jfsf winter 2011 newsletter

8/3/2019 JFSF Winter 2011 Newsletter

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The Just and Fair Schools Fund (JFSF) supports grassroots organizing initiatives that work to

eliminate harsh school discipline policies and practices and that uphold the right to education for

all youth. Our newsletter shares updates on parent and youth-led organizing victories, actions,

news, and resources to promote positive school climates and discipline.

L.A. School Police Adopt New Protocols

Working closely with the Dignity in Schools Campaign-Los Angeles

Chapter, (led by The Labor/ Community Strategy Center, CADRE, Youth

Justice Coalition, and others), the largest school district police

department in the nation has created new protocols to support attendance

and limit forms of policing that discourage students from going to

school. Listen to an interview with Manuel Criollo, The Strategy CentersDirector of Organizing, for details.

Philly Youth Push Positive Alternatives

Young people from Youth United for Change and the Philadelphia

Student Union came together on October 6 to exchange their successes

training school police, organizing for alternatives to zero tolerance

policies, mobilizing to win funding for schools, engaging other youth,

and more. Listen to students stories.


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National Week of Action for Dignity in Schools

From October 1-8, thousands of youth, parents, and allies took part in

actions in 27 cities to insist upon children's human right to education.

Read about a Dignity in Schools Campaign-NY March from City

Hall to NYPD Headquarters, featuring UYC member organizations

Watch an East Oakland Virtual Rally, featuring Youth Together

Watch a Los Angeles Virtual Rally, featuring Youth Justice

Coalition, CADRE, and The Labor/Community Strategy Center

Dallas Parents Demand District Accountability

In early October, nearly 200 parents, elected officials, and community

members gathered at a community meeting to map out action plans for

alternatives to counterproductive discipline policies. Now, Texas

Organizing Project is collecting petitions for the Dallas Independent

School District Board to recognize the problem of the criminalization of

students, and establish a task force of youth, parents, teachers, and others

to propose a solution this school year.

Federal Investigation of Civil Rights Complaint

In November, the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation

into the complaint filed by Gwinnett SToPP on behalf of over 158,000

students in Georgia's largest school district. The complaint alleges that the

district's Investing in Educational Excellence contract discriminates

against students by disability, race, and national origin. Listen to an

interview with Gwinnett SToPP's Marlyn Tillman.

New Resource for Mississippi Parents

Southern Echo and the Mississippi Delta Catalyst Roundtable met to

finalize a Model Student Parent Handbook, which they will use to

negotiate fundamental changes in school district conduct policies and

practices, and to provide to students and educators the supports needed

to keep students in school.


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Model Restorative Justice Program

Downtown Continuation High School in San Francisco has invited

Coleman Advocates to create and facilitate a classroom-based Restorative

Justice program for 50 students most impacted by inequitable discipline

policies and practices. The political education and leadership

development program will culminate in a short film on students'

experiences in San Francisco Unified School District high schools. The

film will be used to train SFUSD staff.

School Discipline & Organizing in the Media

Youth Transition Funders Group Blog, September 30, 2011--

Students Hear Us Loud and Clear, featuring Gwinnett SToPP

PR Newswire, October 12, 2011--NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Applauds Introduction of Bipartisan Bill to Reform Approaches toSchool Discipline, featuring Dignity in Schools Campaign member

Washington Post, October 17, 2011-- Judge Steve Teske seeks to

keep kids with minor problems out of court, an approach he is

replicating with Gwinnett StoPP

The Pueblo Chieftain, October 19, 2011-- Lawmakers relax zero

tolerance for schools, referring to the work ofPadres y Jovenes

Unidos

Buffalo News, October 26, 2011--Non-violent incidents dontmerit suspension, Alliance for Quality Education Letter to the

Editor

Equal Voice Newspaper, November 23, 2011-- School Zero

Tolerance Kills Dreams, Hurts the Economy, citing Southwest

Youth Collaborative (VOYCE member), Texas Organizing

Project, Citizens for a Better Greenville (MS Delta Catalyst

Roundtable member), and other partners

Center on Juvenile & Criminal Justice, November 29, 2011-- Can

Restorative Justice Halt the School-to-Prison Pipeline?, featuring

Chicago's High Hopes Coalition (including COFI) and Padres y

Jovenes Unidos

The Washington Post Blog, November 29, 2011-- Education

reform through community action, highlighting unique parent

organizing ofVOYCE memberLSNA

NPRs All Things Considered, November 30, 2011-- In Texas,


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Keeping Kids In School and Out Of Court, highlighting issues that

