Students walk to Lansing to protest school expulsions

LANSING, MI (Tell Us Det) - A group of students and teachers has marched from Detroit to Lansing to protest what it says is the harmful and unnecessary suspensions and expulsions of schoolchildren for often-minor offenses.

The trip began Monday and concluded Wednesday on the state Capitol steps. The students completed their journey on April 23, in an attempt to show state officials the severe problem with trivial suspensions in Michigan and the dedication surrounding the need to modify Zero Tolerance.

Organizers with the Harriet Tubman Center's Youth Voice project say participants covered 85 miles in relay stages.

The walk comes as officials are raising concerns about school suspension and expulsion policies. The Michigan Board of Education is expected to act in May on a proposed model policy for reducing suspensions and expulsions.

“It sounds extreme,” said Michael Reynolds, YOUTH VOICE Co-president. “But when I talk to my peers, many who share my experience, students all over Michigan are being pushed out of school without alternatives.”

State Superintendent Mike Flanagan told participants Wednesday that students shouldn't be automatically suspended or expelled if other interventions can improve their behavior and keep them in school.

“The Michigan Department of Education has partnered with YOUTH VOICE to address the negative impact exclusionary disciplinary practices. Learning from YOUTH VOICE members who have been directly affected is crucial in shaping more effective policy at the state level,” said Kyle Guerrant, LMSW, director of office of school support services, Michigan Department of Education.