ARCHIVED ARTICLES
Week of April 30, 2010
Students Rally Against Fresno’s High Drop-Out Rate, KMPH Fox 26
Students in Californians for Justice rallied in Fresno to highlight high drop-out rates. The students pointed to overly harsh school discipline, spending on school police instead of counselors, and school culture as reasons for the problem.
Teachers to be hired to tutor foster kids, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A $7.4 million Stimulus Bill grant will be used to educate foster kids, who are often victims of the school-to-prison pipeline.
Texas Senate examining schools’ use of discipline, Houston Chronicle
The Texas state Senate is holding hearings questioning the use of harsh school discipline and the overcriminalization of youth in school. Who knows how far these hearings will go, but it is a very positive step in state that, as Texas Appleseed’s recent report noted, has serious problems.
Delaware House OKs school-reporting change, The News Journal
School crimes bill passes House by thin margin, Sussex Countian
The Delaware House has approved a bill that would increase the mandatory reporting age for misdemeanors in school. This is a small but important step.
Ill. School Bias Task Force Tussles With Time, Education Week
Illinois task force on bias in school discipline was supposed to submit a report this weekend – they are way behind.
Bronx high school may be the last of its kind to see scanners, GothamSchools
The last huge high school in NYC without metal detectors may be getting them soon.
Sussex NAACP youth attend training institute, CapeGazette.com
Reporting on a conference in Rhode Island where youth got together and learned about the School to Prison Pipeline and committed to making positive change.
Steel Valley school board discusses parking tax, unruly students, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Steel Valley, PA school board is also talking about “cracking down on miscreants” and toughening up discipline.
District’s Web-cam legal bill tops $550,000 so far, The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Lower Merion web cam spying case could cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Parsippany HS to discipline 80 who protested Christie’s school budget cuts, Daily Record
Parsippany, N.J. is going to discipline 80 students who walked out in protest over budget cuts.
Quinn appointments held up school discipline racial bias study; group faces May 1 deadline, The Associated Press
Highlights of the study of suspension and expulsions in Illinois public schools, The Associated Press
Illinois’ taskforce on racial disparities in school discipline is getting some attention. Local TV reports that the taskforce hasn’t done much because the governor didn’t finishing appointing its members until he was reminded recently by the AP. The AP, perhaps passive aggressively, posted a brief update with the highlights of its November findings.
County Case Against Activist Kate Smith Continued to June, Noozawk.,com
A local Santa Barbara, CA website paints an education reform activist as crazy for advocating against the school-to-prison pipeline.
Fond du Lac Schools program promotes positive behavior, Fond du Lac Reporter
A story about schools in Fon Du Lac Wisconsin using positive behavior supports instead of punitive measures
Forum looks for solutions to schools’ zero-tolerance disciplinary policies, Dallas Morning News
An interesting forum in Texas, where advocates, academics, and community members are getting together to think about alternatives to zero-tolerance to create less punitive and safer schools.
Opinions/Editorials
Let’s handcuff those students who disregard the law, not educators, The News-Sentinel
An incredibly misguided op-ed, which points out that school violence has declined even as the number of students discipline has increased. Instead of realizing this is due to over-policing of youth, the writer believes SROs have caused a decline in school violence and believes more SROs is the answer to ending school violence.
Students with disabilities more often expelled, PSLweb.org
Terrific analysis of Texas Appleseed’s recent report.
School protests walk a fine line, The Glouchester County Times
A paper in New Jersey suggests that schools be lenient with youth who walked out in protest over budget cuts.
Fowler: Expulsions equals dropouts, statesman.com
In an opinion piece from Texas, the director of Texas Appleseed makes the point that expulsions are directly linked to dropouts. She notes that students of color are the most victimized by Texas’ damaging discretionary expulsion rules – and she advocates for change.
Society needs a more actively caring culture at every level, Collegiate Times
An op-ed piece in the Collegiate Times argues that the solution to bullying and violence in school needs to come from a change in culture, not more get tough laws.
Lariat Letters: Paddling against reason, research, The Lariat Online
Letters to the editor of Baylor’s school paper against corporal punishment in public schools.
Snowflack column: Student protest: ‘Zero tolerance’ sure has its limits, Daily Record
A New Jersey editorial wonders why schools are not enforcing zero-tolerance policies against students walking out of class in protest over education funding cuts.
Week of April 23, 2010
Bullying issues taken seriously, The Standard-Journal
A Pennsylvania school district is taking steps to prevent bullying, and intervene early when it occurs, rather than merely instituting zero tolerance policies.
City student campaign against school violence, Philadelphia Inquirer
Youth from Philly Student Union are organizing in Philly to reject school violence and reject the criminalization tactics of their schools.
Candidates want Newport News school discipline concerns addressed, Daily Press
The Newport News school board election is a great example of how harsh discipline is useful to get elected but terrible policy.
