dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline · work with grassroots groups to end the...

Dismantling the

School-to-Prison Pipeline

Jason Sinocruz

and

Yasmin J. Gabriel

Staff Attorneys

Advancement Project

Washington, D.C.

AGENDA FOR DISMANTLING THE

SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE

WORKSHOP

Introduction

Icebreaker

Game of K-12 LIFE

Break

Overview of School-to-Prison Pipeline & Solutions

Small Group Activity

Closing

WHAT IS ADVANCEMENT PROJECT? Racial justice civil rights organization based in

Washington, D.C.

Work with grassroots groups to end the school-to-prison

pipeline in their communities.

Aim to change the national conversation on this issue.

Provide resources and best practices on school discipline.

Active in more than a dozen sites, including (but not

limited to) New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland,

Illinois, and Colorado.

MORE IMPORTANTLY,

WHO ARE YOU?

1980s:

“Zero Tolerance”

drug policies

ORIGINS OF “ZERO TOLERANCE” AND

“ZERO TOLERANCE” IN SCHOOLS

1990s:

Columbine tragedy

– “zero tolerance”

DEFINITION:

The policies and

practices that are

directly and

indirectly pushing

students out of

school and on a

pathway to prison.

RE-CHARACTERIZATION OF STUDENT BEHAVIOR

“Battery” Pushing &

shoving

Swiping

headphones

Talking

back

“Theft” or

“robbery”

“Disorderly

conduct”

HARSH DISCIPLINE POLICIES DO NOT WORK!

These policies result in:

– Lost Learning Time

–Disengagement from school

–Escalation in rule breaking

– Likelihood of engaging in future misbehavior

– Likelihood of dropping out of school

– Increased risk of being funneled into the justice

system

FOR EXAMPLE…

A North Carolina 4th grader

suspended for calling his teacher

“cute.”

A Georgia kindergartener

handcuffed for a temper tantrum.

A Virginia high school student

suspended for accidentally bringing

penicillin to school.

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12

A MOVEMENT EMERGES…

– Parent and student resistance

– District reform

– State legislative reform

– Federal attention

In response, there is now a national movement around

the elimination of these harsh policies and practices.

CLAYTON COUNTY, GA –

COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT

An agreement between the school district, the local juvenile justice system, law enforcement, and social service groups that: 1. Prohibited referrals to law enforcement for “misdemeanor delinquent acts,” like fighting, disrupting the public school, and disorderly conduct. 2. Instead, youth received warnings after a first offense and referral to mediation or school conflict training programs after a second offense.

CLAYTON COUNTY, GA –

COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT

Dangerous

Weapons Incidents DOWN

70%

BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS –

NEW CODE OF CONDUCT

2006-07 School Year

17,520

Out-of-School Suspensions

2009-10 School Year

9,705

Out-of-School Suspensions

DOWN

44%

BALTIMORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2006-07 School Year

Black Male On Time

Graduation Rate

2009-10 School Year

Black Male On Time

Graduation Rate

UP

13%

DENVER PARTNER:

PADRES Y JOVENES UNIDOS

In the past five years:

1. Rewrote the discipline code to make it the most

progressive in the country.

2. Implemented restorative justice program.

3. Passed statewide Smart School Discipline Bill.

4. Rewrote memorandum of understanding between

police and district.

A Shift in Denver: Limits on Police in Schools

http://kdvr.com/2013/02/19/video-school-district-police-agree-to-reduce-presence-of-officers-in-schools/

DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2003-04 School Year

13,423

Out-of-School Suspensions

2011-12 School Year

7,523

Out-of-School Suspensions

DOWN

44%

DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2003-04 School Year

Expulsions

2011-12 School Year

Expulsions

DOWN

57%

DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2003-04 School Year

Referrals to Law

Enforcement

2011-12 School Year

Referrals to Law

Enforcement

DOWN

63%

PARTNER:

CITIZEN ACTION OF NEW YORK AND ALLIANCE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION

BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOLS – NEW CODE OF CONDUCT

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Learn more about the School-to-Prison pipeline

Visit the Resources Page at

http://www.school2prison.org

• THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

- For example, research shows that the

arts help children do better in all

subjects and improve the likelihood

that they will stay in school longer.

- A Boston public school (Orchard Gardens Pilot

School) fires security guards, hires art teachers with

the money instead. In just three years the students at

the once-troubled school have improved their basic

academic skills and many say the arts have changed

their lives.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Collect and report disaggregated and thorough school

discipline data

• Use the data to track successes, areas for improvement, and

develop alternative practices

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WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Visit http://www.school2prison.org

to look up data on your area.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Take a look at your school policy

• Discipline Code

• Define police roles on school

campus

• Seek changes to applicable local,

county, and state laws and

policies

• Reduce/end overuse of

suspensions, expulsions, and

arrests in schools

25 CLASSROOM & IN-SCHOOL ALTERNATIVES TO

SUSPENSIONS, EXPULSIONS, AND ARRESTS

• Reminder and/or re-direction

• Re-teaching of expectations and skills

• Student/teacher conference

• Loss of privileges

• Role-play

• Written apology

• Mini-course/training on topics such as conflict resolution, anger management, social skills, or appropriate behavior

• Time-out/chill-out period

• Reflective essay or other reflective activity

• Independent study

• Parental outreach

• Student/teacher/parent conference

• Detention

• Referral to after-school program

• Saturday School

• Restorative practices, such as peace circles

• Referral to support staff, such as guidance counselor, social worker, or nurse

• Self-charting of behaviors

• Daily report card on behavior, task completion, and achievement

• Referral to an in-school suspension center or support center

• Restitution

• Community service

• Mentoring

• Modified/adjusted schedule, including changes to the student’s overall schedule or course content

• Referral to community-based services 28

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE:

AN ALTERNATIVE TO SUSPENSION

LOCATION RESTORATIVE JUSTICE TECHNIQUES

Denver,

Colorado Family group conferences

Victim-offender mediation

Classroom peace circles

Contract laying out way to work out differences

following a fight

Oakland,

California Youth court where bailiffs, clerks, and lawyers are

all youths, and the judge is an adult attorney

Where youth are sent when commit minor, first-

time offense

State of

Minnesota RJ planners hired who attended circle trainings

and implemented these within the high schools

• Leverage budgetary authority

• Divert funding used for law enforcement personnel

and security infrastructure to:

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

–Prevention and

intervention measures

such as restorative

justice

– Social workers, school

psychologists, and

guidance counselors

FOR MORE INFORMATION . . .

• Go to:

www.advancementproject.org

www.safequalityschools.org

• Contact info:

jsinocruz@advancementproject.org

ygabriel@advancementproject.org

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SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY

1. As a group, come up with two solutions to

dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline?

2. As a group, what groups/resources/allies

would you use to implement these solutions?

3. As a group, share what you learned from the

ice breaker?

4. Is there a school-based solution to the

school-to-prison pipeline that you haven’t

heard from the workshop that you would

share? 32

FOR MORE INFORMATION . . .

• Go to:

www.advancementproject.org

www.safequalityschools.org

• Contact info:

jsinocruz@advancementproject.org

ygabriel@advancementproject.org

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