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Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Since our inception we have worked to harness the energy of our local campaigns to end the school-to-prison pipeline to move policy at the federal level.
Our members have represented the youth voice in spaces with the Departments of Education and Justice and played a key role in shaping the Supportive School Discipline Initiative that encourages the use of school discipline practices that promote safe, supportive and productive learning environments. As part of this initiative, the federal agencies have issued policy and legal guidance on school climate and discipline to local districts and they continue to track the data.
We are currently engaged in federal advocacy for legislation that requires local, state, and federal governments to annually collect and report school discipline data and fund positive alternatives to suspensions and expulsions, such as restorative justice and peer mediation.
Campaign for Sustainable School Success
In 2012, a small group of members from the Alliance for Educational Justice and the former Communities for Excellent Public Schools formed the Journey for Justice Alliance (J4J) to stop the deluge of school closures devastating low income and working Black and Brown communities across the country and organize for community driven school improvement.
While we remain a primary supporter of the Journey for Justice Alliance through its incubation period and serves on its coordinating committee, J4J today is an independent organization comprised of youth and parent groups in 21 cities.
The campaign’s primary goal is to replace the ineffective school turnaround strategies with interventions that:
• Focus strongly on school culture, curriculum and staffing;
• Include wrap-around supports for every child; and
• Prioritize real collaboration with the community to ensure local ownership and accountability.
For more information, visit https://www.j4jalliance.com/campaigns/.
National Student Bill of Rights
The Alliance for Educational Justice has adopted the National Student Bill of Rights for all Youth as part of its national education agenda. The bill of rights is the collective vision youth from across the country for racial and social justice in education. Enumerated rights include rights to free public education, high quality food, free healthcare, and freedom from search, seizure or arrest.
Read the full text of the National Student Bill of Rights at https://nationalstudentbillofrights.wordpress.com/the-rights-we-should-have/.