Rowlett Parents Concerned Over School Discipline, CBS 11
Rowlett, Texas parents of elementary school kids are concerned with excessive school discipline.
Louisiana school suspension, expulsion rates criticized as excessive, NOLA.com
A new report from NESRI and FFLIC highlights racial disparities in school discipline in Louisiana – especially targeting New Orleans’ recovery district.
Climate change: Is enhancing a school’s culture best way to improve behavior?, GazetteNET
In South Hadley, MA, in response to a tragic bullying incident, the superintendent is talking about the need for a sea change in the way that we see school discipline – focusing on improving school culture.
School Safety 11 Years After Columbine, KIAH-TV Houston
A story on local TV in Houston, TX reflecting on whether harsh zero tolerance policies that were spurred by Columbine are working 11 years later.
Group criticizes inequality of treatment for minorities, The Des Moines Register
Community groups in Iowa seek to end the school-to-prison pipeline.
Scholars Call for Examining School Violence in a New Context, Education Week
A new report on school violence prevention urges a holistic approach.
Film on juvenile detention to screen here, Muskogee Phoenix
An interesting documentary on juvenile justice in Texas is set to screen in Oklahoma.
Student suspended after finger gun incident, ABC 13
Student suspended, and charged with a “terroristic threat,” for pretend shooting a marker.
School audit finds undercounts in dropouts, discipline, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A federal audit finds that Clayton County, GA undercounted suspensions and dropouts.
High school suspensions up sharply in Springfield, The State Journal-Register
Suspensions are spiking in Springfield, IL. The district claims that it is the students’ fault.
Study suggest spanking as regular form of discipline not as effective, Argus Leader
More on the study that found spanking kids led to aggressive behavior.
Texas town enrolls the paddle to teach unruly students a lesson, USA Today
More coverage on the Texas town that has resumed paddling students.
House of Representatives Holds Heading on Corporal Punishment in Public Schools, ACLU
The House of Representatives holds a hearing on corporal punishment in public schools.
Sioux City Schools Draft Changes to Weapons Policy, KPTH FOX 44
Sioux City, SD is adopting a more flexible weapons policy in schools – and is promising to try to intervene before problems start.
Opinions/Editorials
Zero tolerance in school discipline, The Dallas Morning News
Parents and teachers in Dallas are rethinking zero tolerance.
In-School Suspensions Hurt Good Students, Hartford Courant
A misguided op-ed piece from Connecticut rails against the impending implementation of a state law that would largely do away with out-of-school suspension in favor of in-school-suspension. The author recycles the now familiar themes of “bad apples” getting in the way of other students’ learning. Tellingly, the author also argues that education is a privilege, not a right, and that we should not let “bad kids” keep the privilege. In practice, this short-sighted attitude pushes thousands of students – many of them students of color – out of school, onto the streets, and too often into prison or jail.
The Experience Economy of Criminalization, The Huffington Post
An excellent post from James Bell of the Haywood Burns Foundation on the Huffington Post. He takes some time to explore the roots of racial disparities in school discipline and juvenile criminalization. He argues that we are pathologizing and criminalizing youth at our society’s peril.
Attending School While Black Criminalized, The Seminal
Liberal blog Firedoglake reports on last week’s Texas Appleseed report and headlines the piece: “Attending School While Black Criminalized.”
John Dillon: Proposal would eliminate discipline in public schools, Shreveport Times
A misguided teacher in Louisiana equates the implementation of PBIS with the destruction of school discipline.
Week of April 16, 2010
Texas city revives paddling as it takes a swat at misbehavior, The Washington Post
A Texas school board voted unanimously to resume paddling students, at the request of parents, and “requiring the student’s consent.” Paddling is considered equivalent to an out-of-school suspension, which possibly means students must choose between not missing class and not getting paddled.
Delaware schools struggle to respond to cyber bullying, The News Journal
Delaware middle school officials have chosen not to punish students for making fun of other students, on Facebook, outside of school.
House of Representatives Holds Hearing on Corporal Punishment in Public Schools, ACLU
The ACLU and Human Rights Watch submitted testimony at congressional hearing opposing corporal punishment, which is legal in 20 states.
“The School-to-Prison Pipeline,” The Texas Tribune
Texas Appleseed has released an important new report highlighting the problem of discretionary expulsions in smaller suburban communities in Texas. The report is a snapshot of the national problem as it plays out in Texas…well worth reading.
Facebook, MySpace, and Student Discipline, Nashville Scene
In June, the 3rd Circuit is going to hear en banc arguments regarding the validity of suspensions for off-campus conduct.
School expulsions hit minorities, special ed students hardest, The Dallas Morning News
Students with learning disabilities make up 10% of Texas students, but are 21% of those expelled; Black students with disabilities, in particular, are three times more likely to be expelled than other students. Most are discretionary expulsions for less serious infractions.
