Gwinnett SToPP represented again for the 2022 Dignity in Schools Campaign (DSC) National Week of Action (WoA). This year’s WoA was Saturday, October 8th through Sunday, October 16th. The theme was “Building the Schools our Communities Deserve NOW!” Gwinnett SToPP hosted two events to commemorate the week. Our first event included two panel discussions and […]
Category Archives: Parents
Week Of Action Event – Community Not Cops
From October 16th through October 24th, the Dignity In Schools Campaign (DSC) members and allies participated in the National Week Of Action. The event is a time for grassroots organizations to raise awareness against school pushout. This year’s theme was Community Not Cops, and it perfectly illustrates the true solution to improve the success […]
Gwinnett SToPP Calls on Dr. Watts to Fix Student Discipline and Create an Equitable Learning Environment for All Students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 18, 2021, Lawrenceville, Ga. – Gwinnett SToPP is thrilled with the departure of James Alvin Wilbanks as Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) superintendent and the opportunity for change. However, this replacement alone does not accomplish the goals of Gwinnett SToPP. Gwinnett SToPP demands tangible changes in our schools to address the […]
Senate Bill 42: Moving Backwards
ADVOCACY ALERT! Georgia Senate Bill 42 (SB 42) would remove student discipline from the school climate star rating indicator on our school’s report card. Gwinnett SToPP successfully advocated for the inclusion of student discipline in the indicator to make sure that a student’s entire school experience was considered when determining school climate. Georgia’s children are […]
WAOK MB Interview with Juandolyn Stokes
Melody Brooks, Policy Manager and Coalition Coordinator for the Gwinnett Parent Coalition to Dismantle the School to Prison Pipeline (Gwinnett SToPP) and Juandolyn Stokes of WAOK discuss the serious issue of discipline disparities Black and Brown Students face in comparison to their White counterparts. Alternative schools, special education, under-funding of public schools and restorative justice […]
7 Demands for A New Vision of Safety for GCPS
Gwinnett SToPP has worked to end overly harsh and ineffective discipline at Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) since our founding in 2008. We won the demand to denote Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) violations in the GCPS Student/Parent Handbook that could result in a referral to a School Resource Officer (SRO) and possible criminal […]
Join PLI! Application is Now Open
It has been quite a year for social justice advocacy, especially combating anti-Black racism. We have re-evaluated our strategies for supporting the community in this moment. Gwinnett SToPP has doubled-down on education and training – equipping parents, students, and community members with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate new and existing challenges to […]
ESSA and Biden
The Biden Administration’s Approach to the ESSA Act Gwinnett SToPP and education advocates around the country are anticipating major changes from the Biden-Harris Administration. President-elect Biden promises that the Every Student Succeeds Act, which was signed into law under the Obama-Biden Administration in 2015, will receive significant reinforcements, overturning the Trump Administration’s approach to stripping […]
Education System in Crisis Series
On November 9th, Gwinnett SToPP will be presenting our fourth installment to the Education System In Crisis series titled, “Native American Boarding Schools and the COVID Response.” We have been discussing racism in education including: the foundation of the education system, disparities in discipline and opportunities, and Police Free Schools! We educate the public on […]
Reimagining Safety in a Surveilled Community
A question I continuously revisit is if increased surveillance truly makes a population feel safe. Does the camera on every corner, police car in every lot, and metal detectors in schools actually make community members and students feel safer? I remember being in the 5th grade, and constantly worried about getting caught doing something wrong, […]