Solutions, Not Suspensions – Advocacy Day Recap by WCA Board Member, Vanessa Kaye Watson
May 23, 2025 |
Volunteer youth advocates, WCA Program & Policy Associate Gabriella Nanna, WCA Board Member Vanessa Kaye Watson, and WCA Program & Policy Manager Angel Gray in Albany for the Solutions, Not Suspensions Advocacy on May 13th, 2025
Blog post written by Vanessa Kaye Watson
“Solutions Not Suspensions” resonates deeply with me because of a close call with suspension of my son, which would have changed the trajectory of his life along with the numerous other children who made a mistake and had to pay a hefty price for “normal childish behavior”. The staggering statistics in New York showing that over 8000 kids between pre-kindergarten to third grade were suspended during the 2023-2024 school year is appalling. We should not be creating a pipeline to prison for our children, our future — sending a message that we do not care about them and do not want them to learn.
One of my many reasons for joining the Board of Directors of the Westchester Children’s Association was the ability to exercise my advocacy skills on behalf of our children. In all my prior boards, we focused on governance, and I was less involved in the day-to-day work of the organizations. Given WCA’s unique focus on advocacy and impacting legislation, I had the opportunity on May 13th to travel to Albany with staff members and other volunteers to lend our voices in support of a bill that would directly impact children’s lives and wellbeing.
Advocacy Day team with State Senator Shelley Mayer
We met with Senators and shared personal stories and perspectives in favor of the bill and heard from staff members about why this bill has not been passed in over 5 years! The energy of the young people was palpable. Hundreds of students and other children’s organizations took to rallying on the million-dollar staircase in Albany with signs and chants. At the end of the day when we compared notes, we had gotten 4 senators to agree to co-sponsor the bill.
We are not asking for suspensions to be eliminated – we primarily want suspensions:
-to be a measure of last resort
– decreased from 180 days to 20 days
-curtailed for our youngest population – pre-k through 3rd grade
-coupled with an educational plan for kids outside the classroom
My first experience was exhilarating with immediate impact felt. The bar has been set high since I understand from the staff that we don’t always get this many co-sponsors. Challenge accepted – I am already looking forward to raising the bar for our future generation.
Take Action to Support Solutions Not Suspensions in NYS
