Excluding at Will for Small Stuff: Disparate Application of Exclusionary Disciplinary Policies in Massachusetts Charter Schools - Paperback

by Cesar J. Baldelomar (Author)

Even with the enactment of progressive legislation, Massachusetts' charter schools still disciplined students with exclusionary punishments for minor offenses more often than public schools during the 2014-2015 school year. Even more troubling, Boston charter schools suspended low-income students and students of color at higher rates than they did white students. Through an analysis of two Boston charter schools' codes of conduct and data on out-of-school suspensions at six Massachusetts charter schools, this small book shows that charter schools' exclusionary disciplinary practices disproportionately affect Black and Latino students (especially males). The book proposes effective strategies and alternatives to the charter schools' exclusionary policies.

Author Biography

Cesar J. Baldelomar ("CJ") holds two graduate degrees from Harvard University. He is currently entering his third year of law school at St. Thomas University School of Law, where he focuses on the intersection of law and education with race, gender, and immigration. He also explores current police practices and wider militarization around the globe. Cesar plans on pursuing a doctorate degree in the near future that focuses on education and theology. He has published one book on poetry and is currently working on a second one. Cesar can be reached at cjbaldwrites@gmail.com