News
(February 6, 2012) Former School Board member Tina Hone (At-Large) has launched the "Coalition of the Silence" to address the needs of minority and disadvantaged children in Fairfax County public schools. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge from her work as a school board member and with long experience in juvenile justice and education issues. FZTR School Board Member indorsee Sheree Brown-Kaplan is engaged with the coalition because of her long-time advocacy for students with disabilities. According to Hone, the coalition's mission is "to be a voice for those communities whose children are underrepresented at the highest level of academic achievement in the Fairfax County Public School system, yet overrepresented in the school system's disciplinary process. Poor children, African American and Latino children, and children with disabilities are all at the heart of the Coalition of The Silence." She asks supporters to join and Friend its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Coalition-of-The-Silence-Fairfax-County/311189382253907
(February 6, 2012) The following FZTR endorsed candidates were elected to the school board: Megan McLaughlin, Elizabeth Schultz, Dan Storck, Sandy Evans, and Patty Reed. Ryan McElveen and Pat Hynes were very close contenders for FZTR endorsement and have been consistently supportive of FZTR's goals during the campaign and since the election. Several other school board members appear to be considering needed changes as well. School board work sessions and meetings are posted here: http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/calendars/meetingscalendar.shtml. FZTR asks supporters to stay on top of discipline issues and keep their elected officials accountable for their campaign promises.
(September 26, 2011) FZTR Endorses Steve Stuban, Sheree Brown-Kaplan, Lolita Mancheno-Smoak and Shelia Ratnam. Fairfax Zero Tolerance Reform has endorsed the following candidates for At-Large: Steve Stuban, Sheree Brown-Kaplan and Lolita Mencheno-Smoak. We are endorsing Shelia Ratnam for the Sully District. Click for the At-Large press release, or the Sully release..
FZTR Endorses Megan McLaughlin and Dan Storck (September 20, 2011) Fairfax Zero Tolerance Reform has endorsed Megan McLaughlin for Fairfax County School Board in the Braddock District, and Dan Storck in the Mt. Vernon District.. Click for the full press release on Megan or Dan.
Fairfax Zero Tolerance Reform troubled by FCPS and High School Principals proposal to install video surveillance cameras in all High School cafeterias and interior common areas. (September 14, 2011) FCPS and High School principals made this proposal, made during the School Board work session on September 12th, 2011. Fairfax Zero Tolerance Reform strongly believes it is an over reactive measure that perpetuates a 'gotcha' atmosphere in our schools, and is a stark betrayal of good-faith reform efforts during the discipline review process this spring. For the full FZTR press release, click here.
FZTR Endorses Louise Epstein (August 15, 2011) Fairfax Zero Tolerance Reform has endorsed Louise Epstein for Fairfax County School Board in the Drainsville District. Click here for the full press release.
FZTR Endorses Elizabeth Schultz (August 15, 2011) Fairfax Zero Tolerance Reform has endorsed Elizabeth Schultz for Fairfax County School Board in the Springfield District. Click here for the full press release.
Major Texas Study Findings Support FZTR Positions. (July 19, 2011) The Council of State Governments Justice Center, in partnership with the Public Policy Research Institute at Texas A&M University, released an unprecedented statewide study today of nearly 1 million Texas public secondary school students, followed for at least six years: Breaking Schools’ Rules: A Statewide Study on How School Discipline Relates to Students’ Success and Juvenile Justice Involvement. Among its startling findings, according to CSG, "are that the majority of students were suspended or expelled between seventh to twelfth grade. Funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Open Society Foundations, this study also found that when students are suspended or expelled, the likelihood that they will repeat a grade, not graduate, and/or become involved in the juvenile justice system increases significantly." See the Washington Post article by Donna St. George: Study shows wide varieties in discipline methods among very similar schools. The next question: What will FCPS do with yet more research demonstrating its own policies and practices are seriously flawed?
US Supreme Court Upholds Student Miranda Rights. (June 16, 2011) In a major decision likely to have implications in any school district that employs police in its schools, as FCPS does, the US Supreme Court held that age (and the likelihood of children being coerced into confessions) must be taken into account in determining whether a child is "in custody" for purposes of giving them Miranda warnings prior to being questioned. The 5-4 majority opinion in JDB v. North Carolina was strongly argued by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. To see the full docket, with coverage and briefs, go to www.scotusblog.com. The opinion analysis is very good. The next question: What will FCPS do with a high court decision that clearly implies children should be read their rights under questioning?
Arlington County Dramatically Changes Drug/Alcohol School Discipline Policy. (June 16 2011) Unlike FCPS, which, despite recent changes, still falls far behind progressive jurisdictions, Arlington has adopted a policy that "will soon offer a second change for teenagers caught using drugs or alcohol: a three-day session on substance abuse that will take the place of a school suspension or court hearing," according to Kevin Sieff of The Washington Post. Here is the story.
