If You Were A Naughty Kid The Toronto School Board Has Just Forgiven You
The Toronto District School Board announced Thursday morning that they were purging their database of any suspensions they'd ever handed out to students between Kindergarten and Grade 3.
If it's news to you that you could even be suspended that early, you were a very good kid and you get a gold star.
Though it didn't get specific, the TDSB press release said that the board has "directed staff to identify systemic work that can be done to continue the Board’s commitment to addressing and interrupting bias and discrimination which may place certain groups of students at a disadvantage."
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K-3 students suspended during the 2018-2019 school year
But the Toronto Star did get specific back in 2013.
Back then, they found that Indigenous students in the TDSB were the most likely to be suspended, followed by Black students, who at the time made up 12% of the student body and accounted for 31% of the suspensions.
"Ensuring a positive school experience in the early years is critical in building a strong foundation for future success," said TDSB chair Alexander Brown in the release. "By expunging discretionary suspensions from the records of these young children, we are removing a barrier that could jeopardize that success."
The TDSB says this is only for what they call "discretionary suspensions," and that suspensions for "serious offences" will stay on the books and continue to be handed out.
So if you sassed your teacher, you're probably good. If you slashed her tires, maybe not.
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