Chicago, IL – On Friday, October 7, at 11:30am, leaders from POWER-PAC, a citywide organization of African American and Latino parents, will gather for a bilingual rally at Wells High School to call on the Chicago Public Schools to reduce suspensions and expulsions in favor of positive alternatives. They have also invited Congressman Danny Davis and Alderman Walter Burnett to join in support of the event.

POWER-PAC leaders have been fighting for several years for an end to out-of-school suspensions and punitive school discipline practices, which parents believe lead to the high CPS drop-out rate and criminalization of young students of color. At a time when CPS administrators and teachers debate the extension of the school day and year, students continue to lose thousands of days of instruction to punitive discipline.

POWER-PAC will highlight its own work implementing restorative justice pilot programs at school-based Peace Centers, such as the one that parents operate at Wells High School.

WHAT: Parent Rally for an End to Punitive Discipline and School Pushout

WHEN: Friday, October 7, 11:30am

WHERE: Wells Community Academy High School, Library, 936 N Ashland

WHO: Parents of POWER-PAC, along with Wells Principal Ernesto Matias and Wells student and Peace Center participant, Marlena Alvare. To be confirmed: Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Crowd of parents with bright green ―Push Back against School Pushout‖ T-shirts and handheld signs.

This event is part of Dignity in Schools Campaign’s National Week of Action, in which thousands of parents, educators, students and activists are participating in events in 29 cities across the country to advocate for the basic human right of every young person to a quality education and to be treated with dignity.

POWER-PAC—Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council—is a project of COFI, Community Organizing and Family Issues, and is a member of the national coalition, the Dignity in Schools Campaign.

More information on POWER-PAC’s Elementary Justice Campaign can be found at www.cofionline.org/power_pac.php and on Dignity in Schools at www.dignityinschools.org.

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