#boarding schools and the school to prison pipeline

[itsopiniontime69]

the thing with that is that you would be able to see the struggling schools and pump some more money into them so that teachers would have the resources to bring the kids in poorer areas up to par with kids in wealthier areas

NOPE

I was today years old. That is disgusting.

No Child Left Behind is one of the worst things to ever be incentivized in schools. It was signed into law when I was 14. Reading Rainbow was my show as a kid. LeVar Burton played a big part in why I became an avid reader to date. The joy of it. It's an adventure around the globe and through different time periods without stepping on a plane or time machine.

Children parrot behavior. In grade school, I always wanted to read the same amount of books as my teachers (50 books) and managed to double that each year. Before No Child Left Behind, book fairs and Scholastic catalogs were a serious matter like your grandma's Fingerhut catalogs. Libraries were (and still are) a wonderland.

Reading comprehension and proficiency in schools has been declining for decades. A crisis. The joy of books isn't pushed anymore and I'm always saddened by it. It's one of the reasons why I post my book reviews and recommendations on here, as well as posts from others to encourage reading and (novel) writing. Kids will parrot your behavior while the education system sadly fails to return as that example.

[girl-mercury]

So I just went to go early vote, and before I did that I checked the down ticket races to see what’s on the ballot that I also needed to be aware of, and there were six city council seats, three school board seats, and a constitutional amendment. These are pretty typical types of races for non-presidential years too, so I’ve kind of gotten a sense of what I’m looking for when I check candidates’ websites, since I try to vote in every election.

One thing that comes up again and again in candidates’ platforms is public safety, and how they view police in the context of that.

The school board candidates will talk about school safety, and it’ll mean different things— some candidates mean that they are going to fight for more restrictive gun regulations; others mean they want a resource officer in every corner of the school. If you care about the school-to-prison pipeline, that second option isn’t going to be the person whose safety vision you want.

The city council candidates will talk about community safety, and some will mean more social workers, mental health crisis workers, accountability for law enforcement, violence disrupters, and engaging with community leaders. Others mean increasing the police budget, getting more weapons for police, and funding more training as an answer for abuse. If you care about police violence, prison abolition or reduction, real consequences for officers who hurt people, and helping vulnerable over-policed populations, that second option is not the candidate whose vision of safety you want.

If you were protesting in 2020, if you care about police accountability and defunding, that’s your answer to “well both presidential candidates support Israel”. That’s a different issue and one that we can less directly affect and I don’t want to discuss it in response to this post. But you CAN have a voice in how your community is policed, and your vote can matter a lot at that level. And maybe matters vitally to every person who could lose their freedom or their life because somebody got into office who allows cops to do whatever they want.

So go vote for that person, please.

[brittanyautumn333]

Generation Alpha are the most difficult generation in the history of education

I have attempted to go into education TWICE. When I first started student teaching (2016), I noticed behavioral issues in the 4th graders that I was teaching. I witnessed a 4th grader tell another teacher that she was NOT going to be doing the assigned reading, and if the teacher didn’t like it, she would tell her mom and her mom would have her fired via the school board. Children were noticing power dynamics, even then. Parents would rather have educators lose their livelihood than creating a possible confrontation with their children, over the concept that adults are authority figures worthy of respect. I continued with my education program, but I did not get licensure. Even then, school administrators took the side of parents/students and distributed limited disciplinary actions, citing the school-to-prison pipeline. Even when these students were a PHYSICAL danger to not only well-behaved students, but their teachers as well.

Millennial parents were raised by the overly strict, irrational boomers. They aren’t even realizing that they’re creating the same entitlement within their own children, simply through emotional unavailability and lack of structure. Parenthood is more than cute photos for Facebook and Instagram, and many millennials that I know had children wayyyy before they were ready. Gentle parenting is entirely different than PASSIVE parenting. Difficult conversations, tears, and learning experiences are all a part of childhood. Mind-numbing technology does not make developmental requirements go away. Generation alpha has been stripped of the true opportunity to learn and develop. Learning opportunities have been replaced by mind-numbing technology. These tablets produce the same responses in the brains of these children as DRUGS. That is why they can’t focus on school. Imagine taking a drug away for 8 hours, and being expected to learn more information when you were not even set up for success since being a toddler. The expectations seem unfair to them, understandably. They’re children, and new to many things. Millennial parents do not generally have knowledge on childhood development, and what are developmentally appropriate behaviors vs inappropriate behavior. Your child does not need to see a doctor, YOU need to sit with them and identify their emotional and behavioral patterns. Not every child needs medication, but all children need discipline and structure. That requires uncomfortable emotions, from both parent and child. There are times where you and your child will not be “friends”.