Foundation Names Winners of Prestigious Justice Prize, Your Story
The Open Society Institute gave awards to 18 justice leaders from all over the country. One recipient was selected for proposing work toward ending the school to prison pipeline in Connecticut.
School Board: No more paddling, Ocala.com
Marion County, FL has outlawed corporal punishment in schools.
Spanking Makes Children More Aggressive, Study Shows
A new study shows that spanking leads to aggressive behavior.
Advocacy group wants new CPS policy on harassment of lesbian, gay and bisexual students, Catalyst Chicago
LGBTQ youth in Chicago are demanding the right to file complaints against teachers or staff who harass them.
Breaking the Cradle to Prison Pipeline, Twin Cities Daily Planet
Article from a Minnesota newspaper with coverage on local symposium about ending the school to prison pipeline.
Spanking toddlers leads to aggressive behavior, The Baltimore Sun
More on the study that links spanking to aggressive behavior in toddlers.
Charter school disciplines with tough love, responsibility, WRAL.com
Reporting on the YES charter schools’ RISE system of discipline which makes use of public shaming.
Yarmouth schools: Discipline suit flimsy, The Portland Press Herald
A Maine school district is being sued because it suspended a high school student from extracurricular activities over a picture of her holding a beer, outside of school grounds.
Patrick slams school officials in bullying case, The Boston Globe
Six students who bullied Phoebe Prince are facing felony charges, but there is evidence that school officials knew she was being bullied and did not step in to prevent further bullying.
Opinions/Editorials
School punishment of students goes too far, redandblack.com
A columnist from the University of Georgia speaks out against the Alabama school that threatened spanking for female students in risqué prom dresses.
Parents need to get involved to fight bullies, Telegram.com
This op-ed argues for parental involvement over punitive zero-tolerance policies to stop bullying.
Defending Our Children: Marian Wright Edelman talks about what’s gone wrong in America’s relationship with its kids, The Post-Standard
A great blog article that relates many different aspects of the school-to-prison pipeline.
Week of April 9, 2010
Houston case highlights debate about racial discipline disparity in schools, Macon.com
More news about the racial disparity in school discipline in Georgia.
School safety agents likely to stay immune to budget cuts, GothamSchools
In New York, while educational services are being cut left and right, it looks like School Safety Agents will be immune from cuts. This is true, amazingly, because noone really knows who controls their budget. If we can’t find the money to pay teachers, but we keep paying cops, it tells a really unfortunate story about how we are prioritizing education.
Activists Rally for Fairness in School Discipline, Georgia Public Broadcasting
The NAACP of Georgia holds a rally to call attention to disparities in school discipline.
Children Make the Rules at This School, vioceofsandiego.org
An excellent profile of a school in San Diego that is using positive discipline practices. There is a great account of a ground rules setting meeting involving second graders.
Hawaii DOE Relates School Safety to Academic Success, Online PR News
Hawaii’s state department of education recognizes the link between school discipline, school climate, and academic success.
Too many African-Americans pushed out of schools, activists say, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In Georgia, the ACLU and the NAACP are calling attention to the fact that Black students are far more likely to be suspended and transferred to alternative schools than White students. This is a good report from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The Drug War: A War on Women and Their Families, AlterNet
This article relates the war on drugs with the school-to-prison pipeline.
Student who was arrested for doodling on school desk sues city for excessive force, Daily News
The NYC student arrested for doodling on her desk has sued the city.
‘Education was atrocious,’ Standard Speaker
A student who was imprisoned as part of Pennsylvania’s “cash-for-kids” scandal reports on the atrocious quality of the education she received while locked up.
Your Revealing Prom Dress Will Get You Paddled, Jezebel
Students in Alabama can be corporally punished for wearing too-revealing clothes to prom.
Students in Ohio school district get letter warning that shopping mall won’t tolerate trouble, FOX 8 News
In Toledo, OH, zero-tolerance is extending to the mall over spring break.
Youths to Sen. Adams — keep your hands off my pants!, The Brooklyn Paper
A Brooklyn, NY state senator is pushing for a law banning saggy pants, and youth are pushing back.
Sestak hosts forum on youth violence in Phila., Philadelphia Inquirer
Senate candidate Sestak discusses youth violence in Philadelphia.
Opinions/Editorials
Does race influence who gets suspended in Georgia schools?, Get Schooled
An AJC blogger follows up and asks whether race plays a role in who gets disciplined in school.
A Society Consumed by Locusts: Youth in the Age of Moral and Political Plagues, truthout
Henry Giroux has a scathing critique of neoliberalism and the oppression of youth.
Bullying like this can’t be ignored, Central Florida Future
An op-ed on the Phoebe Prince tragedy, which argues that teachers and administrators ought to work to prevent harassment, rather than merely punishing students after the fact.
