Legislative Rally at the LA State Capitol- Let's keep kids in schools

We live in a country that believes that education is the way to a greater opportunity.  From birth we tell our kids that college is the goal to a better life.  But what happens when we create policies that push young people away from the chance at an education?  What happens to the young people who want to be in school to continue learning, but our laws reject them?  Many of those young people find success, but we know that sometimes the story ends differently.  Our prisons are filled with people, people who we love, who were pushed out from the chance to go to school and the chance to learn.

These policies and the way that these policies are enacted have a cost—in taxpayer dollars, in academic achievement and most importantly, the cost can be measured in lives.  It is time for the Louisiana legislature, as our representatives, to push hope, not despair, to push success, not defeat.  It is time for our legislature to push solutions, not suspensions.  It is time for our Legislature to open doors to education, not close them.

The Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana stands in support of House Bill 777, sponsored by Representative Smith, The Safe and Successful Students Act.  This bill offers resources to help kids stay in schools and not be pushed out through suspensions, expulsions or school-arrests.  This bill could put an end to the zero tolerance policies that harm our kids and don’t make our schools better.

We support HB 407, sponsored by Representatives Carter, Smith and Katrina Jackson, which will make sure that students who want to be in school can attend school.  It will allow Louisiana to be aligned with 45 other states that expand public education for overage students.

We want laws that will work for students, not laws that push kids into the prison system.  SB 652, sponsored by Senator Guillory will increase police intervention in school discipline and push kids further and further from schools and opportunities.  The face of the State Capitol building reads, “the instruments which we have just signed will cause no tears to be shed and prepare ages for happiness.”  We oppose SB652 because it is an instrument which will cause tears for young people and their families. There will be no happiness with this bill.  This bill will not ensure that students get the support they need but will only increase unnecessary police interactions in schools.

JJPL stands united with the groups gathered here in support of HB 777 and HB 407 which keep kids in schools and we oppose SB652 which pushes kids out.  It’s time for our Legislature to do the right thing for kids and the right thing for Louisiana.

Zero tolerance, zero opportunity

One strength of our community is that through education, young people can create opportunity for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, school discipline policies and practice, like zero tolerance, have pushed children out of school instead of keeping them in the classroom and ensuring positive safe environments for all students to learn.

School zero tolerance policies, which most often result in out-of-school suspensions, were originally intended to apply to the most serious cases such as possession of drugs and weapons. In practice, however, most out-of-school suspensions are for non-violent, minor disruptions.  Instead of being used to create safe schools, zero tolerance policies discourage vulnerable students from attending school and to push them out of the academic environment. Instead of improving student outcomes, these policies increase the likelihood of involvement in the justice system.   Our juvenile and adult corrections facilities are filled with people who have experienced the results of zero tolerance policies, which cost taxpayer dollars, hurt student achievement, and do not improve student behavior.

This legislative session, Representative Pat Smith is sponsoring House Bill 777, legislation that would decrease the number of students pushed out of schools and increase the number of safe, successful students in our state by limiting the use of zero tolerance policies.  The bill challenges schools and school districts to think critically about the correlation between out-of-school suspension and academic achievement and offers alternatives to suspensions and expulsions in order for school leaders to create positive school discipline policies.

In January, the US Departments of Education and Justice issued a school discipline guidance package aimed at helping states, districts and schools improve school discipline practices to keep more students in school.  This guidance also speaks to the growing disparities in the implementation of school discipline policies, which disproportionately impact students of color, LGBTQ students and students with disabilities.  Along with HB 777, this national framework can help give Louisiana’s schools and educators crucial direction in examining their use of and the impact of zero tolerance policies.

Given our country’s deep abiding belief in the transformational power of education, how can we maintain the current policies when we know that they do not work for our young people? Zero tolerance policies do more harm by creating punitive learning environments, pushing youth out of school, and excluding vulnerable students from educational opportunities. House Bill 777 is common sense legislation, supported by a broad coalition of groups. By passing this legislation, Louisiana has the opportunity to create more meaningful options for increasing positive discipline systems in schools.   HB 777 gives reason to be optimistic about better student performance, better schools, safe successful students and ultimately a better Louisiana.

Here's the bill:
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=879593&n=HB777 Original