Liberty Hill Blog: News from the Frontlines

LAUSD Votes to Shift School Discipline and Limit Suspensions

2013-05-14T18:20:09-07:00

(Los Angeles) Tonight, the Los Angeles Unified School District adopted the School Climate Bill of Rights by a vote of 5 to 2. Approval of the resolution bans “willful defiance” suspensions and directs LAUSD to enact common sense approaches to school discipline and expand programs that support all students in becoming healthy, thriving adults.

“Today our youth rights agenda moves forward as the LAUSD joins our community in accepting the responsibility to support the School Discipline Policy and School Climate Bill of Rights,” said Board President Mónica García. “This resolution means more graduations, less incarceration, it means adults must learn new strategies to teach and practice new discipline policies that support student success.”

As the majority of students in Los Angeles County, young people of color have a vital role to play in making our neighborhoods safer, our economy stronger and steering our city and state towards success. Yet low income and young men of color have the lowest life expectancy rates, highest unemployment rates, fewest high school and college graduates and most murder victims of any demographic group in Los Angeles. This reality starts in school policies that unfairly target students of color for suspensions which ultimately lead to truancy and drop-outs.

“This vote is an important first step in our effort to ensure that every student has an opportunity to thrive,” said Kafi D. Blumenfield, President and CEO of Liberty Hill Foundation which has been managing the campaign. “Passage of The School Climate Bill of Rights signals that L.A. truly wants all students to lead healthy, successful lives.”

In 2007, LAUSD took a first step in addressing school discipline by adopting the School Wide Positive Behavioral and Intervention Supports policy. The School Climate Bill of Rights builds on that effort to ensure that all Los Angeles schools create learning environments that are safe, healthy and supportive for all students.

The resolution will require schools to use measures other than suspension to address minor student infractions, including setting clearer expectations and providing counseling to get at the root of bad behavior when possible, both of which have been found to be more effective approaches. Schools also have the option to pilot additional programs that might prove even more useful, such as detention, or setting up a special classroom, with schoolwork to be done and tutors available, so that students who face disciplinary measures don't fall behind in their studies.

“I am so thrilled that our resolution passed,” said Armando Peña, a youth leader and student at Fremont High School. “It tells me that my school district believes in the right of myself and each of my peers to have a safer and more supportive education.”

For more information or interviews, contact Lester Garcia at 323-633-7288 or lestergarcia@icloud.com.

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Every Student Matters is a campaign of the Brothers Sons Selves initiative at Liberty Hill Foundation. Brothers Sons Selves is a coalition of L.A. community organizations working towards a common agenda to improve the lives of young men and was created in partnership with The California Endowment.

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You Oughta be a Commissioner

2013-05-14T12:24:04-07:00

Liberty Hill Commission Training Program sponsors and speakers include, clockwise from top left: Honorary Sponsorship Committee Co-Chair, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas; speaker Madeline Janis, co-founder and national policy director of LAANE; speaker Jonathan Parfey, Director of Climate Resolve and a Commission at Dept. of Water & Power; Sponsorship Committtee Chair Sheila Kuehl, Director Public Policy Institute at SMC and former State Senator.

By Shane Goldsmith, Executive Director

Q: Whose vote to approve a contract enabling L.A.'s Dept. of Water and Power "to completely transition out of coal power from the Intermountain Power Plant in Delta, Utah by 2025" was the final piece of the city's move to become coal-free?

A: The Board of Water and Power Commissioners.

Q: Who approved a plan to move one of the runways at LAX 250 feet to the north?

A: The Board of Airport Commissioners.

Q: Who produces a regular report on campaign contributions in Los Angeles?

A: The Ethics Commission.

Los Angeles has more than 50 boards and commissions with more than 300 appointed members who oversee key city agencies and advise the mayor on core policies and programs that impact the quality of life for local residents. Decisions made by these agencies have a major impact on policies and projects throughout Los Angeles.

Liberty Hill is offering a Commissions Training Program to ensure that these appointees are drawn from diverse communities and can help civic leaders make good decisions for all communities. The Training Program is an intensive, full-day, large-group session for community leaders from across sectors and issue areas.

Individuals who participate in this program will gain insight into the opportunities and challenges of commission service in the City of Los Angeles, will understand the process for appointment, and will have an overview of key skills needed for successful service. Graduates will also have the opportunity to participate in priority registration for subsequent Liberty Hill Foundation events focused on boards and commissions advocacy.

Sessions will be facilitated by well-known city advocates who have served on commissions, worked in City Hall, or staffed city agencies. Former commissioners will talk with you about setting priorities and getting the right information for decisionmaking as a new commissioner. To apply, please click here for an application. You must be a City of L.A. resident.

Applications must be submitted by May 17, 2013 to Commissions@LibertyHill.org. You will be notified no later than May 31 as to your application’s status for the June 22 training. If you are offered a seat in the training, you must reserve it by submitting the enrollment fee of $250 no later than June 12. A limited number of scholarships are available. If you have questions, please contact Commissions@LibertyHill.org.