Skipping School—Crime or Personal Choice?, New American Media
An interesting collection of youth perspectives on truancy. Some youth make the point that the key to keeping students in school is to make school a welcoming and relevant place.
Online Dish: Girl Chooses Suspension Over Being Paddled All Because of Her Prom Dress, KIAH
An Alabama student chooses suspension over a paddling for wearing a dress that the school judged “too revealing” to prom.
Discipline disparities merit a long look from education reformers, The News Journal
An excellent op-ed from Delaware urging federal education reformers to look more closely at zero-tolerance and discipline disparities. The author notes that Delaware’s winning RttT application promised to use data to address overly harsh discipline and disparities.
Bullying and the Phoebe Prince Case, The Atlantic
An intelligent critique of anti-bullying laws. At best, such laws are redundant (harassment is already illegal), and at worst they can lead to infringements on a student’s freedom of speech if punished for Facebook/MySpace comments.
Youth violence is an educational problem, Philadelphia Inquirer
A commentator in Philly argues that youth violence is an educational and community problem – and not one that we can fix through punishment.
Week of April 2, 2010
Dropped out? No, pushed out, Philadelphia Public School Notebook
This article explains how the school-to-prison pipeline is a civil rights issue because students are denied their right to an education.
Clarksville high school students suspended for sit-in, The Tennessean
Seventeen Tennessee students were suspended from class for holding a sit-in protest, instead of going to class. Something is terribly wrong here.
Truancy Courts Violate the Law, Threaten Parents and Children, ACLU
The ACLU has filed a class-action lawsuit against Rhode Island’s truancy courts.
Expert Says Hoodie Ban Won’t Work, myfoxphilly.com
A professor at Drexel speaks out against the “hoodie ban” being considered in Philadelphia. He argues that more small-scale punitive measures won’t address the real problem – that our schools are disrespecting, oppressing, and boring students.
Houston’s student penalty draws scrutiny, Macon.com
In Houston County, Georgia, the community is upset after a Black student was kicked out of school for swearing at a White assistant principal who had physically attacked him. The story is troubling, and the NAACP is noting that it is part of a general trend toward harsher punishments for Black students.
Panel: Reform juvenile justice, The Portland Press Herald
Good news from Maine, where a task force just released a set of recommendations arguing that the state is losing money by not doing more to keep youth in school and out of prison. The task force recommends improving education, providing more services, and incarcerating fewer youth. It also recommends that the state reconsider harsh zero-tolerance discipline policies – with one of the authors saying: “Except in circumstances where there's a high risk of violence, the worst thing you can do for that kid is put them in forced idle time.”
HISD chief suggests disciplinary transfers, Houston Chronicle
In Houston, the superintendent is pushing a plan to have school swap students with disciplinary problems rather than send them to a heavily policed “alternative” school.
Group’s ‘Choice Bus’ Helps Fight Miss. Dropout Rate, WAPT Jackson
The Children Defense Fund, who organized “Cradle to Prison Pipeline” summit, outfitted a jail cell in the back of a school bus to warn students about the school-to-prison pipeline.
Law prof vies for NC teens’ rights in court, The Chronicle
The Duke University newspaper covers the recent case in the N.C. Supreme Court that was argued by Duke Law School professor Jane Wettach.
Hit Back At Bullies? Not At This School, NPR
A report on anti-bullying from the standpoint of making a healthier school culture.
Opinions/Editorials
Discipline disparities merit a long look from education reformers, The News Journal
Op-ed that urges education officials to focus on reducing racial disparities in school discipline.
Closing the school-to-prison pipeline, The Washington Post
Judith Browne-Dianis, co-director of Advancement Project, guest writes an editorial on the Washington Post’s education blog advocating various steps necessary to ending the school-to-prison pipeline.
Make strong anti-bullying programs mandatory in schools, The Washington Post
Washington Post blog points out that 40+ states have anti-bullying laws, but bullying remains common, so we should be seeking to prevent bullying, rather than merely punishing bullies.
School-bullied – to death, Salon.com
In the aftermath of a bullied Massachusetts girl’s suicide, many are advocating strict punishment for those who bullied the girl. This op-ed argues for preventive anti-bullying measures.
HLS’s Houston Institute files amicus brief in school-to-prison pipeline case, Harvard Law School
A Harvard Laq School institute filed a friend of the court brief in the North Carolina state Supreme Court case.
Editorial: Zero tolerance on trial, News & Record
An excellent editorial from Greensboro, North Carolina about the recently argued case in the state supreme court there. The paper notes that zero tolerance isn’t working and that there are better options for dealing with youth than simply kicking them out of school.
Big Brother goes to school, The Norman Transcript
An Oklahoma writer is outraged by the story about a PA district that spied on students through laptop cameras.
