UD professor’s new book ‘Suspended Education’ explores why school suspensions may do more harm than good

Kyle McKinnon

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Delaware Public Media

Millions of students are suspended from public schools every year. Last school year, about 14% of Delaware students received suspensions with students of color facing out-of-school suspensions at higher rates, according to the state’s Annual Report on School Discipline Improvement.

In his book ‘Suspended Education: School Punishment and the Legacy of Racial Injustice,’ University of Delaware sociology and criminal justice professor Aaron Kupchik explores how this long-standing disciplinary practice is tied to racial inequality, fails to improve behavior, and can have long-lasting consequences for students.

This week, Delaware Public Media’s Kyle McKinnon sat down with Kupchik for more on ‘Suspended Education’ and why school suspensions may do more harm than good.