FCPS school board throws bones to parents and advocates in changes to the Student Rights and Responsibilities (name change) student discipline code -- but votes against parent right to be notified prior to interrogations. (June 9 2011) This Washington Post story highlights the positive changes, but it does not address the fact that two of the most significant changes sought by a multitude of parents were voted down: Miranda warnings for children and parent notification prior to questioning when an infraction is likely to lead to more than a three-day suspension or to a recommendation for expulsion. (See Alert to left). Advocates gained several victories from this school board, but it waited until after the 11pm news to fail, news that did not make it into most broadcasts that night or the next day.
Another strong case against ZT (June 15 2011). Valerie Strauss's guest, Sean Slade, director of Healthy School Communities at ASCD, makes a strong case for systemic change in discipline approaches and philosophies in the Washington Post Answer Sheet: Moving Past Zero Tolerance Disciplinary Policies.
Story in The Washington Post by Donna St. George on how more schools are re-thinking zero-tolerance policies, and why. (June 1 2011). FCPS is not there yet.
FCCPTA Adopts Resolution on Reducing Disproportionality in suspensions and reassignments of students with disabilities. This resolution was adopted May 9, 2011 and was largely authored by an expert on the issues these students face, Sheree Brown-Kaplan, the FCCPTA representative to FCPS's Advisory Committee on Students with Disabilities. FZTR leadership fully supports this resolution.
Zero Tolerance is No Longer Tolerated in Wake County, NC. Real reform, for all the right reasons, is happening in Wake County, NC. Read all about it! And put it under the noses of our own FCPS and BOS leaders! Wake Softens on Zero Tolerance
FZTR's Hemenway and Montgomery County's Ed Clarke Tackle ZT in "Debate" on WUSA9 May 10, 2011. Hemenway, director of FairfaxZeroToleranceReform.org, and Edward Clarke, veteran MoCo police officer and recent chief of school security for the county, were to have a "scrappy" exchange on whether zero tolerance policies have gone too far, prompted by a story of two lacrosse players suspended for having repair tools in their sports bags. But in conversation prior to the live newscast, they discovered agreement on the need for due process, for parent notification, for reason in applying discipline, and that SROs are police officers. They struggled for ways to be "scrappy" but couldn't pull it off. :-) Here is the Talbot County story that prompted this: Zero Tolerance Policy Criticized in Talbot County. And here is the "debate:" Are School and Zero Tolerance Policies Going Too Far?
ZT In Local and National Conversation:
- Outstanding interview with New American Media managing editor Annette Fuentes on her new book: Lockdown High: When The Schoolhouse Becomes the Jail House. Zero Tolerance Policy Creates and School-to-Prison Pipeline
- May 9 CNN story asks if of New York City: Is the Zero Tolerance Policy in School Too Harsh?
- April 5 Education Week Commentary: The Time is Right to End Zero Tolerance in Schools
- Local student papers are taking up the clarion call. Here, the Langley High School Saxon Scope, tackles zero tolerance in a May 2, 2011 story: Zero Tolerance.
- The Loudoun's Falcon Flyer (Briar Woods High School) addressed the issue, but it sounds like the student who wrote this is buying into the party line as well: A Call for Education on the Zero Tolerance Policy.
- Sacramento California education group is in on the action by hosting a discussion: Black Parallel School Board Hosts Forum.
- Blissfield, MI high school student gets 45-day suspension reduced (after battle) for inadvertently bringing in a jackknife and turning it in: Story: Blissfield Student Suspended for taking Knife on School Trip. Editorial: School Justice.
- Broward County, FLA relaxes ZT policy on toy guns (but not enough for reason -- kids are out 90 days instead of 180 for something as harmless as a nerf dart): Broward Schools Relax Zero Tolerance Policy on Toy Guns.
WaPo article tackles punishment of marijuana users in FCPS and college application impacts: Penalties for Drug Offenses weigh Heavily on Students. Most of you have read this by now. Donna St. George is on top of things again! This was on the FRONT PAGE of the Sunday, May 1 Washington Post on the consequences of our punitive marijuana policies. She is working on other stories and we urge you to call her with your personal story -- and COMMENT on the ones she writes. Many of the people she interviews are folks who support FZTR. But she needs STORIES! Be brave. Speak to her! If you have students with disabilities or who are minorites, that is of particular concern. Donna R St. George
Huff Post and Ed Week Writer Calls for End to Zero Tolerance Policies in April 2011 story. Gara LaMarche, president at CEO of The Atlantic Philanthropies cites need for systemic improvements instead of pushing out troubled kids. Examples: NYC suspensions of 4-10-year-olds went up 76% since 2003. In Baltimore, Indiana, and Louisiana, shift to reason is happening with beneficial results. In Clayton Co. GA and Birmingham ALA, family court judges have demanded that schools stop the school-to-prison pipeline.
