Dr. Arash D.’s Post

"Van der Fluit said the new approach is better for all kids, not just those with a history of defiance. For example, the class that watched the tardy slip interaction unfold saw adults model how to successfully manage frustration and de-escalate a situation. 'That’s incredibly valuable,' he said, 'more valuable than learning photosynthesis.' While restorative justice practices may be better for the well being and ultimately, the education of students, there is a tension because of the already full plate of educators. It led me to reflect that if we want to bring more holistic practices to our schools we also need to be willing to reduce expectations on how much content can be covered. If students are required to attend school for a certain number of hours a day, how much of that time is dedicated to social-emotional learning and well being, and how much is to learning traditional content. Where does that overlap, and how do we need to change expectations in regard to metrics like testing to allow more space for this?

“Pushing students out of school starts astonishingly early. South Carolina suspends more preschool students than any other state and the most recent data suggests that this problem is getting worse.“ When discussing criminal justice, we often focus on adults in the system, but the unfortunate truth is that interaction with the criminal system isn’t limited to adults. And in South Carolina, a state that expels more preschool children from school than any other state, getting caught up in the criminal justice system at a young age is all the more likely. Many behaviors that children have end up being categorized as criminal when in fact they are behaviors that are a symptom of a larger issue in a child’s life. In the second blog of our three-part series centered around criminal justice, our Education Policy Attorney Jennifer Rainville discusses how school suspensions at an early age can greatly shape a child’s future as early as preschool. Read Jennifer’s blog here: https://lnkd.in/d7Vj52dA

"State lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including several on a critical education reform committee, say they're committed to seeking solutions to help ensure some of North Carolina's most vulnerable students get the public education they're constitutionally guaranteed." Suspensions and expulsions often occur due to a lack of adequate services and supports to meet students' needs. No educator wants to resort to expulsion; it often happens as a last resort due to staffing shortages and inadequate training. We must invest in more school social workers and counselors. Suspensions and expulsions harm both the student and the school. Students miss out on vital education opportunities and school communities miss their important contributions. We should explore alternative support mechanisms that benefit everyone. Read more https://bit.ly/48oSHYL #School #Suspention #DisabilityRIghts ID: Silhouettes of kids on swings.

School Is In is definitely keeping an eye on this: Title I, the $18 billion federal fund that supports low-income students, would disappear in a decade AND federal government’s ability to enforce civil rights laws in schools would be scaled back. Strange, these programs support families? Trump has also suggested that principals should be elected. Thoughts? #educationmatters #k12 #edchat #teacherlife #schools #education

When students have access to less educational opportunity based on their race, does it matter if that discrimination was intentional or not? According to a recent ruling by the Minnesota Supreme Court, intention does not matter, but impact does. As long as students can show that school-based segregation (whether intentional or not) damaged their educational prospects, they will be entitled to protection under the state constitution. Why does this matter so much? In the past, Courts have protected students from intentional educational segregation (think Brown v. Board), but not unintentional educational segregation (fueled by redlining and other such systems), so this ruling represents a major step forward toward eradicating all forms of segregation in our schools. #educationpolicy #civilrights #minnesota

Only a Democrat run City could re-institute racial segregation and try to pass it off as some public good. "This year marks the 70th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education. For the past 70 years, race discrimination in public schools has been illegal and unconstitutional. In some cases, even the National Guard has been called out to enforce the law. But in Evanston, Ill., it’s still a pre-Brown world. As reported elsewhere last year, Evanston Township High School offered racially segregated classes such as AP calculus for Hispanic students only, and English classes for only black students. It did that purportedly in the name of shrinking the achievement gap between Caucasian and non-Caucasian students. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but the doctrine of separate-but-equal still lives on, even today. What was the school district’s defense to such obviously illegal division of students by race? Just that no one is forced to take such classes, so they are optional, and therefore not discriminatory. But that logic doesn’t fly. First, it’s obvious that Evanston is engaged in brazen racial segregation. If Hispanic students take the math class designed specifically for Hispanic students, that means that non-Hispanic students will generally take math classes without any Hispanic students. The same is true for English classes that are only for black students. So much for diversity and inclusion! "Evanston isn’t just violating the Constitution. In 1964, Congress also passed a statute that deprives schools of federal funds if they discriminate based on race. That statute — called Title VI — gives the Department of Education and its Office for Civil Rights the authority to investigate public schools engaged in race discrimination and to force them to come into compliance with the law, under the threat of losing all federal funding." https://lnkd.in/gMhXhk7V

With the start of the latest legislative session in NY, lawmakers will decide whether to continue NYC's system of mayoral control over schools. Get the facts about what this means for NYC schools with this article from Gothamist.com > https://bit.ly/4aUdbes

Special education advocates have filed a new state complaint against Chicago Public Schools (CPS), urging the Illinois State Board of Education to intervene over ongoing transportation issues. For four consecutive years, CPS has struggled to provide reliable bus services for students with disabilities, a requirement under their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The complaint, spearheaded by advocates Miriam Bhimani and Terri Smith, highlights a systemic failure to meet legal obligations, potentially denying students a free appropriate public education as guaranteed by federal law. To learn more about the challenges and the actions proposed by the state, read the full article here: [https://buff.ly/4gcBh73 ] #SpecialEducation #EducationEquity #ChicagoPublicSchools #StudentTransportation #IEP

In a recent shift in policy, New York City's Education Department has intensified its enforcement of the June 1 deadline for requesting special education services in private schools. This crackdown, aimed at curbing rising costs and addressing fraud, has inadvertently stripped hundreds of children, like Suzette’s hearing-impaired daughter, of critical educational support. These changes, including a prohibition on certain legal actions by private school families, have left many without necessary services, causing concern among families and advocates about the broader impact on students who rely on these supports. For more insights into how these policy changes are affecting families across New York City, read the full article here: [https://buff.ly/3ZysuGB] #NYCEducation #SpecialEducation #EducationPolicy #NYCSchools