about supporting students’ mental health and their success, we must put our policies where our promises are.
Jackson represents state Senate District 31 in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Solages represents Assembly District 22 on Long Island and chairs the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus.