Love Our Children Ends Out-of-School Suspensions for 4, 5, 6, and 7 years old Children in New Hanover County, North Carolina

Love Our Children, an organization founded by Peter Rawitsch and Veronica McLaurin-Brown, achieved its goal of ending out-of-school suspensions for 4,5,6,and 7 year old children, except for guns, drugs, or an assault, in New Hanover Country, NC.  Love Our Children was awarded a $500 DEY mini grant in June, 2021.

The project, Love Our Children, started in March, 2021 after the New Hanover County Board of Education voted 7 – 0 to maintain a student behavior policy that allowed for our youngest learners to be kicked out of school for minor offenses such as inappropriate language, insubordination, or disrespect. This week, they voted 7 – 0 to revise that policy.

 

Here is the local coverage they received in the media:

 

After year of pressure from community, school board ends suspensions for youngest students

Wilmington StarNews

https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/05/new-hanover-school-board-ends-suspensions-districts-youngest-learners/9479018002/?utm_source=starnewsonline-News%20Alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news_alerts&utm_term=news_alert&utm_content=NORTHCAROLINA-WILMINGTON-NLETTER01&fbclid=IwAR3Bs8tj0bJ7O6MNecf_VIGRGQzwwxo2sHGN8vlMDrMKeK-la-tMGls5vcE

 

Love Our Children prevails: New Hanover school board unanimously votes to end suspensions for young students – WHQR

https://www.whqr.org/local/2022-04-06/love-our-children-prevails-new-hanover-school-board-unanimously-votes-to-end-suspensions-for-young-students?fbclid=IwAR0vGtSsyBNiFv8CgQMaHmm0QWk3el3v6ULlkG0fUC1q5OgtSZnm40ZoFsM

 

NHCS will no longer suspend students under 8, except in extreme cases

https://portcitydaily.com/local-news/education/2022/04/06/nhcs-will-no-longer-suspend-students-under-8-except-in-extreme-cases/?fbclid=IwAR12_R4hfah8ggkTGWazZX7EE1lld6cMdeTZoFUoUXaIzDC-YibpL6bwV1s

NHC School Board votes to end most suspensions for younger students

https://www.wect.com/video/2022/04/06/nhc-school-board-votes-end-most-suspensions-younger-students/?fbclid=IwAR1B0CO9jhxUqJfY40a9FY9_KNUbSS8q7wOaW5l9dLInwxZLE55Vtwft8MQ

 

Although eleven states and the District of Columbia have statutes that ban the use of out-of-school suspensions for 4, 5, 6, and 7-year-olds, New Hanover County is the first county in North Carolina to do so.

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