Charter network’s strict discipline sidelines students with disabilities
NPR reports that Paramount Schools of Excellence, a growing Indiana charter K–8 network, has markedly higher suspension rates than state averages — especially for students with disabilities — based on an NPR analysis of 2024–25 Indiana data. Families and students (including a 13‑year‑old in Indianapolis with ADHD) say strict rules that create "calm" classrooms also lead to repeated exclusions; parents further contend federal civil‑rights investigations into such discipline have stalled after federal budget cuts.
Education
Civil Rights
📰 Sources (1)
Strict rules can foster calm classrooms. But some students pay the price
New information:
- NPR analysis of 2024–25 Indiana data: about 45 suspensions per 100 general‑education students in Paramount vs. the statewide average of 10
- For students receiving special education services, Paramount recorded about 73 suspensions per 100 students vs. a statewide average of 22
- Named sources and locales: Paramount Schools of Excellence (charter network), CEO Tommy Reddicks, Indianapolis; first‑hand family accounts (e.g., Levent, a 13‑year‑old with ADHD) and quotes from parents and officials