Liberty Hill Commissions Training Program Sponsorship Committee members: Sheila Kuehl (Chair), Director, Public Policy Institute at Santa Monica College and former State Senator; Dean Hansell President, Board of Fire & Police Pension Commissioners; Lara Bergthold, Principal, Griffin Schein; Aileen Adams, Deputy Mayor of Strategic Partnerships Office of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa; Stewart Kwoh, President, Asian Pacific American Legal Center; Kathay Feng, Executive Director, Common Cause; Tom Saenz, President and General Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF); Torie Osborn, Deputy Mayor of Neighborhood and Community Services Office of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa; Larry Frank, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa; Pascual Romel, Deputy Mayor for the Environment, Office of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa; Nolan Rollins, President & CEO Los Angeles Urban League; Helen Torres, Executive Director Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE); Regina Freer, Professor, Occidental College, Vice President, Planning Commission; Sharon Delugach, Community Engagement Coordinator, American Federation of Teachers; Roxana Tynan, Executive Director Los Angeles for a New Economy (LAANE). Honorary Co-Chairs: Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez, Assemblymember Holly Mitchell, Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield.

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Will LAUSD Ban Harsh School Discipline Today?

2013-05-14T10:44:21-07:00

(Los Angeles) Hundreds of youth, parents and community leaders will descend on LAUSD headquarters to demand the passage of the School Climate Bill of Rights—a resolution that would enact common sense approaches to school discipline and expand programs that support all students in becoming healthy, thriving adults. If passed, the landmark proposal would ban “willful defiance” suspensions from LA schools -- a first for a major school district.

The School Climate Bill of Rights also calls on the district to enact research-based alternatives to suspension that have been proven to create positive learning environments and increase academic achievement. In addition, schools will no longer rely on School Police for day-to-day discipline and instead focus on strengthening relationships between students, parents, teachers, and school administrators.

California suspends more students than it sends to college. Research has shown that harsh discipline methods are counterproductive to making schools safer, and unfairly target boys and young men of color, damaging their opportunities to thrive and succeed. In 2007, the Los Angeles Unified School District adopted the Positive Behavioral Supports policy to improve school discipline practices across the district.

Passage of the School Climate Bill of Rights is another a key step to further transform disciplinary approaches that hold back young people into practices that create learning environments that are safe, healthy and supportive for all students.
WHAT: LAUSD will vote on whether to ban willful defiance suspensions and adopt the School Climate Bill of Rights. Hundreds of youth and parents will rally outside of LAUSD headquarters with music, picket signs, and bullhorns.

WHO: Hundreds of youth and parents from across LAUSD

WHERE: LAUSD Headquarters, 333 S. Beaudry Ave., Los Angeles, 90017

WHEN: Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 4-7pm

For more information, interviews or to secure a press pass for the event, contact Lester Garcia at 323-633-7288 or lestergarcia@icloud.com.

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Every Student Matters is a campaign of the Brothers Sons Selves initiative at Liberty Hill Foundation. Brothers Sons Selves is a coalition of L.A. community organizations working towards a common agenda to improve the lives of young men and was created in partnership with The California Endowment.

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Pros Say Suspensions Don't Work

2013-05-13T13:33:04-07:00

Garfield Principal Jose Huerta with students.

This opinion piece was written in support of the proposed "School Climate Bill of Rights," the first campaign of Liberty Hill Foundation's Brothers, Sons, Selves initiative..

School Discipline and the Future of LAUSD

An Op-Ed By Jose Huerta, Principal, James A. Garfield High School and James Ream, President, Los Angeles School Police Officers Association.

Today, the Los Angeles Board of Education will vote on whether or not to adopt the School Climate Bill of Rights, a policy aimed at redefining how schools discipline students. As Board Members discuss the initiative we would like to offer some advice:

Educators and policymakers need to understand two things when it comes to school discipline: 1) suspensions don’t work; and, 2) supporting students and holding them accountable for their actions are not mutually exclusive.

Last year California suspended more students than it sent to college. Of the over 700,000 suspensions that were handed out, nearly half (48%), were for what schools call “willful defiance”. Students who talk back, chew gum in class, and in extreme cases, don’t do their homework, can be placed on suspension. If it sounds ludicrous, it gets worse. School Police are regularly called to campuses to deal with incidents of willful defiance, like students not sitting in their seat.

When students are suspended they miss an entire days worth of valuable instruction time. Increasing student attendance and improving graduation and college-going rates, take a back seat to punitive practices that do nothing to address the root causes of misbehavior. What’s more, students lose a sense of self-worth and develop animosity toward education. School Police work diligently to focus on very real issues. When they are called to minor incidents that can and should be handled administratively, it significantly reduces our efforts and ability to handle or prevent more serious problems. The School Climate Bill of Rights takes “willful defiance” off the table, and works to clarify the role of police on school campuses.

Schools will no longer be able to rely on suspensions or school police to deal with minor infractions. There are students that are suspended for more egregious offenses and that is where the School Climate Bill of Rights is most beneficial. In addition to eliminating “willful defiance,” the policy calls on schools to enact Restorative Justice practices that help teachers, school administrators, and school police to work with students and parents to create a more positive learning environment.

