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
Even while restorative justice initiatives leave suspension rates trending down, and school districts are made more aware of the racial disparity in suspension rates, in Sacramento County, the number of suspensions rose by about 10% from the 2011-2012 school year. The majority of these suspensions were disproportionately with black students. Read more… In Stockton, widespread disillusionment with ... Read More
California is moving ahead again…to keep more students in school and learning. SB 744 and AB 549 passed out of the Senate and Assembly Education Committees yesterday afternoon! The hearings were packed with students, community leaders, and parents standing in support. Last year California enacted five new laws to fix problems with harsh school discipline ... Read More
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’re hoping to bring you more of these success stories! We’re going to start with stories that recently made headlines. Buffalo, N.Y., Schools ... Read More
Please send in your letters of support today! The hearings on TWO critical bills to Fix School Discipline are next week! Letters are due tomorrow, Wednesday, April 24, by 5 pm for SB 744, which will protect the due process rights of students involuntarily transferred to county community or community day schools and also closes a loophole ... Read More
This week, the Assembly Education Committee voted unanimously to move ahead with AB 420, which restricts the use of “willful defiance” in schools. Even though current law sites 23 other reasons for suspension and expulsions, “willful defiance” is often seen as a catch-all, and accounts for 53% of all school suspensions. New data around “willful defiance” ... Read More
California educators, community organizations and students are rolling up their sleeves to make common-sense school discipline changes. Many are already reporting amazing results: more students in class and learning, fewer behavioral problems on campus, fewer suspensions and expulsions, and improved school climates. Do you want to learn lessons from successful educators and find out how ... Read More
Congratulations! AB 420 passed out of the Assembly Education Committee today with a unanimous vote and bipartisan support. The hearing was packed with students, community leaders, parents and educators standing in support as teacher and Coordinator of School Culture and Climate from Davidson Middle School told the Committee, “Suspension alienates the very students who most ... Read More
UCLA’s Monday release of their report Out of School & Off Track: The Overuse of Suspensions in American Middle and High Schools gained a lot of of media attention throughout the digital, print and televised world. This cross-section of media, both locally and nationally, is an exciting indication of a widespread desire to examine the way punitive ... Read More
A brand-new national report out today from UCLA’s Civil Rights Project reveals that the use of harsh school discipline has increased across the country. African American and Latino students, students with disabilities, and English-language learners are more likely to face harsh school discipline than other students. Even one suspension in 9th grade doubles the risk ... Read More
