We are doing it again!! This October we are looking forward to the 10th anniversary of the Dignity in Schools Campaign (DSC) National Week of Action (WoA)! As a member of DSC, Gwinnett SToPP will again host a local WoA event. The theme this year is “Educate Students Stop Arrests” which is play on…
School’s out, but we are hard at work preparing for Year Two of our ending the school to prison pipeline project in partnership with the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities. That’s right! We have been given the green light to move forward to the training phase of this coalition-building effort. The second activity of this…
The parents’ and children’s advocacy groups Gwinnett SToPP, The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, and The Interfaith Children’s Movement are continuing their quest to educate the community about the inherit dangers black boys in special education face in school daily. The purpose of these community meetings is to provide quality education for all children,…
Gwinnett County has been without a League of Women Voters chapter for about 5 years, but Stephanie Wright is eager to change that. After spending two years managing an Indivisible group in Duluth and coordinating several candidate forums throughout Gwinnett County (including two school board forums with Gwinnett SToPP) Stephanie has decided to focus on…
On December 5, 2018, the Communities for Just Schools Fund (CJSF) released “Do the Harder Work–Create Cultures of Connectedness in Schools,” a report responding to the proceedings of the Federal Commission on School Safety and calls to “harden” schools. The Commission was appointed after the Parkland tragedy to make “meaningful and actionable recommendations to keep students safe…
Gwinnett Coalition to Dismantle the School To Prison Pipeline (Gwinnett SToPP), Georgia Council for Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), and Interfaith Children’s Movement in conjunction with the Dignity in Schools Week Of Action, hosted “From Lockers to Lockdown: Black Boys, Special Education and the School to Prison Pipeline” last Saturday. The event explored racial equity in schools and…
Earlier this year, The U.S. Department of Education (ED) met with advocates to discuss the possible repeal of the federal school discipline guidance. As a result of a suggestion received during the meeting, ED decided to hold listening sessions around the country to hear more from stakeholders. Following the Parkland, FL school shootings Ed…
The Dignity in Schools Campaign, Partners for Each and Every Child, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. developed this toolkit to serve as a call to action and to empower parents, families, caregivers, students, and other community members with the information and tools they need to take action on ESSA in schools. This Toolkit provides resources…
Our ED attended both sessions of Gwinnett’s March school board meetings. They were quite informative and eventful. Two staff members each committed a violation of the Open Meetings Act. They each held firm to violating even after it was explained to them. The 2pm work session included a breakout session with the Teachers Advisory…
Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) issued a statement regarding student participation in the National School Walkout on March 14th. Gwinnett responded with its typical punish and pushout stance. You can read our response here. Some students are hesitant to participate in the walkout for fear of being overly punished. That’s where parents and adults come…