June 5: NYC Discipline Code Press Conference and Hearing
Join Teachers Unite and our coalition partners in the Dignity in Schools Campaign–New York on Tuesday, June 5th as students, parents, teachers, and advocates from across the city convene a press conference to address the overuse of suspensions and other punitive discipline in New York City’s schools. We need your help in sending a strong message to the DOE that punitive discipline does not work. The DOE must reduce suspensions, and invest in the proven, positive alternatives that work and that are being used with great success in schools around the City. Our children deserve to be on a school pathway to success - not a pipeline to prison.
Tuesday, June 5th
5pm: Press Conference
6pm: Hearing following Press Conference
Stuyvesant High School at 345 Chambers Street, NY NY
Trains: 1/2/3/A/C/E Chambers St.
DID YOU KNOW?
o Black students, who represent 33% of the student population, received 52% of suspensions.
o More than 20% of suspensions lasted more than a week (compare to 14% in 1999-2000).
o Students with disabilities are four times more likely to be suspended than students without disabilities.
The Dignity in Schools Campaign - New York Calls on the New York City Department of Education to:
Reduce suspensions in New York City schools by 50% by September 2013 and implement positive approaches to discipline, like restorative justice, conflict resolution and peer mediation, including by taking the following steps in 2012:
1. End all suspensions for minor behavior infractions, like being insubordinate or shoving or pushing, listed in Levels 1-3 of the Discipline Code.*
2. Require that schools use positive interventions before they can suspend a student, including for behaviors like fighting listed in Levels 4-5 of the Discipline Code, and direct schools to use suspension only as a last resort.*
3. End long-term suspensions of more than 10 days and prohibit students from being suspended for more than 10 days total over the school year.
4. Fund and implement positive school-wide approaches to discipline in 10 high need schools, including those with the highest suspension and arrest rates, and in each of those schools designate and train a Restorative Discipline Coordinator.
*In the limited cases when suspension is required by state law, the Discipline Code must require schools to use the least exclusionary suspension possible and to combine suspension with positive interventions.
We encourage people to join us for the press conference and consider testifying at the NYC DOE School Discipline Code hearing. For more info and to RSVP, please contact Shoshi Chowdhury at 212-253-1710 x314 or e-mail Shoshi@nesri.org
