Today, UCLA’s Civil Rights Project released a new report highlighting the overuse of suspensions and the serious implications that it has on students’ trajectories including graduation rates, achievement scores, life outcomes and incarceration rates. The report looks at data from over 26,000 U.S. middle and high schools during the 2009-2010 academic year. Its findings show ... Read More
In Oakland, schools have employed restorative justice practices as an alternative to ‘”zero-tolerance” policies. Eric Butler is a coordinator of restorative justice for Ralph J. Brunche High School. We highlighted Mr. Butler and Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY) in our Fix School Discipline Toolkit The restorative justice program at Ralph J. Brunche promotes strong ... Read More
An excellent historical look at racial disparity in one town’s school-to-prison-pipeline. In Meridian, Mississippi, the Department of Justice initiated a case review of the town during the 2007-2008 school year, confirming that African-American students were treated more harshly than their white counterparts. During one six-year period studied, students were arrested for such simple things as ... Read More
Two new articles in the Christian Science Monitor focus on the school-to-prison-pipeline and restorative justice models. “School suspensions: Does racial bias feed the school-to-prison pipeline” looks nationwide, at schools’ disparity in suspension and expulsion rates for different groups and why that happens. Read more… The related article, “Restorative justice: One high school’s path to reducing ... Read More
There are waves in our schools as restorative justice replaces punitive justice. More than 23,000 schools are letting go of punitive approaches to discipline in favor of restorative models. Schools that adopt these models often see at least a 20% drop in suspension rates during their first year, which impacts graduation rates, test scores and ... Read More
The Oakland Unified School District is working to combat racial disparities in how it disciplines students. This year, it has made some progress in reducing suspensions of African-American students, using a restorative justice framework. Additionally, it also developed a plan that looks at school culture and climate, working with teachers and staff to provide trainings ... Read More
Are you an educator, student, parent, concerned community member, student advocate or school administrator? Do you care about helping students stay in school and preventing unnecessary suspensions and expulsions? You have an opportunity to make a difference by sending a letter of support to legislators for Assembly Bill 420. AB 420 will limit the use of ... Read More
Sarah Omojola joined Public Counsel in September 2012. She is a former English teacher and co-founder of a Stand Up For Each Other, an organization that provides advocacy services for students facing disciplinary action in New Orleans. She now works with Public Counsel and Fix School Discipline on policy and advocacy relating to stopping the school-to-prison pipeline. Sarah ... Read More
Learn lessons from successful educators and find out how to make positive school discipline changes at your school. 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 ... Read More
Central Valley students and educators have launched a new discipline program that is changing their schools for the better. STRIVE, a program through Merced County Office of Education, harnesses the power of conflict resolution to work with students and teachers to cut down on suspensions and keep students in class. When a problem arises, students ... Read More