Ending the School to Jail Track

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Padres & Jovenes Unidos Ending the School to Jail Track Youth Conference!

Padres & Jovenes Unidos is organizing a conference for youth
to take action in ending the school to jail track in Colorado!

WHEN: September 24th AND 25th


Click here to register for the conference now!

The school-to-jail track is the result of harsh disciplinary practices that overuses suspensions, expulsions and police tickets. This zero tolerance approach to discipline targets low-income students and students of color, producing racial disparities in discipline. In Denver Public Schools, for example, students of color are seven times more likely to be disciplined than their white peers.

 

The effects on our low-income communities of color should not be underestimated - an overwhelming number of low-income students of color are being pushed out of school through punitive discipline policies, a poor quality education and low expectations. Our schools need progressive and just discipline policies that treat students fairly and our youth deserve a high-quality education that prepares them for college and meaningful careers!

 

A Little History...

In collaboration with the Advancement Project, in 2005 we released Education on Lockdown: The Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track, a report that exposed the effects of Denver's punitive discipline policies on youth and the resulting racial disparities. This launched Padres & Jovenes Unidos into an organizing campaign to reform Denver Public Schools (DPS) discipline policies. After a six-year collaborative campaign, in August 2008, we won historic new discipline policies aimed at ending racial disparities in DPS. This was a big step in the right direction for the District and a critical component of our overall education reform work.

The new Denver Public Schools discipline policies:

  • End the school-to-jail track in Denver;
  • Respect students’ right to a quality education by limiting the
    use out-of-school suspensions, expulsions and police tickets
  • Support Restorative Justice;
  • Treat all students and parents with dignity and respect; and
  • Increase attendance, graduation and college enrollment rate.

Winning reforms is only half the battle...Holding them accountable is another.

Organizing to pass the new discipline policies was just one part of our campaign to end the school to jail track in Denver. We are now in phase II: holding the District accountable for full and uniform implementation of the new policies. Our current School-to-Jail Accountability Campaign is student-led and includes:

  1. Student-led Know Your Rights Assemblies to educate students and school staff about the new discipline policies and build a student base to call for implementation;
  2. Student-conducted surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of the new policies;
  3. Community-developed oversight and design of teacher trainings and district data collection, tracking and reporting practices; and
  4. Accountability reports to highlight the progress and shortfalls of District implementation.

We remain vigilant in holding Denver Public Schools and the Denver Police Department accountable for ending racial disparities in school displine through participatory research, accountability sessions, leadership development and ongoing youth and community organizing.


Dowload our Racial Disparities Toolkit materials for ideas on how to
organize to expose and end racial disparities in discipline - click on the
following documents:


Check out our other Ending the School to Jail Track materials!

 

To get involved with the accountability phase of our Ending the School-to-Jail Track campaign, contact Lalo Montoya at (303) 458-6545 or lalo@padresunidos.org.