Racial Disparities In School Discipline Worsening In Illinois

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AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson
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AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson

Racial Disparities In School Discipline Worsening In Illinois

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In 2014, Illinois passed a law aimed at reducing school suspensions and expulsions in public schools.

The state’s racial disparity in school discipline was highlighted in a 2012 report by the Civil Rights Project at UCLA that found Illinois’ black student suspension rate to be the highest in the country.

Today, the law has not had the results lawmakers intended. Black students are six times more likely to be suspended than white students, according to a Chicago Reporter analysis.

Morning Shift talks to Kalyn Belsha, an education reporter who took a hard look at the data.

GUEST:  Kalyn Belsha, education reporter for the Chicago Reporter

LEARN MORE: As school discipline disparities worsen, Illinois has yet to require reforms (Chicago Reporter 8/18/18)

How Illinois obscures racial disparities in school discipline data (Chicago Reporter 8/18/18)