Greetings DSC Members and Allies!

DSC members held a powerful Days at the Capitol event in February, where we urged members of Congress to ensure a strong federal role in education. DSC advocated for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to hold states and districts accountable for creating positive school climates and improving educational outcomes for all students. DSC will continue advocating for our federal priorities this spring. In the next month, we are preparing for our Annual Membership Meeting in Chicago from April 24th to 26th and look forward to seeing you there! If you have local campaign updates, events, or resources you would like to share through our e-newsletter email [email protected]!

NATIONAL UPDATES

On March 6, the DSC submitted our petition to end the Department of Defense�s 1033 Program that lends surplus military equipment--including weapons--to local law enforcement agencies, some of which are operating in K-12 schools. DSC is calling for immediate action to remove these weapons from our nation's schools and invest instead in proven solutions to improve school climate and safety. DSC also submitted comments to the President�s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which released its report this March. The Task Force called for policies and programs that �reduce aggressive law enforcement tactics that stigmatize and criminalize youth and marginalize their participation in schools and communities.�

On February 26-27, DSC members from 12 states convened in Washington DC to meet with members of Congress as they debate reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). DSC members shared stories of how harsh and punitive school discipline policies have negatively impacted educational outcomes, and gave recommendations for how federal legislation can support positive solutions for building safe and supportive school communities.

Members spoke at a Roundtable on School Discipline hosted by Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and made visits to congressional offices to urge legislators to oppose draft Republican bills in the House and Senate that would undermine the federal role in education and fail to ensure that federal funds are used to reduce racial and other disparities in education. You can read a blog post about the event and watch the testimony of DSC members at the Senator Murphy Roundtable here (starting at 41 min).

The UCLA Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the Civil Rights Project released the report, Are We Closing the School Discipline Gap?, analyzing discipline data at elementary and secondary schools for every district in the nation. This report also provides companion spreadsheets enabling anyone to compare or analyze data from any district. You can find the full report here and the companion spreadsheets here. You can also find a recent book of research articles on school discipline edited by Dan Losen of the Civil Rights Project here.

DSC is partnering with DoSomething.org for their �Suspended for What?� campaign to raise awareness about harsh school discipline practices starting April 1.The campaign is asking youth to share their experiences with suspensions, expulsions and school-based arrests during the month of April and to ask school administrators to adopt better discipline practices.

We encourage members to participate, including during a Week of Action from April 27-May 1! More info here.

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

On March 11, Missouri GSA Network released the 2014-2015 Missouri School Climate Survey, the only one of its kind that asks students about sexual orientation and gender identity and how it intersects with school life. The survey documents the experiences of LGBTQ youth in Missouri schools, including the experience of bullying and harassment, exposure to LGBTQ history and resources, school-based support networks, engagement in risk behaviors, and academic outcomes. Key findings included that nearly one �third (28.18%) of LGBTQ students reported skipping school at least once because they did not feel safe compared with around one in ten (11.76%) straight students. You can find the full survey here.

In February, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new package of discipline reforms, including a new School Discipline Code. The reforms take positive steps towards policy goals that the Dignity in Schools Campaign-New York chapter has fought for over the past year, including the formation of a Mayoral Leadership Team on School Climate and Discipline, ending suspensions of more than 5 days for minor altercations, and expanding trainings in restorative practices for schools. On March 2nd, the Department of Education held a public hearing on the revisions to the School Discipline Code, where DSC-NY members provided testimony calling on the Mayor to go beyond the current reforms and enact more policy changes, including eliminating suspensions for the minor, subjective behavior �defying authority.� You can read about some of the recent changes here.

We deeply regret to inform you about the recent passing of two leaders in our DSC community, Martez Harvey of Activists with a Purpose in Grenada, MS and Helen Johnson of Nollie Jenkins Family Center in Holmes County, MS. Martez was a youth leader with Activists with a Purpose and attended several DSC events over the years where he shared his bright spirit and commitment to the fight to end school pushout. We most recently lost Martez to tragic circumstances on March 18.

Ms. Johnson will be remembered for her founding leadership in the movement to dismantle the school to jail track and her tireless advocacy for students� and parents� rights in Mississippi. Ms. Johnson passed away earlier this year in January.

STAFF UPDATES

On March 11, DSC Field Organizer, Fernando Martinez, joined Racial Justice Now! in Dayton, Ohio for a training on DSC�s Model Code on Education and Dignity. Participants compared their local code of conduct with the DSC Model Code, examined school discipline from a human rights framework and identified alternative policies and practices to reduce racial disparities in school discipline. Following the training Dayton Public Schools has invited Racial Justice NOW! to provide an implicit bias training to the district�s staff.

IN THE NEWS

As Awareness of the School-to-Prison Pipeline Rises, Some Schools Rethink the Role of Police
Harold Jordan, The Huffington Post, March 20, 2015

From Selma to Madison, a Generation Demands Justice
The Nation, March 16, 2015

The Empty Chair Crisis
Meg Krugel, Oregon Education Association Magazine, Winter 2015

Zeroing out Zero Tolerance
Carly Berwick, The Atlantic, March 17, 2015

High School Students Across the Country Are Fighting for Their Rights
Rebecca Nathanson, Rolling Stone, March 11, 2015

Community Policing Task Force Has Recommendations for Schools, Too
Evie Blad, Education Week, March 2, 2015