Natalie Chap, coordinator of the Dignity in Schools Campaign (DSC), and Liz Sullivan, a member of the DSC Coordinating Committee and director of the Human Right to Education Program at the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative, co-authored this article for the American Bar Association's Children's Rights Litigation Newsletter presenting the DSC's Model Code on Education and Dignity as an alternative to policies that would increase the number of school resource officers (SROs) and other law enforcement personnel, along with the use of zero-tolerance practices, in our nation's schools.  Click here to read the full article.

A coalition of organizations led by youth of color, including the Youth Justice Coalition and other members of the Dignity in Schools Campaign, have launched "You Can't Build Peace With a Piece" a national youth-led campaign to call for positive approaches in response to gun violence and address the impact of school safety policies on youth of color in the aftermath of the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. The coalition has created a Facebook Group to spread the word, share content, and resources, to collaborate on a series of events throughout February, March, and April.

Invest In Practices that Strengthen Bonds between Students and Educators, Not Increased Police Presence

Washington, DC – Yesterday, President Obama laid out an impressive plan to meaningfully address the causes of gun violence and highlighted the importance of fostering a nurturing school climate to help prevent school violence. Part of the President’s plan would enable U.S. schools to hire up to 1,000 more school police or school counselors. We are concerned by any plan that could result in more police in schools. “What our schools need are programs that promote peaceful conflict resolution that will strengthen our communities,” said Dwayne Hoye, a member of Blocks Together and the Dignity in Schools Campaign, and a graduate of Orr Academy High school in Chicago, IL. “We already have approximately two police officers per public school in Chicago and in spite of that, I never felt any safer in my school. I wish they had used those resources to train my teachers and school staff on how to prevent conflict instead."

In the weeks following the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut, a number of advocates, including members of Congress and the National Rifle Association, have called for armed guards and/or police officers in public schools. As Vice President Joe Biden’s task force on gun violence develops policy recommendations in response to the attack and gun violence more generally, a coalition of youth, parents, education advocates, civil rights organizations, and law enforcement are cautioning the White House against embracing proposals to put armed guards and police in schools.

The results are in: “Won’t Back Down” set the record for the worst performing opening weekend of all time. The film, which portrays a single mother partnering up with a teacher to transfer management of their local public school to a charter school, found a small burst of publicity in a set negative articles published by critics of charter schools and those who saw an anti-union slant to the story. While I am not a movie critic, one thing is clear to me: the movie misses the mark on the issue of school reform and meaningful parent engagement.