On today’s episode, we welcome three members of Buffalo’s Solutions Not Suspensions Coalition, which aims to shed light on the long-standing problems with the suspension system affecting Buffalo Public Schools students and families. We welcome Samuel Radford III, a member of the Western New York Equity Task Force, Kim Diana Connolly, a professor at the University at Buffalo’s School of Law, and Aymanuel Radford, a Buffalo Organizer for the New York Civil Liberties Union. The three sit down with Jay Moran, to break down their concerns about violations of New York State laws governing suspension procedures and the disproportionate impact of these practices on students from marginalized groups.
The conversation highlighted findings and recommendations from the following documents:
- Suspension in Buffalo Public Schools: History, Analysis and a Holistic, Positive Path Forward (2022)
https://assets.nyclu.org/221220-buffaloschoolswhitepaper.pdf - Update to Suspension in Buffalo Public Schools (2024)
https://www.nyclu.org/uploads/2024/10/Buffalo-suspension-white-paper-1.pdf - Syracuse City School District Assurance of Discontinuance (AOD No. 14-159) (2014)
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/settlements-agreements/Syracuse_City_School_District_AOD-Executed.pdf
