Advocates from the organization Community Asset Development Re-Defining Education (CADRE) and their parent members have been working to change the culture of discipline in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) from one of over-punishment and arbitrary removals of children from their learning environments to one that is based on positive behavior support and preventive discipline. Through a persistent presence and the mobilization of allies from Los Angeles and around the country, CADRE emphasizes the human rights of parents and students, frames school discipline as a pushout issue, and stresses the need for child-centered rather than adult-driven solutions.
In 2007, they were successful in getting a districtwide school discipline policy passed that is designed to provide teachers, administrators, students, and parents the resources they need to prevent misbehavior from occurring, and to resolve problems that do arise as much as possible without removing students from the classroom. The new policy is based on the use of Positive Behavior Support, a research-based and proven alternative to zero-tolerance, and is structured so that all district schools will have the support and tools to implement tailored, site-based discipline plans that include the following strategies:
- Teaching, modeling, and reinforcing appropriate behaviors;
- Involving all stakeholders, especially parents, in collaborative and early intervention to de-escalate inappropriate behaviors;
- Supporting students’ needs and addressing root causes of misbehavior;
- Setting up consequences that are fair, age appropriate, and match the misbehavior being addressed; and
- Utilizing alternatives to suspensions and transfers, and using data to monitor impact and maintain accountability.
CADRE and their member parents are now involved in an extensive implementation and monitoring effort to ensure that the policy reforms lead to more just treatment of parents and students in LAUSD schools.
Resources:
LAUSD School-wide Positive Behavior Support Policy
LAUSD School-wide Positive Behavior Support Attachments
A Call to Action
For more information, contact:
Maisie Chin
Lead Organizer/Director
CADRE
8510 1/2 South Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90003
T: 323-752-9997
[email protected]
www.cadre-la.org
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