Ending the Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track - Lawyers and Organizers Partnering for Change

The recent videotape of a five-year old in St. Petersburg, Florida underscored what many education advocates already knew: Zero tolerance has gone too far. No longer does a temper tantrum, such as the one thrown by the St. Petersburg girl after a jelly bean counting game, result in a trip to the principal's office; it also leads to handcuffs and a ride to the police station. Policies once meant to rid schools of guns have been expanded, causing many schools to become feeders into the juvenile justice system. Outcry by grassroots organizations about the unfair and discriminatory nature of school disciplinary policies and practices led the Advancement Project (AP) to spend the past five years examining the evolution of these policies and the devastating consequences they have on students, particularly students of color. Recognizing that the individuals who are most impacted-parents, children and youth--often have little or no support in efforts to challenge these practices, the Project has partnered with grassroots youth and parent groups to mount reform campaigns. For example, because of Padres/ Jovenes Unidos' successful organizing around this issue, over 70 community members stood in solidarity with them at the press conference releasing the report. News coverage prompted a group of Latino parents from a neighboring school district to contact Padres/ Jovenes Unidos for assistance. These parents reported that their children were among 17 students suspended or expelled for one year for watching a fight that occurred off school grounds. As Padres/Jovenes Unidos took on this issue, AP provided legal advice and strategic support. In consultation with AP lawyers and the Denver office of the Arnold & Porter lawfirm, Padres/ Jovenes Unidos and the parents realized that the District had violated its own policies and state law. Consequently, they were able to negotiate an agreement with the school district to re-admit most of the students; remove from the student's disciplinary records any reference to the suspensions; and provide the students with tutoring services to make up for the educational instructions the students missed. Padres/Jovenes Unidos' commitment did not end there: The organization now has a representative serving on a committee to investigate these unlawful actions and implement reform.