Greetings DSC Members and Allies!

We are happy to share that this year’s week of action in October was a huge success! Our campaign gained new members and uplifted the voices of those most impacted by school pushout. As most of you are aware, our week of action was followed by the terrible assault at Spring Valley High. DSC issued a statement and many of our members were featured in various media outlets, most notably on Democracy Now! You can find media coverage on the In the News section of our website. If you have local campaign updates, events, or resources you would like to share through our e-newsletter email nancy@dignityinschools.org.

NATIONAL UPDATES

What an amazing Week of Action Against School Pushout, full of local events showcasing the leadership of youth, parents and teachers in the fight to end school pushout! DSC members and allies held over 70 actions and events in 40 cities hosted by more than 100 organizations.

Across the country, our members delivered the message that we must Invest in Public Education, Not Prison Cultivation! We will continue to collect updates from everyone who did an event in the coming weeks so check out our website for more information:

Visit our Tumblr page for photos from actions around the country.

Watch the video from our national event in Washington, DC with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

Download our fact sheet on Investment in Education vs. Incarceration!

DSC Statement on Assault at Spring Valley High

Last month, a video of a young black student being assaulted by School Resource Officer (SRO) Ben Fields in Columbia, South Carolina was posted online, showing us once again why SROs, municipal police, probation officers and other law enforcement personnel should not handle student safety or school discipline issues in and around schools. The young woman was hurled to the ground and dragged violently by the officer, risking serious injury or worse, and threatening the safety of the entire classroom. Across the country, DSC members spoke out in response to this incident and called for an end to the criminalization and dehumanization of youth in our schools and communities. You can read our entire DSC statement here.

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

DSC member Teachers Unite has launched a new video campaign featuring NYC teachers and students calling for investment in Restorative Justice in public education and divestment from school policing. Teachers are demanding action from their union and calling on the school system to replace school police and other law enforcement with counselors, community intervention workers and peacebuilders, Restorative Justice and positive discipline. Watch and share their video here.

Last week, DSC member Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children (FFLIC) held a rally to kick off the Fight for 15 Day of Action to call on the New Orleans Recovery School District (RSD) to address police violence against children and to raise wages for paraprofessionals in NOLA schools.

FFLIC launched a petition during the action demanding that RSD create a clear division of responsibilities between the city’s charter schools and law enforcement. They highlighted the recent arrest of a 10 year-old student with disabilities who attends an RSD school. Join FFLIC by signing their petition here. Also, watch FFLIC youth leader Rahsaan Ison share his school pushout story on Equal Voice News.

STAFF UPDATES

In November, DSC members from Student Advocacy Center in Michigan and Advocates for Justice in Education in Washington, DC joined Fernando Martinez, our DSC Field Organizer, at a peer exchange on trauma-informed approaches in schools sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The exchange was hosted by Elev8 in Baltimore to share best practices from their school-based programming.

IN THE NEWS

Cops in the Classroom: South Carolina Incident Highlights Growing Police Presence in Schools
Democracy Now, October 28, 2015

Youth driven effort a key in bringing social change
USA Today, November 2015

When School Feels Like Jail
Eli Hager, Marshall Project, November 11, 2015

Spring Valley case shows how much is wrong with school discipline
Gina Womack, NOLA.com, November 4, 2015

Cops in schools: Yeah or nah?
Daily Kos, Thandisizwe Chimurenga, Friday Oct 30, 2015

An Open Letter to Every Teacher Who Has Told a Student to Put Away a Cell Phone
Huffington Post, Sally Lee, November 3, 2015

Love At First Sight: Rethinking School Discipline
U.S. Dept. of Education Blog, Khalilah Harris, November 2, 2015

'Some girls never get a first chance'
MSNBC, October 31, 2015