Generation alpha doesn’t retain information because they go home, and are handed a tablet. They have 0 social skills because they do not have many opportunities for socialization. Not even from their parents. Many of their social opportunities are with OTHER kids who also have extensive internet access to inappropriate and mindless content. I know middle school teachers who teach 6th graders on a 1ST GRADE READING LEVEL. No more than 2 parents even show up to parent teacher conferences. Parents are unresponsive via emails and phone calls. These kids are being set up for poverty. Respect, reading comprehension, and following directions are essential for even retail and restaurant careers.

Gen-Z does not use nearly as much technology in parenting. We were the first generation with unrestricted Internet access. We have seen horrible things on the internet. My best friend and I watched someone get beh***ed at 11 years old. We also watched our parents (Gen X) become emotionally unavailable due to technology and social media. Our hobbies, interests, and achievements were reduced to Facebook and Instagram likes. Gen Z understands the importance of QUALITY TIME in parenthood. Gen Z is not having children, because we take it seriously. We understand how hurtful it is to not be heard by our parents. We understand how awful the internet can be. We understand social media’s unfair and unrealistic expectations on the youth.

Charlottesville High School in Charlottesville, VA has had multiple days of classes cancelled due to a teacher walkout. There have been multiple VIOLENT fights that have broken out. A teacher was seriously injured not even 2 weeks ago. A suspension for these students hasn’t even been handed out. We need to protect educators (the very few that we still have) and students who show up willing to learn.

[beardedmrbean]

A father of two young children hopes a lawsuit will lead to more transparency and improve student outcomes in Baltimore's embattled public school system.

"I'm all for funding schools," Jovani Patterson, told Fox News. "However, you don't just keep giving money without investigation on where the money has gone, especially with the amount of corruption and misuse of funds that have taken place for years in Baltimore City."

Patterson and his wife allege the school system misused taxpayer funds, reported ghost students — children not actually enrolled — in order to gain more funding, falsified pupils' records to push failing students through to graduation and more. Their suit names Baltimore City School Board of Commissioners, city council and Mayor Brandon Scott as defendants.

"It's all about power and control," Patterson said of the school system. "There's a lot of money in education."

That's $1.62 billion a year in Baltimore City Public Schools, to be exact. Baltimore has the fourth-highest funded large school system in the nation, behind only New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. Charm City's school budget increased 16% this school year, according to the city.

All that money — approximately $21,600 per student — isn't adding up to better outcomes. Baltimore had the lowest graduation rate across Maryland during the last school year. At one high school, 77% of students read at an elementary or kindergarten level.

And in February, FOX45's Project Baltimore broke the news that 23 schools had zero students score proficient on a state math exam. The state then removed the data and re-uploaded a heavily-redacted version.

"I think that they're trying to hide that the public school system is in worse shape than we thought," a whistleblower who previously worked in the Maryland State Department of Education told Project Baltimore.

Patterson agreed, telling Fox News "there's clearly a cover-up going on here."

"There's clearly things that we see that they don't want the people of the public to know when it comes to educating our kids," he said.

The question is simple for Patterson: Should Baltimore City students receive a good education?

"If you believe the answer to that is yes, then you should be joined in with this lawsuit as well," he said.

Baltimore's education woes are uniting people across the political spectrum. Patterson made an unsuccessful bid for city council president as a Republican in 2020. But prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump has joined his lawsuit.

"If you don’t get a quality education, often times you find yourself a victim of the school-to-prison pipeline," Crump told FOX45. "Hopefully, with this lawsuit, we can get it right and that way it can help make – not just Baltimore better – but it can help make cities across America better."

