Student suspensions in the city’s public schools shot up 26 percent in the latter part of 2013, according to statistics released Monday.
Officials attributed the sharp spike to differences between the 2013 school calendar and the calendar in 2012, when classes were cut short by six days because of Hurricane Sandy.
But even in an apples-to-apples comparison, the number of suspended students jumped by 12 percent, to 20,267, between July 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2013, compared with the same period in 2012.
There was no immediate explanation for that increase.
The report, issued by the city Department of Education, also provided data for the beginning of the de Blasio administration — Jan. 1, 2014 to March 17, 2014. When those were figured in, total suspensions for this school year actually dropped by 0.2 percent, from 34,545 to 34,471.
That led the New York Civil Liberties Union to issue a statement praising the course reversal by de Blasio administration.
“We are, of course, disappointed that suspensions rose during the final months of the Bloomberg administration, but we are encouraged that the data since the new administration took over are moving in the right direction,” said NYCLU Director Donna Lieberman.
“The culture shift New York City schools so desperately needs will not happen overnight, and we appreciate the new administration’s commitment to developing the supports necessary for all of our schools to flourish and for youth from all backgrounds to succeed.”
In his former role as the city’s public advocate, de Blasio issued a report stressing that suspension should be a last resort and that mediation should be the preferred method for dealing with unruly kids.
He also said too many black and Latino students were getting suspended and missing classes.
Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña has made curbing unnecessary suspensions a top priority.
After consulting with school staffers, community leaders and advocacy groups, Fariña is weighing potential changes to the disciplinary code. She’s also working to provide more individual and small-group counseling services and training schools on pre-emptive actions and “de-escalation strategies” to address rowdy student behavior.
One parent advocate suggested another way to reduce suspensions: Relieve overcrowding.
“You’re packing more and more kids into our school buildings with less and less space, fewer services and cuts to music and arts programs — what do you expect? We’re treating our kids like caged rats,” said Manhattan Community Education Council 3 member Noah Gotbaum.