Kansas City Girl Gets Kicked Out of School for Jacknife. Read this April 2, 2011 story and discover that FCPS is in good company with unjust and lazy black-and-white practices (read "zero tolerance"). This story will sound familiar to hundreds of parents in Fairfax. It appears school leaders there, like here, take the easy, inflexible road out, sweeping good students down that road and out into the streets. One can just hear them complain, "It's too HARD to be FAIR!" Contrast that with the following:
Scottsdale AZ Unified School District Updates Code of Conduct to Downgrade Drug and Cellphone Offenses. This April 6 story shows a school district that appears to be responding to calls for reason. FZTR doesn't know what lurks beneath this story in reality, but on the face of it, this kind of "update" is the kind that should be happening everywhere.
RedAppleMom's Blog Says It Like It Is to FCPS School Board Member Jane Strauss. FZTR supporters should read this pointed -- sharp! -- and highly informed reprimand from one of our discipline reform colleagues who also helps parents create effective advocacy groups and coalitions. Links to ZT stories and other material are worth clicking on, too.
FCPS School Board Asks Superintendent to Proceed on Ten Recommendations. (See blog entry on this.) While this is progress, FZTR stands firmly behind the fact that these proposals do not go far or deep enough. (See letter to school board in link.) It also remains concerned that Superintendent Jack Dale and Deputy Superintendent Richard Moniuszko are seeking to pacify the public, quell outcry, and do the minimum necessary to make this issue "go away." They are circulating a group of principals to various venues to argue that all these reforms would make their jobs too hard. Several school board members strongly support full reform and many asked probing questions that appeared to advocate for an overhaul. In FZTR's estimation, strongly supportive SB members included Tina Hone, Patty Reed, Sandy Evans, and Dan Storck. Supportive members included Brad Center, and Ilyrong Moon. Others appear to be concerned enough to support reform but expressed reservations FZTR considers unfounded: Janie Strauss, Kathy Smith. Unclear on level of support were Jim Raney, Liz Bradsher, and Tessie Wilson. Misrepresenting FZTR's positions and stridently for a law-and-order approach was Stuart Gibson.
FZTR Opinion Piece in Washington Post April 3, 2011. "How Fairfax Can Get School Discipline Right." We propose six key requirements for reform. We have many more concerns, but had to boil them down to 600 words. This was sent to more than 200 media outlets, business groups, and elected officials. FZTR believes that Chambers of Commerce, businesses, and others with an economic interest in this county should support an overhaul of the zero tolerance system so company employees will know their children will be nourished and protected. David Otersen, FZTR co-founder Janet Otersen's husband, crafted this opinion with input and edits from FZTR director Caroline Hemenway.
FCPS Board Proposes Discipline Changes But Do Not Go Far Enough. FCPS Superintendent Jack Dale held a rare press conference on March 30, 2011 to propose ten changes to the discipline system for the school board to consider. Significantly and applaudably, these include recording Superintendent hearings, giving principals discretion on prescription drug infractions, and reducing hearings timelines. These recommendations do not go far enough and omit serious necessary changes. Read our press release to learn what we have sent hundreds of reporters and other organizations. Dale said parent notification guidelines should be "refined" to "help parents prepare for the hearing process." FZTR suggests that helping parents face nightmares is not the issue. Keeping kids out of them is. He claimed most of these changes were "common sense" and came during a normal student code of conduct review -- not as a result of relentless public pressure from the likes of FZTR. (!) He could not explain why they were not done earlier if they were so ordinary. FZTR continues to object that the hearings process flowchart has no place for a finding of innocence.
VA Del. Kaye Kory and FZTR Met in Richmond March 30, 2011 with key collaborators to sync our work and unify our message regarding changes to the code of Virginia and to FCPS policies. Attorneys and respresentatives from the following groups attended: The Advancement Project, JustChildren, The Rutherford Institute, Voices for Virginia's Children, The Family Foundation, FZTR. Steve Stuban and his brother-in-law Chris Antonious also attended. Others were invited but could not attend. They began collaborating on necessary statutory reforms and on how to make sure justice is implemented at the local level.
Supreme Court heard student Miranda case March 23, 2011: In J.D.B. v. North Carolina, the SCOTUS is considering whether a court may consider a juvenile's age or de facto custody (ability to "freely leave") in a Miranda custody analysis. Other SCOTUS decisions have focused on 4th and 14th Amendment rights, upholding the right to search and seizure of student property, but this is the first time a 5th Amendment case related to student rights is being heard. NPR story here.
Your Letters and Emails are Working! When you write to the newspapers, call the broadcast media, write the board, show up anywhere and bring this topic to light, you are being heard!
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