A spokesperson for Baltimore City Public Schools called the Pattersons’ lawsuit "meritless because it fails to identify a current controversy justifying judicial intervention" in an email to Fox News.

"Even if the plaintiffs’ lawsuit identified current concerns with City School policies or procedures, there is a robust local, state, and federal infrastructure to handle these types of issues," the spokesperson continued, adding that "City Schools stands ready to demonstrate our steadfast commitment to providing a quality education to all students."

The legal process could drag on for years, according to Patterson's attorney. A judge allowed the case to move into the discovery and deposition phase late last year after denying the city and school system's request to dismiss the suit.

But Patterson said he's in it for the long haul.

"Someone has to stay and fight," he said. "I met my wife here, [had] both of my kids here, I was born here, bought my first house here. I planted my flag. So I'm going to fight as long and as hard as I can."

To see the full interview with Patterson, click here.

[insert-witty-user-name-here]

Friendly reminder to my US mutuals to register to vote.

Many states require voter registration 15-30 days before Election Day (see a list of deadlines here by state) so take 5 minutes to register to vote before the end of this month!

While you’re at it, out Vote.org to check your voter registration status, find your polling place, get a sample ballot, request an absentee ballot, and more.

I know this post sounds like a bot so a personal story about voting- your vote does matter. I once worked on a school board race where the race was decided by 47 votes. 47. The following year that school board banned out of school suspension for PreK-2nd grade and dedicated $50 million of their budget to reform school discipline (helping break -or at least trying to- the school to prison pipeline). Because of those 47 people who voted, thousands of students had legal protections they did not have before and thousand of students continue to have those protections today.

Anyway. All this to say. It’s easy to feel like your vote doesn’t matter when thinking about “the big stuff” but on the local level I promise you, your voter matters. Don’t let the bigots win. Go vote.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

For the rest of May, my bestselling solarpunk utopian novel THE LOST CAUSE (2023) is available as a $2.99, DRM-free ebook!

#15yrsago Congress proposes anti-DRM law for cars https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/right-repair-law-pro

#15yrsago Bush cronies land jobs charging for advice on not getting eaten by the monsters they created https://web.archive.org/web/20090523162034/https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-05-19-newjobs_N.htm?csp=34

#15yrsago Search Engine podcast is back on TVO https://web.archive.org/web/20090522054021/http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/theagenda/index.cfm?page_id=3&action=blog&subaction=viewPost&post_id=10253&blog_id=81

#10yrsago NSA records every cell phone call in the Bahamas https://web.archive.org/web/20140519224819/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/05/19/data-pirates-caribbean-nsa-recording-every-cell-phone-call-bahamas/

#10yrsago U of Saskatchewan fires tenured dean for speaking out against cuts https://artssquared.wordpress.com/2014/05/18/canadas-academics-invited-to-sign-on-to-open-letter-to-university-of-saskatchewan-board-chair-ms-susan-milburn/

#10yrsago Nutritionists’ professional events catered by McD’s, sponsored by High Fructose Corn Syrup https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/05/my-trip-mcdonalds-sponsored-nutritionist-convention/

#5yrsago Bernie Sanders’ “Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public Education” will desegregate schools, defund charters, pay teachers, end the school-to-prison pipeline https://berniesanders.com/issues/reinvest-in-public-education/

#5yrsago Judge recuses himself from health insurance cancer-denial case because he considers the company “immoral” and “barbaric” https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/16/health/judge-proton-beam-therapy-recusal-unitedhealthcare/index.html

#5yrsago Wil Wheaton’s “Dead Trees Give No Shelter”: terrifying tale, beautifully told https://wilwheaton.net/2017/04/dead-trees-give-no-shelter-audiobook/

#1yrago Venture predation https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/19/fake-it-till-you-make-it/#millennial-lifestyle-subsidy

[freeworldallahmbaclass]

I got this book Fat Joe you gotta get it Fat Joe Memoir the book of Jose with him as the Author with Shaheem Reid hot so far instant classic, and give it up a round of applause I mean for Fat Joe for over 20 years 2 decades going on 3 decades Fat Joe has been visiting Rikers Island trying to talk some sense in the inmates out there on Rikers Island how do I know because I was one of those kids he came to visit on Rikers Island in the auditorium he was telling us to stay out of Jail I was 16 years old at the time and here was Fat Joe Mr Don Cartagena the rapper dropping Jewels to us an audience full of kids on the dangers of the streets and how to stay out of jail so in honor of him and Salt from the female group Salt and Pepa I present you with my Rikers Island tablet program law proposal for the betterment of the prison population on Rikers Island and hopefully other jails follow through with my plans for the betterment of their Jail and counties .

