When the teachers and administrators we entrust our children with do not interfere with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) bullying, they are infringing upon two of our youths basic human rights: to feel safe and the right to an education.

I think its fair to say that most of us got picked on at least once during the years we had remnants of our lunch in our braces. Getting bullied always seemed to have coincided with that zit you couldn’t hide from your crush, or on a day where your teacher caught you passing a note and decided to read it to the class. Sound familiar? It may feel like it was only yesterday. Well, your yesterday’s are some of our kids today’s and they aren’t getting picked on for anything other than for being who they are; or who others assume they are.

After completing a six session intensive summer workshop series on Restorative Justice principals and practices, Leopolda Villalobos, is not satisfied. "This was just a taste of what this new way of thinking is. I realize how this is not just about helping the kids but helping me to grow as a person and I would like to meet regularly and keep going."

On July 25 and 26, students, parents, educators, and advocates from 11 states, representing 26 different organizations, traveled to Washington, D.C. for two days of meetings with Members of Congress to raise awareness and build support for urgently needed school discipline reform.

The Dignity in Schools Campaign (DSC) commends the Council of State Governments (CSG) for its report on school disciplinary practices in Texas, and calls on other states across the country to make similar commitments to investigate the negative impacts of suspension and expulsion on students academic outcomes.

Over one hundred students, parents, and advocates gathered to speak at press conference and public hearing on high suspension rates, school pushout, and positive alternatives

By Annette, Fuentes

By Annette Fuentes

Across the nation, youth, parents, community members, educators and advocates joined together and raised their voices last week to testify before school boards, hold town hall meetings and organize teach-ins to advocate for positive alternatives to zero tolerance discipline with the same unified goal: to push back for dignity and fairness in schools.

The Dignity in Schools Campaign-NY Chapter held a session on "Organizing for Change" at the one day conference, "Restoring Community in Schools: Promoting Positive Alternatives to the School to Prison Pipeline," hosted by the I

By Mariame Kaba, Project NIA

By Joao Da Silva, Dignity in Schools Campaign

During April 11-13, students, parents, community organizers and education advocates from California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Pennsylvania converged in Washington, DC for the Dignity in Schools Days at the Capitol 2011.

By Joao Da Silva, Dignity in Schools Campaign

By Matthew Engel, Disability Law Center