New and Views: April 13, 2010
| Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline by Forum Convener Judith Browne-Dianis |
Now that health care is finally behind the White  House and Congress, it's time to get busy with the rest of the agenda for change - and that means public education. Most people in this country understand the importance of public education to our society. Schools are the only institution where we prepare the next generation not just for jobs and careers, but also for participation in our democracy. Yet our schools continue to be separate and unequal, and our children's opportunities to learn are not the same. With graduation rates below 40% in places like Detroit and Cleveland, while national graduation rates for Blacks and Latinos hover around 50%, it's clear that education is one of the unfinished pieces of our nation's civil rights agenda. Read more |
| Rethink Learning Now Update: |
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The Forum and its partners in the Rethink Learning Now (RLN) campaign will focus on a different core issue related to public education each month. We'll provide you with a digestible amount of information and advocacy ideas so you can focus in on what to Read, Watch, Listen to, and Do.
April's topic is "Ending the school-to-prison pipeline" and making sure excessive disciplinary policies don't end up exacerbating our drop out problem. To find out more, click here. |
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Featured Resource
Join us for a Webinar on Wednesday, April 21st from 2pm to 3:30pmZero Tolerance, High-Stakes Testing, and the School-to-Prison Pipeline Sponsored by the Advancement Project and FairTest
Misguided use of "zero tolerance" school discipline and high-stakes testing poses a serious threat to the educational opportunities of America's youth. While they are usually considered separately, these two policies are actually closely related. Together, zero tolerance and high-stakes testing have turned schools into hostile and alienating environments for many of our youth. The devastating end result has been a "school-to-prison pipeline," in which huge numbers of students throughout the country are being pushed out of school and toward the juvenile and criminal justice systems. |
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Save the Date!
Connecting Practice to Policy: What We Need to Know about Assessments and Capacity Building in ESEA Reauthorization Monday, April 19, 2010 1pm to 2:30pm Senate Hart Office Building, Room 902 |
| Join The Forum in welcoming Ronald Blackburn Moreno of the Aspira Association, George Wood of The Forum, LaRuth Gray of the NY University Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, Benjamin Jealous of the NAACP, and Senator Sherrod Brown for a discussion of the importance of capacity building and "right-sizing" learning measures in an effort to fully support education improvements for students, teachers, and schools. For more information, click here. |