THIS WAS OUR CALL TO ACTION MAY 16 To all School Administrators or Whom it May Concern: PORTLAND PARENT UNION a member of Dignity Schools Campaign is calling for a moratorium on out-of-school suspensions in the State of Oregon, in an effort to address the nationwide pushout crisis facing our schools. Solutions Not Suspensions is a call for a moratorium on out-of-school suspensions and for schools to adopt more constructive disciplinary policies that benefit students, classrooms and communities. - Visit the Solutions Not Suspensions website to learn more and to find news & updates, resources, and more. Video: youtu.be/bRp9QUjB3nQ About Solutions Not Suspensions Out-of-school suspensions cut classroom time for those who need it most. Every year, 3.3 million students in the United States are suspended from school, causing them to miss critical learning time, as well as opportunities to grow and succeed. Recent federal data show that Black and Latino students and students with disabilities are disproportionately targeted by suspensions. They are also likely to be punished more severely than white students for minor misbehavior, contributing to the achievement gap and high dropout rates for these students. Solutions Not Suspensions is calling for a nationwide moratorium on out-of-school suspensions. To implement this moratorium, Solutions Not Suspensions, a grassroots initiative of students, educators, parents, and community leaders, is calling on states and districts to support teachers and schools in dealing with discipline in positive ways – keeping students in the classroom and helping educators work with students and parents to create safe and engaging classrooms that protect the human rights to education and dignity. There are solutions. Solutions Not Suspensions promotes proven programs that equip teachers and school administrators with effective alternatives to suspensions. In support of this initiative, the Dignity in Schools Campaign is releasing a set of model school discipline policies that provide guidelines to help districts and schools implement the moratorium and phase in positive alternatives. Solutions Not Suspensions website will serve as a clearinghouse for information on effective alternatives to suspension and give supporters an opportunity to add their voice to the call for a moratorium. Introduction: stopsuspensions.org/ All children and youth have a human right to quality public education in safe and supportive environments, providing a foundation for access to higher education, meaningful employment and full participation in society. Although a commitment to public education is a principle deeply rooted in U.S. history and society, our current educational policies and practices fail to reflect that commitment and result in millions of young people being pushed out of school every year. We currently face a “pushout” crisis fueled by many factors including unwelcoming school environments, low expectations for students, zero-tolerance discipline policies and practices, school policing and other punitive disciplinary measures, lack of adequate resources and support for teachers, high stakes testing and narrow curricula. School systems also push out the voices of youth, parents and educators from important educational decisions, instituting a top-down approach that results in policies and practices that fail to address the needs of school communities. Furthermore, children of color, English language learners, children with special needs, children from low-income families and children in other marginalized communities are disproportionately impacted by these policies and practices, resulting in increasing numbers of these youth being pushed out of school and into poverty, unemployment and often prison. Punitive and ineffective approaches to school safety and discipline have dramatically increased over the last two decades as schools rely more and more on suspensions, expulsions and police interventions and arrest. Each year, over 3.3 million students across the country are suspended and over 100,000 are expelled. Perversely, these punitive practices do not improve student behavior, but rather increase the likelihood that students will fall behind academically and dropout, contributing to an unhealthy atmosphere affecting the entire school community. With suspension and expulsion rates at all-time highs, a failure to address and improve current disciplinary practices stymies national efforts to reduce the dropout rate, close the achievement gap and improve teacher effectiveness. Fortunately, best practices for improving school climate and discipline have been developed, and a diverse array of community, civil rights, research, policy and education organizations are working towards their implementation. Across the country, communities are advocating for school-wide discipline models such as Restorative Practices and School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), which give teachers and students the tools to build positive school environments and to prevent and respond to conflict in ways that address students’ social, emotional and academic needs. When implemented, these interventions can reduce suspensions by up to 50%, improve school climate, increase teacher effectiveness and support better educational outcomes for all students. This Model Code stopsuspensions.org/sites/default/files/dsc-model-code.pdf articulates a vision for all stakeholders based on the best practices, research and experiences of students, parents and educators from around the country, and on a human rights framework for schools that recognizes that the goal of education must be to support all children and young people in reaching their full potential. Human rights principles and values envision an educational system where schools adapt to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of every student, where students, parents, teachers and other members of the school community participate in decisions affecting education, where all students are treated with dignity and attend school free from discrimination of any kind, and where communities play a central role in monitoring education policies and practices to continuously improve educational outcomes for students. In adopting a human rights approach to education we aim to respect the rights and needs of the individuals who study in, work in and support our schools. The Model Code also presents policy-makers with recommended language for alternatives to pushout and zero-tolerance practices. We present our recommendations in concrete, prescriptive language that is in the form of procedures, criteria and standards, and that is practical and meaningful to states, districts, schools, educators, students and parents. The sections of the Model Code are designed so that communities and policy-makers can identify individual topic areas and choose to implement the recommended language while taking into account the diverse needs and characteristics of individual communities. The centerpiece of the Model Code is Chapter 3 providing a detailed and comprehensive framework for school climate and discipline policies and practices. However, because all of the policies in this model code are part of a broader focus on children’s human right to an education, it should be noted that implementing any Introduction part of this code requires communities to engage in a broader conversation about how to shift the community’s collective approach to education. Therefore, we recommend that advocates, schools and communities view this document not only as a prescription for policy change, but also as a catalyst for transforming school culture. Included in the model code are areas of law and policy that break new ground. These innovative recommendations—such as in the areas of right to counsel, right to specific procedures and protections in school suspension and expulsion hearings, clear guidelines on the role of law enforcement, substance abuse prevention in schools, and the right to participation of all stakeholders—are set forth as recommended language to advance the code’s overall goal of protecting children’s human right to education. stopsuspensions.org/sites/default/files/dsc-model-code-exec.pdf stopsuspensions.org/sites/default/files/sns-state-policy-toolkit.pdf Can we get your support? PORTLAND PARENT UNIONportlandparentunion is requesting a sit down to discuss this important shift with you either by a “one on one” or a Restorative Listeningdialogue Session. You can contact Sheila Warren, Founder/Director of Portland Parent Union @503-287-3768, email ppuportlandparentunion@gmail. Looking forward to hearing from you. Sincerely Sheila Warren, Director Portland Parent Union ppuportlandparentunion@gmail 503-287-3768
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 00:46:06 +0000
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