| NEWS & UPDATES |
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Greetings DSC Members and Allies!
NATIONAL UPDATES Dignity in Schools Campaign Members Converge in Mississippi for 50th Anniversary of Freedom Summer
DSC members from around the country joined youth, parents, educators, grassroots and advocacy groups in Jackson, Mississippi for the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Freedom Summer where DSC members celebrated the accomplishments of those who worked to desegregate our nation's public schools and gathered with those who continue working to ensure the human rights of every child to a quality education and to be treated with dignity. Read more here.
5th Annual National Week of Action Against School Pushout October 4-11, 2014
We are excited for this year's National Week of Action Against School Pushout to raise awareness about the pushout crisis in our nation's schools. Our theme this year is Education is the Key! Don't Lock Us Out! We aim to push back against the criminalization of our young people and the harsh discipline practices that push students out of school. Each year, states spend $5.7 BILLION a year on the juvenile justice system instead of our schools. MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
In a recent victory for DSC member Portland Parent Union, which for years has pushed the Portland School Board to adopt alternatives to school pushout such as Restorative Practices, Portland Public Schools have committed to reduce racial disparities in school discipline. PPS will target 10 to 20 schools starting next school year (2014-2015) to narrow the discipline gap and push for all Portland Public Schools to meet the desired goals of reducing school pushout. You can read more here.
New Codes of Conduct in Syracuse, NY and Paterson, NJ On July 9th, the Syracuse School Board approved an agreement to reduce out-of-school suspensions, implement alternative approaches to discipline, and ensure that schools reduce racial disparities and discrimination against children of all races and abilities. The great work of DSC member Center for Community Alternatives along with other community allies was instrumental in gaining this victory. The district will be required to revise its Code of Conduct, provide training to students and teachers, and ensure that parents understand their children's rights and responsibilities. You can read more here. After many months of organizing for a Moratorium on Out-of-School Suspensions in Paterson Public Schools, the Parent Education Organizing Council (PEOC) and Paterson Education Fund succeeded in working with the school district to revise their Code of Conduct. “We thought that we were going to get them to come up with a new code or regulations for K-8 students, and we ended up re-writing a new code for K-12. Before the Moratorium campaign, there were 27 ways a child could be suspended and now we reduced it to 5 types of infractions,” said Linda Reid, President of Parent Education Organizing Council. Agreements in Wake County, NC and Oakland, CA between Schools and Law Enforcement
In Oakland, DSC member Black Organizing Project is negotiating an MOU between the Police Department and School District that will be voted on in August. The MOU defines and limits the role of police in schools, stating that no school resource officer should act as a school disciplinarian and that law enforcement shall only be used as a last resort. Alternatives to police involvement, such as restorative justice practices, must be tracked and documented and a plan of support created for students who have multiple law enforcement contacts. You can read more here. The Passing of Torrence Shorter & Alberto Cazarez We deeply regret to inform you about the passing of two leaders in our DSC community, Torrence Shorter of Blocks Together in Chicago and Alberto Cazarez of Youth Justice Coalition in Los Angeles. Both members attended several DSC events, most recently the Annual Membership Meeting and Day at the Capitol in DC. So many of you will remember Torrence's warmth and lovely spirit. Alberto will be remembered as a committed peacebuilder and warrior. You can support their families in this difficult time by donating here and here. STAFF UPDATES
DSC Staff Attend Freedom Summer
DSC Staff Train Portland Parent Union
DSC Meets with the National Council of La Raza |
Member of DSC today!
5TH ANNUAL NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION AGAINST SCHOOL PUSHOUT
DSC SMALL CONVENING IN PORTLAND OREGON
Civil Rights Collection Data Webinar Slides IN THE NEWS
Syracuse School Board Acts on Attorney General's Discipline Report; Speakers Praise Contreras The Dignity in Schools Campaign is a national coalition of youth, parents, advocates, community-based organizations, educators and policymakers working together to seek human rights-based solutions to the systemic problem of pushout in U.S. schools.
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DIGNITY IN SCHOOLS | 90 JOHN ST. STE 308, NEW YORK, NY 10038 | TEL: (212) 253-1710 Ext. 317 | FAX (212) 385-6124 | info@dignityinschools.org |
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