Groups support Nolan’s Safe and Supportive Schools (SSS-NY); A.8396 bill ensures common-sense policies
(Long Island, NY) A coalition of national, statewide and local organizations joined with former Chief Justice of New York State Judith Kaye and New York State Assembly Education Chair Catherine Nolan and to support A.8396, a bill that will reduce school suspension and promote a positive school climate, cultivating an environment where teachers can teach and students can learn.
In a press conference today, the legislation was hailed as essential by Advocates for Children, The Legal Aid Society, Urban Youth Collaborative, Make the Road New York, The New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children, The New York Civil Liberties Union, Advancement Project, Alliance for Quality Education and Citizen Action of New York.
This common sense legislation is designed to reduce suspensions and keep students in school. The goal of the legislation is to reverse the disturbing school-to-prison pipeline, which starts with excessive use of suspensions, often for minor infractions. This is an issue that disproportionately affects students of color. The most recent data from the New York State Report Card shows that 94,877 student were suspended during the 2012-2013 school year, which is more than 500 suspensions per day. Even children in Kindergarten have been subject to suspensions for typical age-level behavior.
Parents and students also spoke at the press conference urging the state legislators to adopt the bill.
“For too long, we’ve been presented with a false choice between accountability and compassion when responding to our children when they misbehave, disrupt class or defy us,” said former Chief Judge Judith Kaye, Chair of the Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children. “We can have both. We must have both. Some kids, particularly those that have experienced trauma, need more support in order to flourish in a school setting. Public schools cannot push these kids out, and as such, we need to ensure schools have positive alternatives and discipline strategies that build reflection and impulse control as well as a strong sense of community. To use words of Frederick Douglass, we know that ‘It’s better to build strong children than fix broken men (and women).’”
“Students and parents face many challenges today” said Assembly Member Catherine Nolan. “It is essential that we create a nurturing and safe environment for every student. That is why we are introducing this bill that will support strong state policies that eliminate inflexible mandates that impose harsh discipline. This legislation will support schools and teachers in cultivating respect, personal responsibility and dealing sensibly with conflict. It will provide a path for schools to adapt policies that maintain order and safety while also treating students with dignity and respect.”
“This bill pushes for more interventions and offers students support instead of punishment for minor infractions,” saidKadiata Kaba, a student with Make The Road and Urban Youth Collaborative. “Nelson Mandela once said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ But how can students change the world if they are constantly being suspended for minor infractions.”
“My daughter was an honor student in the Rochester City School District with dreams of studying neuroscience,” saidMelanie Funchess, a Rochester parent of four. “But because of the strict code of conduct, which is disproportionately applied, my daughter was starting to get in trouble for such things as going to the restroom and wearing a hat. It got so bad, that she considered dropping out of school. Basically, the school punishes adolescents for being adolescents. This breaks their spirit. This is not ok.”
“This law will ensure that schools must have available a range of alternatives rather than only punitive responses to student misconduct,” said Kathleen R. DeCataldo, Esq., Executive Director of the New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children. “Across the country we have seen these alternatives improve school climate and keep students in their classrooms learning by intervening early and actively seeking to reduce the odds of future misbehavior through interventions such as restorative practices that hold students accountable while teaching them the skills they need to resolve conflicts and ultimately succeed in life.”
“Schools should nurture, support and educate New York’s children, not slap them with a suspension or send them to the police precinct for being late to class or violating the dress code,” said New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman. “Excessive discipline policies have damaged the education of our kids, especially kids of color and kids with special needs. By mandating that schools approach misbehavior with respect and care, this legislation is necessary to ensure that children are taught the educational, social and emotional skills they need in school.”
“The Legal Aid Society strongly supports State Assembly Bill A.8396,” said Seymour James, Attorney-in-Chief of The Legal Aid Society. “Many of the Legal Aid Society’s clients face unnecessary suspensions and exclusions from school, which lead to missed opportunities for learning and significant disengagement from school. The bill would require more extensive use of restorative practices. It would reduce reliance on harsh discipline policies that cause students to disconnect from school, and would provide opportunities to teach students the conflict resolution skills they need to be successful.”
“Every child needs a safe and nurturing environment in school,” said Maria Bautista, Alliance for Quality Education’s New York City Campaigns Coordinator. “They need a place where they feel respected and where teachers can teach and students can learn. We need this legislation so schools can move forward with common sense practices toward discipline.”
“All children deserve access to a quality education, but too often, children of color are pushed out of the classroom through harsh school disciplinary policies,” said Kaitlin Banner, Staff Attorney at Advancement Project. “Act 8396 promotes fair and equitable school discipline policies and affirms our commitment to ensuring equal educational opportunities for all children.”
“This bill breaks new ground in New York State by encouraging districts to support schools in developing school-wide approaches to preventing problem behavior, by, for example, teaching students and staff how to handle conflicts constructively,” said Kim Sweet, Executive Director for Advocates for Children.