Rikers Island computer tablets and Docs inmate computer tablet program this is for nationwide .

Rykers Island tablet programs and NYS DOC tablet program for all buildings on Rikers Island including the adolescent population to help stop gang violence and giving the kids a chance to create a better future for themselves not the pipeline from the streets and back to jail over and over and again and over again , not kick that give them the option of going legit like crime is their for their choosing or they get pushed into it , then push them into legitimacy give them the option through the tablet programs on it to learn how to do research by looking up their case and podcast like how to find your dream job is in there on the tablet along with the radio they could listen to music , call their family and enjoy time on the phone from anywhere in their housing in the facility in the rec room playing board games or on their bed talking to their family and long term solitary confinement inmates should be able to get their tablets and video games handheld systems it is a much better time occupier and it will seriously decrease crime on Rikers Island by over 60 - 70 % if not 100 % percent total annihilation of crime on Rikers Island , you have the greatest substitute for drama and the correction officers getting robbed , slashed and even murdered on Rikers Island what you then have is a hub for learning an Island of learners , readers , researchers , growing and evolving human beings into more decent and civilized wealthy and intelligent men and women that go home and change the world and never return to prison and that is the ultimate goal , but look at the opportunity you have got a chance to turn Rikers to an liberal education and vocational education school a workforce training school you could learn to write resumes , job letters to corporate executives become a mechanic , engineer , electrician , gain your GED and trade skills and job search and job interview skills from jail and the Correction Officers are the people handing you my tablets they are giving you my tablets to get your life together and get the future you want they are running my program for you while you are in the cradle ( Jail ) and leaving the womb to become a better birthed person so wow that is great we call this the Rikers Island jail tablet and video games program for the inmates on Rikers Island in using all populations and buildings on Rikers Island C - 74 ARDC , C - 95 and all other buildings included from General population to protective custody to long term punitive segregation parts of the jail .

Vocational programs

OSHA 10 - Instructional video on what to do on a construction site .

OSHA 30 - Instructional on what to do on a construction site , private office buildings and government buildings .

Auto mechanics Electrical

Plumbing

Carpentry

CDL manual

Building maintenance

Taxi delivery

Administrative assistant

Typing

Legal research

Drivers manual

General education classes

Basic mathematics

English classes

GED\ Tasc preparation

Science

Social studies

U . S . History

I mean government funded school in prison with real certified teachers in GED training and High school completion courses as well as College courses for students that is ready for it and all inmates should be able to practice their religion and culture without any retaliation for it because this gets them to change their life to learn love from the heart and a love for a creator whether themselves or a higher power .That they believe it internalizes into their heart and spirit of their character thus changing them righteously making them want to take responsibility for their actions and change their savage and brutal behavior into becoming a more valuable human and contribute something to their immediate family instead of taking from their family they can give something in return whether that be financial with the skills productive skills gained while incarcerated or just being a son to mom or dad or a young father to their children for women it is being a daughter again to her moms and a mom to her young kids teaching them right from wrong she would be happy enough just for being their for their kids raising and teaching them the right things and hopefully they steer them away from the same fate that they suffered and endured .The school programs should include Basic mathematics - addition subtraction multiplication fractions percents and decimals and each operation in each like how to multiply fractions decimals and percents and then instruct them on algebra and the harder subjects after if follow that sequence more students wouldn't lose interest and then drop out but more can gain their GED diploma then steady employment when released from incarceration which ensures employment and not recidivism to prison and their guidance counselor should make sure to remind the inmate that they can receive a certificate of relief from disabilities when released from prison so that they will have no problem getting a license for their chosen field of employment or to get back in school English courses Language art classes Earth science class Social studies class And vocational classes should include : Mechanics for automotives

