Being suspended for an entire school year is bound to reshape a student’s academic future, for better or worse. Every student’s access to education matters equally, so it’s very important for counties to offer a variety of programs to help students both mentally and academically.
Natalie Hooks, a student at Karns who received a 180 day suspension in her freshman year, turned her trial into triumph and will soon graduate next year. She attended Richard Yoakley, an alternative school for suspended students with smaller class sizes with a more hands on approach for students.
“Before the suspension I was really lazy and then Yoakley was giving me kind of a push but it was also still holding me back because I couldn’t do what I needed to do… you have to give yourself that final push,” Hooks said.
While in some instances students experience a turning point; improving motivation, determination, and grades, alternative school still has its drawbacks. It’s very easy to get behind in a program like Richard Yoakley. Hooks emphasizes how she is behind on her credits due to being expelled for such a long period of time.
“I am so far behind in my credits – like I have 10 credits from the past two years and you’re supposed to have 16 by now,” Hooks said.
After a suspension, Knox County doesn’t give up on a student’s education but regardless of a school’s stance on the matter, the use of THC falls under Tennessee’s zero tolerance policy. The policy includes four offences: A student makes threats of “Mass Violence,” brings a firearm to school, commits aggravated assault, or unlawful possession of any drug that falls under Tennessee code 39-17-402 — 39-17-415, which includes possession of marijuana.
“The state zero tolerance things, we have no say in that,” Assistant Principal Chris Ottinger said, “You get caught with a THC vape, we don’t have any option in what we do… the state says it’s 180 days.”
Any suspension longer than four days requires a disciplinary hearing, consisting of two administrators, one who witnessed the event and one who is impartial, having no involvement in the situation. Parents and students are allowed to refute or add information to the statement that is given by the witnessing administrator, with the impartial administrator making a final judgement based on state law.
“Generally the decision is made [quickly], because J-191 (Knox County School’s code for disciplinary action) is pretty clear, you do X this is your punishment,” Ottinger said, “There’s not a ton of grey area in that.”
While state policy is pretty clear, Knox County is still able to help with where students go during their suspensions, and a number of programs exist to help these students. Elevate, a program that Knox County partnered with the local social service organization Helen Ross Mcnabb, has a focus on student rehabilitation for students with drug or alcohol addiction, but it may not be the solution for every student
“…a lot of that hinges on the student wanting to change. We can only do so much if you don’t want to change your not gonna change,” Ottinger said.
Previously Karns High School had a night school program, however this year it has been replaced with a virtual school. The program is only for 180 day students without IEPs that give them access to the other options. Similar to the online school is extended base school which is for students with under 45 days and where they receive support directly from Karns faculty members via daily microsoft teams meetings.
Lastly is Richard Yoakley it is the main alternative high school program in Knox County and it is for students with almost any long term suspension (over 45 days.) Due to the school encompassing all of the county it’s important for each school to make sure that their students are still included in their respective communities.
“We try to go before every break to really just make sure our presence is there, to make the kids know that they’re absent at school but they’re still a part of our community,” Karns Restorative Interventionist Erisha Talley said.
While they are still Karns students at heart, Richard Yoakley is a very different environment and a hard adjustment for most students to make. A lot of freedoms that students take for granted can be lost depending on student behavior. At Yoakley they’re not necessarily rights, but instead privileges.
“…There’s a lot of structure when you go to Yoakley,” Talley said, “They do everything on a scale to where it’s an earn or take away system.”
No program in Knox County is a one-fits-all solution. Not every student finds the help they need and sometimes it might take multiple suspensions to find it, but progress is being made and hopefully comes quickly.
“Just being in education you’ll never get it right, there is always room for growth and progress… there’s a lot of progress that can be made, how? There’s gonna be a lot of studies, a lot of heart break, a lot of upsets, but it’s very doable,” Talley said.
