We are kicking off the 2018 Dignity in Schools Campaign Week of Action Against School Pushout with actions and events in ten cities today! You can see an interactive map for information on all the events taking place across 22 states throughout the week. Today on social media, we are focusing on our Demand #1: Shift funding from school police to counselors, peace builders and positive discipline. You can show your support by using the hashtags and sample tweets included below.
Saturday, Oct 20 – Day 1 Events:
Central Vally, CA – Central Valley Movement Building released a press statement documenting high rates of suspensions, expulsions and referrals to law enforcement in Central Valley schools, and large investments in school policing instead of meeting students’ needs. Read the statement here.
Chapel Hill, NC – Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership Institute will host a Restorative Justice Training to share the benefits and practices of restorative justice from 1-5pm at Chapel Hill Public Library. For more info contact lclark@chccs.k12.nc.us
Chicago, IL – MomsRising is hosting a Mama’s Brunch for Education from 12pm-2pm at Arts Incubator, 301 East Garfield Blvd. Parents will dine together and engage in important dialogue regarding the school to prison pipeline in Chicago. For more info visit https://www.facebook.com/MomsRising.org/
Duck Hill, MS – Action Communication and Education Reform (ACER) will be holding the first of two events during the Week of Action, a teach-in and community forum from 10am-12pm at Head Start Street. For more info: lydia_7004@yahoo.com
Portland, OR – Portland Parent Union is holding a Counselor Not Cops Trust Circle from 9am-5pm at Resolutions Northwest (2538 NE Broadway). Click here for more info or email ppuportlandparentunion@gmail.com.
Raleigh, NC – Youth Organizing Institute, in partnership with El Pueblo, Inc. is hosting a Prisoner Letter Writing Party from 2-5pm at El Pueblo. North Carolina is the last state in the US that tries 16- and 17-year-olds as adults automatically. Even though the law changed last year, it continues to be in effect until December 2019. Regardless, children as young as 13 can be tried as adults for violent offenses. This is a major tool for the School to Prison Pipeline in our state, which overwhelmingly affects Black & Brown & LGBTQ youth. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/events/2197799540438896/
Richmond, VA – Elite Education Consulting will host a Community Event from 4pm-7pm. For more info: Eliteeducationalconsulting9@gmail.com
San Bernadino, CA – DSC-California member Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE) has an event entitled Data & Dialogue: Decriminalizing San Bernadino County Unified School District (SBCUSD). For more info contact Felicia Jones, www.copesite.org or https://www.facebook.com/Cope2000/
Washington, DC – Advocates for Justice and Education will be joined by youth leaders from Critical Exposure and others for A Call to Action on Solutions Not Suspensions from 10am to 4pm. Take your advocacy to the next level: Testify! Truth to Power, Art as Activism, New School Discipline Law. Location at AJE, 25 E Street, NW. RSVP here!
Sunflower County, MS – Sunflower County Students and Parents United will launch a series of week long events to bring students and parents together to discuss school pushout and implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Saturday, Oct 20 – Social Media: #DSCWoA2018 #EndSchoolPushout #CounselorsNotCops #ReThinkDiscipline
Demand #1 Shift funding from school police to counselors, peace builders and positive discipline. Sample tweets:
- This week we join 100s of youth & parents to say #CounselorsNotCops w/ @DignityinSchool Week of Action #DSCWoA2018 https://tinyurl.com/dscwoa2018
- Join @DignityInSchool as we lift up #DSCWoA2018 #CounselorsNotCops demand to shift funding from school police & SROs to counselors, other trained staff and services that actually help our students succeed https://tinyurl.com/dscwoa2018
- Schools need #CounselorsNotCops Check out @DignityinSchool platform to remove police from schools #DSCWoA2018 https://tinyurl.com/dsc-cnc
- 1.6 million students attend schools with law enforcement but no counselor. Invest in positive interventions #CounselorsNotCops #DSCWoA2018 https://tinyurl.com/dsc-cnc
