EDUCATION, NOT INCARCERATION!
BREAK THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE
A COMMUNITY FORUM WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 12th, 9 am to 4 pm,
AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY, SOUTH BEND, IN WIEKAMP HALL, Room 1001.
The School to Prison Pipeline results from practices based on zero tolerance and other school discipline policies that remove students from the classroom. These policies and practices make the criminalization and incarceration of children and youth more likely, and the attainment of a high-quality education less likely.
JOIN US FOR A DAY OF LEARNING, DISCUSSING & MOBILIZING
TO ADDRESS THIS IMPORTANT COMMUNITY CONCERN.
The morning program will feature Dr. Russell Skiba, a Professor in the School Psychology program at Indiana University. He has worked with schools across the country in the areas of disproportionality, school discipline, and school violence. Dr. Skiba is currently Director of the Equity Project, a consortium of research projects offering evidence-based information to educators and policymakers on equity in special education and school discipline.
“How could State and School Corporation Policies eliminate the School to Prison Pipeline?” is the question that will be addressed at the second morning event. The panel will include speakers from the Indiana General Assembly and the South Bend School Corporation and community activists who have been at the forefront of efforts to reduce suspensions in general and to end the disproportionate suspension of students of color and special needs students.
After lunch at The Grill, two sessions of workshops will address issues such as transforming teaching, empowering parents, restorative justice and other alternatives to suspension, opportunities for community support (mentoring, literacy programs, etc.) and a workshop, planned and implemented by young people, to feature the voices and viewpoints of students.
This event is sponsored by the Community Forum for Economic Justice with the active involvement of numerous organizations and individuals concerned with the achievement of social and economic justice.
For more information, or to register to attend the forum, email sjc.cfed@gmail.com. For additional articles about the School to Prison Pipeline: http://communityforum.typepad.com/my_weblog/school-to-prison-pipeline.html