Advocating for Race Equity in Education: Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Candace Moore, Senior Staff Attorney

Presented Feb. 14th, 2019

Exclusionary

Discipline

Lack of

Resources

Trauma and

Community

Violence

Racism

Why does the Chicago

Lawyers’ Committee

focus on the School to

Prison Pipeline?

Mission StatementWe are civil rights lawyers and advocates working to secure racial

equity and economic opportunity for all. We provide legal representation through partnerships with the private bar, and

collaborate with grassroots organizations and other advocacy groups to implement community-based solutions that advance civil rights.

COLLABORATION

Partnerships are central to the success of

our mission. Our collaboration with law firms

and individual attorneys, grass roots groups,

educational institutions, and other advocacy

organizations is vital to our ability to secure

successful legal outcomes, and strengthens

our capacity to help clients and communities

achieve their broader social justice goals.

CORE VALUES

IMPACT

By matching clients with attorneys, we

increase the likelihood of successful

outcomes in individual matters, and develop

high impact advocacy strategies to address

underlying policies, practices, systems, and

structures that perpetuate poverty and racial

disparities.

EQUITY

Recognizing the broad reach of

discrimination, we challenge oppressive

practices, advocate for expanded access to

opportunity, and promote the fair allocation

of resources so that everyone has a chance

to succeed.

EMPOWERMENT

By listening and providing information,

tools, and legal support, we strengthen

communities’ capacities to advocate for

themselves on the issues they identify as

priorities.

INNOVATION

In a constantly changing environment, we

utilize a multi-faceted advocacy tool box to

develop solutions for today’s most pressing

civil rights challenges. We work with clients

and community leaders to craft the “right

strategy at the right time” to secure the

outcomes they seek.

COMMUNITY

ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT

VOTING

RIGHTS

HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES

EDUCATION

EQUITY

National impact

InfoGraphic created by the Advancement Project

National impact

I N F O G R A P H I C C R E A T E D

B Y T H E A D V A N C E M E N T

P R O J E C T

Chicago Data

District Enrollment: 400,545

Out of School Suspension:

49,674

In School Suspension:

37,951

Expulsions: 442

CPS DISCIPLINE BY

RACE

(‘13-‘14)

District Enrollment: 396,683 In School Suspension:

38,869

Out of School Suspension:

22,652

Expulsions: 329 (includes charter and district)

CPS DISCIPLINE BY RACE

SY 15- ’16

# OF DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

White - 9%

African American - 39%

Native American - less than 1%

Asian - 4%

Hispanic - 46%

Multiracial - 1%

Other- Less than 1%

White- 2%

African American-71%

Native American- Less than1%Asian- Less than 1%

Hispanic-25%

Multiracial- Less than 1%

Other- Less than 1%

White- 3%

African American- 71%

Native American- Less than 1%

Asian-Less than 1%

Hispanic -25%

Multiracial - 1%

Other -Less than 1%

White-Less than 1%

African American- 77%

Native American- 0%

Asian- 0%

Hispanic-31%

Multiracial- Less than 1%

Other - 0%

SOURCE: Eric Fischer (2010) at https://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/sets/72157624812674967/map/ . License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

Police Notifications= 3178

POLICE

IN

CHICAGO PUBLIC

SCHOOLS

White-3%

African American- 66%

Native American- Lessthan 1%Asian- 1%

Hispanic-28%

Multiracial- Less than 1%

Other - Less than 1%

240 Chicago Police Department officers serve in some 500 Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Police Dept. 1,800,000

One million eight hundred thousand and 0/100

$75,000 per officer (240 officers) Chicago Public Schools

Discipline Across Illinois

• Prior to 2016 statewide reform, data collected by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights showed that in Illinois there were

over 272,000 out-of-school suspensions of Illinois students,

more than 2,400 expulsions, and more than 10,000 arrests in just one school year.

• As a result, Illinois students are losing over one million instructional days per year.

Research by Dr. Pamela Fenning, Kelsie Reed, and Melissa Bravo, Loyola University Chicago School of Education (2018)

Why do I work on the

School-to-Prison-

Pipeline and civil rights

issues?

Key Lessons

• Community Lawyering

• Race Equity Impact Assessment

• Language for Racial Equity

The Racial Justice Institute is a groundbreaking national leadership

program, grounded in a commitment to race-equity as an integral and essential part

of anti-poverty advocacy.

Education is often referred to as the “civil rights issue of our time.” The most glaring disparity between past social justice movements and the current education reform movement is that the most visible and active leadership “heroes” in education reform typically do not represent the socio-economic or racial diversity of the populations it seeks to serve.

The Surge Institute is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the empowerment, advancement, growth, and achievement of youth

and communities of color. We do this by educating and elevating leaders of

color, preparing them to transform urban education and expand the

opportunities for our youth.

How do we work to

combat the School-to-

Prison-Pipeline?

Direct Services to Collective Action

https://youtu.be/ZTPMG-DkI1c?t=73

Practices No Longer Allowed

• Zero tolerance policies, Encouraging students to dropout, and Imposing a fine

Limits School’s Disciplinary Process and Practices “to the Greatest Extent Practicable”

• Creates standards for Suspensions, Expulsions, and Disciplinary Transfers

New supports for students experiencing exclusionary discipline

• Support services, re-engagement plans, and academic recovery credit

SB100: Discipline Reform

The Transforming School Discipline Collaborative (TSDC) is an interdisciplinary team of

attorneys, school psychologists, policy advocates and community partners dedicated to

supporting districts and schools to implement equitable and non-exclusionary discipline

practices.

National Teachers’ Academy

https://youtu.be/BX5FxZqlg1E

Final Notes from

the Field

1. Race equity advocacy is a critical piece to any public interest work aimed at meaningful and sustainable reform.

2. This work is not about saving people, its about creating space and opportunity for power to shift.

People are experts of their own experience and should have the power to identify and create solutions.

3. This work requires you to show up authentic, humble, and courageous.

4. BHM is a time to reflect on the contributions of Black people to this country. It should also be a moment for us to renew our commitment to future of Black lives.

Candace Moore

Senior Staff Attorney

cmoore@clccrul.org

Questions?