Texas Organizing Project tackles

National School Discipline Data to be Released

The U.S. Department of Education will soon release groundbreaking

school-level data from 7,000 districts nationwide on suspensions,expulsions, arrests, and related areas including school funding and

teacher absenteeism. Student data can be disaggregated by race/ethnicity,

sex, disability, and limited English proficiency, and will be a powerful

tool for communities and schools to craft more effective school

discipline policies. Data will be available as soon as this month here.

Law Enforcement in Schools Leads to Arrests

According to Education Under Arrest: The Case Against Police in

Schools, the presence of school resource officers or police in schools

means more students end up in the juvenile justice system. This Justice

Policy Institute report also shows that each school resource officer costs

districts 1.2 times the salary of a teacher.

100 Days of Colorado Stories

Padres y Jovenes Unidos has launched the "100 Days of Colorado

Stories" campaign to expose the adverse impact of harsh discipline

policies. By sharing one students story per day, the campaign aims to

mobilize the community to demand state legislation that ends the school

to jail track in Colorado.

Music to Keep Youth in School

Philadelphia Student Union members produced a music CD, whose five

tracks were written and performed by young people in hopes of reachingstruggling students and young people who are no longer in school. Stay

tuned for the release of the single's music video. Meanwhile, listen to

Pushed Out.


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Brief Recommends Alternatives to Suspensions

Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice, published by

theNational Education Policy Center, was launched in Washington for

the Dignity in Schools Campaign National Week of Action. The brief

finds that out-of-school suspensions put students at a greater risk of

discontinuing their education, and recommends alternatives such as

positive behavioral interventions and supports. Read the Education Week

article about this study.

Youth Organizing Spreads Across Nation

Youth-led efforts to change schools and neighborhoods are on the rise.

Youth Organizing for Educational Change illustrates the power of young

people to create change collectively. Among the seven organizations

profiled by The Forum for Youth Investment, four are supported by

JFSF: Southern Echo, Coleman Advocates, Youth United for Change,

and VOYCE.

Parent Organizing & Community EngagementTraining Institute for Grantmakers

January 31-February 2, 2011/ Orlando, FL

The Institute will provide space for grantmakers to learn, share and plan

for action. Participants will hear firsthand from foundation leaders andparent organizers on how to engage parent groups and how to organize

with parents to shape policy. Open to all grantmakers.

Apply at the Grantmakers for Children, Youth & Families site.

School-to-Prison-Pipeline Action Camps

February 10-12/ Western Region - Los Angeles, CA

March 2-4/ Southern Region - Raleigh/Durham, NC

April 13-15/ Midwestern Region - Chicago, IL

June 1-3/ Northeastern Region - New York, NY

Advancement Project Regional Action Camps are spaces for youth,parents, advocates, educators, and other community members interested

in ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline in their communities. To register

and apply for scholarships, click here.

National Youth Organizing Training Institute

February 29 - March 3, 2012 / Oakland, CA


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The Institute is a national training for young organizers, young member

leaders, and youth organizers from across the country. Applications are

due January 9th, 2012.

Summit on School-Justice Partnerships

March 11-13, 2012/ New York, NY

Representatives from the court system, education, law enforcement and

community members will gather for a national summit to discuss

strategies to keep children in school and out of the criminal justice

system.

Just and Fair Schools Fund is seeking candidates for a Program

Assistant.

Community Justice Network for Youth is seeking candidates for a

Regional Manager.

American Federation of Teachers is seeking candidates forCommunity

Engagement Coordinators.

Youth United for Change is seeking candidates for a Communications

Coordinator.

For more information about JFSF, please contact Don Cipriani, Senior

Program Officer, at (212) 378-4438.

Copyright 2011 Just and Fair Schools Fund/ Public Interest Projects, All rights

reserved.

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jfsf winter 2011 newsletter

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