Uniting the Struggles for Liberation in New Orleans

BreakOUT!, a Schott partner in New Orleans dedicated to ending criminalization of LGBTQ youth, released the Vice to ICE Toolkit, a resource on organizing across intersections of identities, including race, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, country of origin, and language. The guide was released in English and Spanish last week in partnership with the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice Congress of Day Laborers.
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MAC Supports Bill to Reduce Student Arrests for Nonviolent Offenses

The bill aims to decriminalize student misconduct, and sets standards for Memoranda of Understanding between school superintendents and chiefs of police to reduce the number of arrests in schools for nonviolent offenses. The bill would also provide a hiring preference for resource officers with experience in child development; encourage training focused on issues such as the impact of trauma, implicit bias, and de-escalation techniques; and would set stricter standards for documentation of in-school arrests.
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Using Storytelling and Social Media to Change the Education Conversation

Schott Creative & Online Communications Director Patrick St. John recently spoke on a panel at the 70th Annual Education Writers Association National Seminar in Washington, DC, on social media and storytelling. Here are three takeaways from the discussion.
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How to Improve Diversity in NYC Public Schools

There is a long term conversation we can start now about having more integrative housing, which would help foster more diversity in neighborhood schools. Instead of just busing kids to schools outside their neighborhoods, redefining what a "good school" is and promoting diversity in teaching staff could also improve NYC public schools. This interview includes Natasha Capers, coordinator and parent leader of the New York City Coalition for Educational Justice (CEJ), a Schott grantee.
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Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement

This brief by the National Education Policy Center and the Learning Policy Institute explores whether the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) opens the possibility of investing in well-designed community schools to meet the educational needs of low-achieving students in high-poverty schools.

The brief also provides support to school, district, and state leaders regarding community school interventions in schools targeted for comprehensive support.
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