Monthly Archives: May 2013

The Round Up!

The Round Up!

5.28.13 Even though many of you know that our policy work is focused on California, school districts all across the country are making moves from punitive to restorative justice practices, positive behavioral intervention and support, and social emotional learning in their schools. We want to include school districts that are beginning to have these important ... Read More
 
Fifth Grade Student Arrested for Science Experiment Blogs for the ACLU

Fifth Grade Student Arrested for Science Experiment Blogs for the ACLU

Kiera Wilmot, the Florida fifth grade student who was recently arrested and suspended for doing a high school science experiment, demonstrates the use of severe discipline policies that perpetuate the ‘school-to-prison-pipeline.’ The young scientist wrote a blog for the ACLU about how her and her family have been affected by the school’s harsh discipline policies. Read ... Read More
 
The Round Up!: Small Victories

The Round Up!: Small Victories

5.23.13 Even though many of you know that our policy work is focused on California, school districts all across the country are making moves from punitive to restorative justice practices, positive behavioral intervention and support, and social emotional learning in their schools. We want to include school districts that are beginning to have these important ... Read More
 
New Op-Ed Piece in EdSource by Public Counsel’s Sarah Omojola

New Op-Ed Piece in EdSource by Public Counsel’s Sarah Omojola

It’s time to fix school discipline practices and policies All students can learn. That’s a simple but profound starting place for talking about changing school discipline policies. As a former teacher in New Orleans public schools, I am well aware of the difficulty of teaching students who have varying backgrounds, abilities and learning styles in ... Read More
 
Los Angeles Schools End Suspensions for ‘Willful Defiance’ to Keep Students Learning

Los Angeles Schools End Suspensions for ‘Willful Defiance’ to Keep Students Learning

Los Angeles schools are leading the way to keep students in school and learning. The LAUSD school board has approved a School Climate Bill of Rights that will help schools reduce suspensions of students for minor behavioral issues, and implement alternatives that will support all students, improve school climate, and increase achievement. Click here to ... Read More
 

LAUSD board could ban suspensions for ‘willful defiance’

LAUSD considers banning the use of suspensions for ‘willful defiance,’ a move that would be a first for California. LAUSD has been a leader in reforming school discipline through looking at suspension data, and by using positive incentives to encourage better student behavior. L.A. Superintendent John Deasy says, “Willful defiance has become a vehicle for ... Read More
 

Unbelievable Suspension Stories

Suspensions are used to discipline students for just about everything these days. Here are some recent articles that demonstrate some truly unbelievable stories of student suspensions. From Science Class To School-to-Prison? Criminalizing Black Girls A 16-year old African-American girl got arrested and expelled when her failed experiment in science class caused an explosion. Read more…  ... Read More
 
The Round-Up!

The Round-Up!

5.10.13 Even though many of you know that our policy work is focused on California, school districts all across the country are making moves from punitive to restorative justice practices in their schools. We want to include school districts that are beginning to have these important conversations, as well as  bring you more of these ... Read More