Blog
Thu, 08/04/2011 - 2:50pm
By Annette Fuentes
When I was reporting and researching for my book, Lockdown High: When the Schoolhouse Becomes a Jailhouse, I learned about the problems of high zero-tolerance suspensions in a Florida school district and the efforts by legal advocates there to turn it around. I found my way to Barbara Briggs of the...
Thu, 08/04/2011 - 2:01pm
Across the nation, youth, parents, community members, educators and advocates joined together and raised their voices last week to testify before school boards, hold town hall meetings and organize teach-ins to advocate for positive alternatives to zero tolerance discipline with the same unified goal: to push back for dignity and fairness in schools. The actions, taking place in 15 cities...
Thu, 08/04/2011 - 2:01pm
The Dignity in Schools Campaign-NY Chapter held a session on "Organizing for Change" at the one day conference, "Restoring Community in Schools: Promoting Positive Alternatives to the School to Prison Pipeline," hosted by the ...
Tue, 05/10/2011 - 3:31pm
By Mariame Kaba, Project NIA
On April 7th, the NAACP released a report titled Misplaced Priorities: Over Incarcerate Under Educate. The report "examines America's escalating levels of prison spending and its impact on state budgets and our nation’s children.” It offers profiles of 6 cities to...
Tue, 05/10/2011 - 3:31pm
By Joao Da Silva, Dignity in Schools Campaign
The Community Rights Campaign recently won a major victory in their "Truancy Ticket Campaign." Since it was launched in 2008, the campaign has been seeking to put an end to LAPD ticketing of students...
Tue, 05/10/2011 - 3:31pm
By Joao Da Silva, Dignity in Schools Campaign
During April 11-13, students, parents, community organizers and education advocates from California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Pennsylvania converged in Washington, DC for the Dignity in Schools Days at the Capitol 2011.
Despite fears of a possible government shutdown due to...
Tue, 05/10/2011 - 3:17pm
By Matthew Engel, Disability Law Center
All students have the right to be treated with dignity and to not be abused, punished in an arbitrary manner or pushed out of school. There is one school, however, which brings the treatment of its students to a whole new level…a very low level. The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) is a residential...
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 11:07am
By Ernest Saadiq Morris, Urban Youth Justice
The public debate over education reform reached a crescendo in 2010. This debate was dominated by a media-celebrated corporate education-reformer class consisting predominately of white male...
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 11:07am
By Mariame Kaba, Project NIA
Recently the nation was greeted by stunning news. In an attempt to close a budget deficit of over $327 million, the city of Detroit has decided to close half of its public schools over the next four years. This move will...
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 11:07am
By Ernest Saadiq Morris, Urban Youth Justice
“Cutting the deficit by gutting our investments in […] education is like lightening an overloaded airplane by removing its engine. It may make you feel like you're flying high at first, but it won't take long before you feel the impact.” - President Obama...