Judge says discrimination suit against school district can go forward
A Kern County Superior Court Judge ruled that a discrimination suit filed by Latino and African American students against the Kern High School District can move forward. The expulsion rate in district … Continue reading
‘Court school’ to classroom: a bill to keep emancipated youth in school
“Court school” is the term for the education of minors in the criminal justice system, but more often than not, it’s the last school that detained juveniles will attend. A key component … Continue reading
Interview with Anna Deavere-Smith: The school-to-prison pipeline
MacArthur Award-winning actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith became an advocate for wiping out the “school to prison pipeline,” in her one woman show, Field Notes: Doing Time in Education. Deavere Smith portrays the voices of children, parents, … Continue reading
Boyle Heights schools revising discipline with restorative justice
Roosevelt High is now one of three public schools in Los Angeles to start implementing restorative justice, a growing movement to replace traditional methods of school discipline with practices that lead to fewer suspensions, … Continue reading
Latinos drop out more from high school – and lead in college enrollment
Latinos outpaced their white counterparts in getting into University of California schools this year. This rise in Latino college freshman accompanies one troubling fact: Latino students still drop out of high school more than any other … Continue reading
Payoffs and pitfalls of flagging kids ‘at-risk’ kids early on
More teachers are looking to detailed data to figure out which students are most likely to drop out of high school, long before the kids have even entered ninth grade. Though … Continue reading
Feeling marginalized, black students and parents organize
Their numbers on campus shrinking, black students at Richmond High feel ignored — but a new parent and student group seek to change that. The African American Student-Parent Collaborative was … Continue reading
‘Sons and Brothers’ targets emotional health for young men of color
Garden Pathways in Bakersfield works with boys and men of color to help them cast off the roles they feel society assigned them, and tap into their independent self-image. One means of facilitating this is exposure to new environments. “We … Continue reading
A suspended education
Benjamin Thomas was first suspended in third grade, then expelled in fourth grade. The trend continued until he reached Sunset High, where he says the adults understood more about his experiences, and … Continue reading
Community organizations join forces against harsh school discipline
Parents and community leaders Kern High School District is still employing discipline practices that unfairly target minority kids. With high rates of suspensions and dropouts, community organizations and local ministries say minority students in the district are … Continue reading
