We are facing a national children’s mental health emergency.

Schools should address students’ behaviors and mental health needs with support, prevention, and conflict resolution strategies, not punitive discipline. Suspension and expulsion will not fix the problem and will contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline.

Download our flyer for answers to questions like:

  • What can I do if my child is facing suspension or expulsion?

  • What can students and families do to reduce suspension and expulsion in their community’s school district?

  • What are some alternatives to suspension and best practices to suggest to my child’s school?


Chapter 222: School Discipline Law

We hope the following school discipline resources are helpful in understanding the law and its history:


The School-to-Prison Pipeline

“I Just Want to Learn”: Girls of Color and the School-to-Prison-Pipeline in Massachusetts, Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice (July 2022)

Lost Opportunities: How Disparate School Discipline Continues to Drive Differences in the Opportunity to Learn, Daniel J. Losen and Paul Martinez (October 2020)

Protecting Girls of Color from the School-to-Prison Pipeline, Appleseed Network (July 2020)

School Policing in Massachusetts, Citizens for Juvenile Justice