School Discipline Bill Passes Illinois Legislature

Voice of Youth in Chicago Education deserves tremendous praise for their latest victory—passing a groundbreaking school discipline reform bill through the Illinois Legislature. By ending the use of "zero tolerance" policies and restricting administrators' use of suspensions and expulsions, VOYCE's bill will help make Illinois schools more welcoming environments for students. Read more>

MA Education Justice Alliance to Host Week of Action

The newly formed Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance will be leading a week of action across the state in early June. Comprised of grassroots community groups and labor organizations across the state, MEJA is working with a local affiliate, the Boston Education Justice Alliance, to take a stand against the overuse of standardized testing and fight for student and teacher rights. Read more>

NY Clergy Join Opposition to Governer's Tax Credit

A tax credit plan proposed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo would drain resources from already underfunded public schools and has prompted over one hundred clergy members to speak out against the Governor's proposal. Read more>

Journey for Justice Fights Against School Privatization

An article this week in the New Pittsburgh Courier spotlights the powerful organizing work of the Journey for Justice Alliance, which has been leading the fight against the privatization of public schools in cities across the country. Read more>

Desperate Need for Resources in St. Louis Schools

Brittini Gray, a community organizer with Metropolitan Congregations United, published a powerful op-ed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch decrying the continued lack of resources for schools in the St. Louis area. She lays out how lack of funding and poor policy decisions have continually damaged the Normandy School District, creating a climate in which students have minimal opportunities to succeed. Read more>

DC Civil Rights Organizations Fail to Represent Education Civil Rights Agenda

Schott Foundation President John Jackson, Advancement Project Co-director Judith Browne Dianis, and NYU Professor Pedro Noguera published an op-ed this week arguing that the opt-out movement is a valid protest against the overuse of punitive, high-stakes standardized testing. Read more>

Zero-Tolerance Discipline and College Admissions

A recent editorial in the New York Times highlights the long-term consequences of zero-tolerance school discipline policies and how they can extend beyond the K-12 system and hurt students' chances of being accepted into college. Read more>

Student Rights? There's an App for That!

The Boston Student Advisory Council released a first-of-its-kind website and phone app this week that is a great tool for empowering the city's students and ensuring the district respects their rights, particularly as they relate to school discipline. Read more>