Case in point: Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. Readers may remember Garfield as the gritty backdrop for 1988’s Stand and Deliver, in which Edward James Olmos portrayed Jaime Escalante, a calculus teacher who refused to give up on his students when the rest of the world had written them off. He saw in his students the potential for greatness and provided them with the motivation and instruction they needed to succeed.

During the 2008-2009 school year, Garfield had 683 suspensions. Garfield decided to take a lesson from Mr. Escalante, and focus on combining effective instruction with positive reinforcement. Without any major funding and in the face of the arguably the most dire budget cuts this district has ever faced, they began implementing a form of restorative Justice called School Wide Positive Behavioral and Intervention Supports (SWPBIS) to address discipline.

Unlike Jaime Escalante’s story, this was not the effort of a lone individual. Every adult on that campus -- teachers, administrators, counselors, classified staff, school police officers and community-based organizations -- decided to challenge decades old thinking that removing students from school was the best solution to disciplinary problems. Instead, they focused on building understanding and respect among students. Garfield actively promoted dialogue over detention and chose support over suspensions. Students involved in altercations were brought together to discuss and resolve their issues. Adults made themselves more accessible and changed their relationship with students. While students may have an uneasy relationship with law enforcement outside of school, students have embraced their school police officer as a counselor and a friend.

The result: a more positive school climate, greater safety, and improvements in academic achievement and attendance. The school gained 75 points on Academic Performance Index, outperforming dozens of high schools across state of California. In fact, suspensions dropped from 683 to 1; Garfield’s graduation rate went up nearly 20% propelling them past the district average; and the percentage of students passing the high school exit exam jumped from 69% to 83%.

The primary function of any school system should be to produce well-rounded individuals that are prepared for college, careers, and civic life. The School Climate Bill of Rights is not about letting students off the hook for their actions. It is about adults doing everything possible to help students learn from their mistakes and understand their worth.

As the School Board comes to a decision on the School Climate Bill of Rights we ask you to consider the words of Mr. Escalante: “If we expect kids to be losers they will be losers; if we expect them to be winners they will be winners. They rise, or fall, to the level of the expectations of those around them.”

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Harsh School Discipline in the Spotlight at Select Committee Briefing

2013-05-07T15:39:34-07:00

The Brothers, Sons, Selves initiative is involved in an important event this Friday, May 10, 2013. Here is the advisory for this event.

(Los Angeles) State Assemblymembers, LAUSD officials and civil rights advocates will convene in downtown Los Angeles to discuss local and state legislation to end harsh school discipline policies. More and more evidence demonstrates that harsh discipline methods do not work to promote school safety or better-run classrooms, but unfairly target boys and young men of color, damaging their opportunities to thrive and succeed.

As the majority of students in Los Angeles County, young people of color have a vital role to play in making our neighborhoods safer, our economy stronger and steering our city and state towards success. But each year we lose talented and gifted youth who are pushed to drop out of school because of ineffective and harmful policies such as “zero-tolerance” and harsh disciplinary measures. Due in part to such policies, the state currently suspends more students than it sends to college – more than 700,000 students annually.

As school districts move toward a common sense discipline approach that promotes academic achievement and youth development, several promising policy initiatives have emerged. New California and Los Angeles proposals would limit the use of willful defiance as a suspendable offense, minimize the criminalization of youth on campus for non-threatening offenses and create a district-wide school climate bill of rights.

WHAT:	The California Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color will showcase promising policy in the field and existing work to advance positive school discipline reform in Los Angeles and across California. This is part of the 2013-14 Select Committee's briefing series aimed at implementing policy solutions.
WHO:	The briefing will feature: Assemblymember Roger Dickinson and Assemblymember Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer of the Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color, with moderator Committee Chairperson Assemblymember Steven Bradford; Angelica Salazar, Children’s Defense Fund; Carlos “Elmo” Gomez, Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition; Mónica García, LAUSD Board President; Michelle King, Deputy Superintendent, LAUSD; Ruth Cusick, Public Counsel; Maisie Chin CADRE; and Cesar Castrejon, Long Beach Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition.
	Media , stakeholders, practitioners, and decision-makers are invited to attend.
WHERE:	JW Marriott Los Angeles, 900 West Olympic Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90015 USA
WHEN:	Friday, May 10th, 12:00 – 2:00 PM

For more information, interviews or to secure a press pass for the event, contact Lester Garcia at 323-633-7288 or lestergarcia@icloud.com.

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The Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color was formed by Speaker John Pérez and is chaired by Assemblymember Steven Bradford. Members include Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian (AD35), Assemblymember Rob Bonta (AD18), Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (AD47), Assemblymember Beth Gaines (AD6), Assemblymember Richard S. Gordon (AD24), Assemblymember Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr. (AD59), Assemblymember Holly J. Mitchell (AD54), Assemblymember V. Manuel Pérez (AD80), Assemblymember Anthony Rendon (AD63), Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (AD19) and Assemblymember Scott Wilk (AD38).

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