At the local level, we are seeing a wave of victories across the country, district by district. Here are just a few highlighted by Dignity in School Campaign:
California: On January 14, the San Francisco Board of Education unanimously passed a new Memorandum of Understanding that would create an agreement between the San Francisco Unified School District and the San Francisco Police Department to dramatically reduce police presence on school campuses and prevent unnecessary student referrals to the juvenile justice system. The MOU has to be approved by San Francisco’s chief of police.
In May, the Los Angeles Unified school board banned suspensions of defiant students.
Illinois: Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has given a verbal commitment to community leaders that CPS release discipline data with detailed information, including demographics broken down by race and disability, in late February or early March on its website. This will ensure more transparency on discipline in the district. Click here for more information.
Maryland: The Washington Post reported that Maryland had passed new regulations to “find a more constructive approach to student punishment, end racial disparities in suspensions and keep students who are punished in school.”
New Jersey: The Parent Education Organizing Council (PEOC) and Paterson Education Fund were victorious in their Solutions Not Suspensions Campaign when the Paterson School Board passed a resolution ending out-of-school suspensions for minor infractions like willful disobedience, violations of the dress code or tardiness. The school board also committed to complete a process within a year to develop and implement positive approaches to addressing student behaviors rather than sending them home without access to educational services.
Ohio: On January 21, the Dayton Public School Board unanimously voted to adopt a verbal resolution presented by DSC member Racial Justice Now to support the adoption of Senate Bill 167, which would eliminate zero tolerance policies in the state. A board member will attend the third hearing on the bill, where the resolution will be presented.
Oregon: DSC member organization Portland Parent Union successfully pushed for the passage of a bill to reform school discipline and roll back zero-tolerance policies in Oregon. On May 21, 2013, the Oregon legislature passed HB 2192-B, removing mandatory expulsion requirements from the state's school discipline statute. The new legislation will go into effect in July 2014.
We certainly have a way to go. With the data the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is collecting and its guidelines, the context for legal action has been improved tremendously. For example, a coalition of local, state, and national organizations have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice against law enforcement agencies and the school system in Wake County, North Carolina.
The question I have now is how to use this momentum to get more and more districts to flip from school-to-prison practices to restorative justice that keeps students in class and learning. Many of these victories are in districts where parents and communities formed organizations to raise attention and build public support. As we go forward, can we find a way to make it easier for community members to put pressure on their school boards of education? Or, if it is going to require us to flip districts one by one, how can we accelerate the process of building community-organizing capacity?
In May, the Los Angeles Unified school board banned suspensions of defiant students.
Illinois: Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has given a verbal commitment to community leaders that CPS release discipline data with detailed information, including demographics broken down by race and disability, in late February or early March on its website. This will ensure more transparency on discipline in the district. Click here for more information.
Maryland: The Washington Post reported that Maryland had passed new regulations to “find a more constructive approach to student punishment, end racial disparities in suspensions and keep students who are punished in school.”
New Jersey: The Parent Education Organizing Council (PEOC) and Paterson Education Fund were victorious in their Solutions Not Suspensions Campaign when the Paterson School Board passed a resolution ending out-of-school suspensions for minor infractions like willful disobedience, violations of the dress code or tardiness. The school board also committed to complete a process within a year to develop and implement positive approaches to addressing student behaviors rather than sending them home without access to educational services.
Ohio: On January 21, the Dayton Public School Board unanimously voted to adopt a verbal resolution presented by DSC member Racial Justice Now to support the adoption of Senate Bill 167, which would eliminate zero tolerance policies in the state. A board member will attend the third hearing on the bill, where the resolution will be presented.
Oregon: DSC member organization Portland Parent Union successfully pushed for the passage of a bill to reform school discipline and roll back zero-tolerance policies in Oregon. On May 21, 2013, the Oregon legislature passed HB 2192-B, removing mandatory expulsion requirements from the state's school discipline statute. The new legislation will go into effect in July 2014.
We certainly have a way to go. With the data the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is collecting and its guidelines, the context for legal action has been improved tremendously. For example, a coalition of local, state, and national organizations have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice against law enforcement agencies and the school system in Wake County, North Carolina.
The question I have now is how to use this momentum to get more and more districts to flip from school-to-prison practices to restorative justice that keeps students in class and learning. Many of these victories are in districts where parents and communities formed organizations to raise attention and build public support. As we go forward, can we find a way to make it easier for community members to put pressure on their school boards of education? Or, if it is going to require us to flip districts one by one, how can we accelerate the process of building community-organizing capacity?
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