Parent urges Fayetteville schools to reduce suspensions and expand supports for students with disabilities

A parent and early-childhood specialist urged the Fayetteville Board of Education to reduce reliance on suspensions for students with disabilities and to expand staffing and supports across the district.

Michelle "Molly" Miner, who identified herself as a parent and early-childhood specialist, told the board Fayetteville Public Schools reported 768 out-of-school suspensions in the most recent year and that at the state level, suspensions accounted for about 19% of disciplinary infractions in the cited year. "These numbers do not reflect defiance. They reflect unmet support needs and systemic gaps," Miner said, urging the board to provide more consistent supports for students with ADHD, autism and emotional regulation needs.

Miner referenced a 2018 Arkansas Department of Education guidance that said suspensions, isolation and exclusion are inappropriate interventions for students with disabilities when behaviors are manifestations of the disability, and she cited the protections under federal IDEA and 504 processes. She also warned the state faces a severe shortage of special-education teachers and urged strategies to improve recruitment and retention.

Board officers concluded her allotted public-comment time and invited Miner to submit the remainder of her comments by email; Miner said she had action notes and appreciated the offer. The board did not take immediate action on the items raised but administrators and members acknowledged the staffing and discipline issues and indicated follow-up outside the public-comment period.