District 150 committee begins process of lining up with new law targeting discipline

from the article by Pam Adams in the Journal Star:

With zero tolerance and other harsh disciplinary policies on the way out in Illinois, Peoria School District 150’s parent-teacher advisory committee took the first steps Thursday toward bringing the district’s policies in line with a new state law designed to reduce suspensions and expulsions.

The law, known as SB 100, mirrors a broader, social shift in attitudes about crime and punishment, Rick Rettberg, the district’s chief legal officer, told about 25 people at the meeting, including committee members and interested residents.

“It challenges school districts to keep kids in school,” he said….

Peace circles, a component of restorative justice, had reduced discipline problems at the Regional Safe School, an alternative for students up for expulsion, said Lynne Anderson-Loy, a teacher at the school, which is based at Woodruff Career and Technical Academy.

“We don’t have all the answers, but we’ve seen a glimmer of hope,” she said.

Read the whole article.