OTL Ally Featured in New York Times
Posted on: Tuesday January 21st, 2014
Recently, the New York Times has been throwing the full weight of its editorial board behind school discipline reform. In a series ofeditorials, it has outlined the dire statistics showing how students of color and students with disabilities are disproportionately targeted by zero-tolerance policies that alienate students from the classroom and push them down the school-to-prison pipeline.
Recently, the New York Times has been throwing the full weight of its editorial board behind school discipline reform. In a series ofeditorials, it has outlined the dire statistics showing how students of color and students with disabilities are disproportionately targeted by zero-tolerance policies that alienate students from the classroom and push them down the school-to-prison pipeline. Maria Fernandez, coordinator for the Urban Youth Collaborative (an OTL ally), responded with a greatLetter to the Editor about what New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio can do to end harsh discipline:
"In New York City, during the 2012-13 school year, there were more than 53,400 suspensions. Black students made up almost 53 percent of those suspensions, when they make up only 27 percent of the student population. Although we’ve seen a decrease in suspensions, the racial disparities have not changed.Mayor Bill de Blasio and Carmen Fariña, the schools chancellor, can do what the Bloomberg administration didn’t: End harsh disciplinary policies; mandate and finance restorative justice programs and guidance interventions in all schools; end suspensions for “defying authority,” a vague, catchall infraction; train school staff systemwide to handle discipline; and revise the