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Why schools should ease up on student suspensions
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A suspension can go far beyond a bad mark on your child's individual student record. In fact, suspensions can cost the U.S. an estimated $35 billion annually, according to a new report. - photo by Megan McNulty
A suspension can go far beyond a bad mark on your child's student record.

In fact, suspensions cost the entire country billions of dollars annually, according to a new report by UCLA's Civil Rights Project.

"The authors calculate that suspensions in just one year of school 10th grade contributed to 67,000 students eventually dropping out of high school. And that, they conclude, generates total costs to the nation of more than $35 billion," NPR reports. This number is conservative and represents only a single year, according to Russell Rumberger, a co-author of the study.

Researchers used a two-step process to calculate the price of school suspensions.

1) The probability of a student dropping out (controlling for poor academic performance and socioeconomic status, researchers found students are 12 percent more likely to drop out of high school if they are suspended from school).

2) The social cost of high school dropouts

NPR reports that high school dropouts earn less money and therefore pay less in taxes, have minimal health care, are more likely to have a run-in with the law and rely heavily on public assistance.

"Researchers found that each additional high school dropout amounts to $163,000 in fiscal losses and $364,000 in social losses over a lifetime," according to Huffpost Politics.

Other research has found suspensions are overused for minor infractions. A separate study by the JustChildren Program and Legal Aid Justice Center reviewed suspension rates across public schools in Virginia and found 58 percent of suspensions in Virgina for the 2014-15 school year were due to nonviolent offenses like cellphone usage and attendance issues, the Martinsville Bulletin reports.

We do have known interventions that can be used instead of suspensions, especially out-of-school suspensions, to mediate it, Rumberger told Huffpost Politics. You can do things to keep the kid in the building and address the needs of that child so they will not have another episode.

If a child is suspended, though, there are a few tips on how parents can respond:

Talk with your child

According to Online Parenting Coach, first get the facts straight. Ask your child to write down everything they think happened first and encourage them to be honest. Contact the school and obtain a copy of the educator's statement about the charge or incident and see if it matches up with your child's statement.

Meet with school officials

Schedule an appointment with school officials to get more facts about the situation, to keep a tight lock on your child's education progress and to make sure your child is taking responsibility for his or her actions, Online Parenting Coach suggests.

Avoid additional punishment

According to Popsugar, adding additional punishment at home is not necessary since the child already undergoes a majority of the punishment at school. There may be a reason your child is acting out, which you can only get to the root of by examining their behavior without additional consequences.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.