Education Law

Special Education a Risk Factor for Violence in Chicago Public School's Model

By Charles Fox

Ron Huberman, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, has unveiled a plan [Download Students_At_Risk pdf]to address violence in and around schools in the wake of the tragic killing of Derrion Albert, a Chicago Public School student, who is the latest victim of violence that was captured on video and posted online. The plan is based upon statistics that reveal the killings and violence are not totally random.  The data shows that the students at highest risk of violence are:

" most likely black,male, without a stable living environment, in special education,skipping an average of 42 percent of school days at neighborhood and alternative schools, and having a record of in-school behavioral flare-ups that is about eight times higher than the average."

The new model is also leading to a rethinking of the security policy to favor mental health interventions and prevention over policing and punishment. To me the sum total of this model reveals that suspensions, expulsions are simple and summary answers to deep-seated and complex mental health, learning and economic problems. This model is not the first time that the City has studied this issue of school violence. Perhaps the very public death of Derrion Albert will actually lead to more thoughtful data-driven actions that will start to make a difference.

Thank to my cousin Mark Mlawer for bringing this NYTimes article to my attention.

Full post as published by Special Education Law Blog on October 11, 2009 (boomark / email).