Carpentry

Janitorial

Maintenance skills

Electrician

Plumbing

AC and refrigeration

I heard prison has so much private investors to build more prisons even celebrities and corporations are getting in on the action so why not turn jail prison into a more revenue generating machine and a school house for societies so called rejects maybe Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls or Corcraft can invest in creating educational programs for students or even students that have been out of school and who wants to return to society a more reformed person who wants to help provide value to society and not be destructive in society this plan is even better for business because it creates job opportunities for teachers / instructors and teacher assistants principals and financial aid granting Pell grants and full financial aid the plans like all my plans is to help boost the economy by creating more businesses and putting more money in the consumers pocket and creating more job opportunities for those consumers it is reciprocal create jobs you create business .

A little help remember how your moms raised you in the projects and how hard she had it as a single mom I was a food stamp baby my mom's raised me in that my pops was military though by the time he got me I was too rotten he should of said , I was gone now I want to give back and help those that is growing up like I did first off love your Mom bro that is your mother and hate the struggle and what is do to her but love mom for giving you her last dollar to make sure that you get what you want in life forget about the kids teasing you about your school clothes your sneakers with holes in it and your clothes from your siblings and love mom she loves you as long as my mom love me I'm okay I can look up at the Sun and smile and say thank you for letting me get my education so that I can give back and save my neighborhoods and my community , thank you and love your mother and father and put Godliness first develop yourself as a young King and Women develop yourself as a Queen and Star because that is who you truly are not what don't got and what poverty and oppression say about us no I mean of you God or Earth like we normally when you from those neighborhoods you have to develop your Godliness and women your righteousness I use Joel Osteen Creflo Dollar Victoria Osteen and Joyce Meyer to develop myself and you should too what is with that you have a lot of undeveloped people calling themselves that God and Earth even Muslim when you took no time to learn the word study God's Word and Meditate on God's word day and night then you show and prove yourself to be a civilized person a good person with ethics and a godly person or a righteous person for the hood when you Muslim you suppose to read the bible and study it walk with it keep it on you and women in your purse a Quran and a Bible and really learn it then you show and prove yourself to be a good person it really don't matter what religion or culture you choose I don't choose or say which religion is better I mean whatever you are keep it whatever religion or culture works for you keep it but make sure you are developing yourself through the word in all the books and make sure it all connects as you as a righteous and good person that transcends your neighborhood the way of this world the ways of your neighborhood and transcend your circumstances and show your self to be Godly like God in all your actions , words , manners and behaviors and not unkind , hateful , vengeful and merciless , not forgiving people and not forgetting bad times , anxiety , worry , depression, stress Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen and Victoria Osteen have books on those subjects using scripture to focus on those subjects like how you not suppose to panic , having anxiety , worry ,depression and even stress read these books make your home a place of learning your city your neighborhood a place of learners like it say in Lamentations , Jeremiah and the book of Isaiah in the bible even Ephesians in the bible it is one of my favorite books in the bible because it cleans you up totally as a person and turn you into a great human a very good human being learning is the best riches ever and you should be aligning yourself with what God say about you and not what people say about you or not what they do because you don't know where there are in their human development you just keep on loving God and building yourself into a better person , kids love your parents do your homework and get help with your school work if you need it if your shy and not so outspoken ask your teacher for that one on one help , thank you and good morning and enjoy your day Affirmation of the day and word to define for today is Values what do you value or place value on in life , goodbye , thanks .

Funny thing I was given New York as the place for me to fix it that was my assignment to renovate it and make it better than it ever was oh yeah I said yes its going to take patience though but I do accomplish whatever my words set out to do I get it done I'm young and I'm confident what I was saying one thing New yorkers lost is hope and joy and enthusiasm for wanting to do good and love each other and pulling together to make our community better neighborhoods better fresher cleaner and very prosperous for all people , I wish the best for all of you and cities like New York in the United states of America my people I love you and wish the best for all New Yorkers and all the ministers from Islam and Christianity reach you and change our community like any other neighborhood the Jewish community , Italian community , white community and even the Asian community let's pull together and grow and develop yourself to your full human potential don't give up and keep fighting the good fight of hope and faith , thank you so much I love you .

Read this book please I'm reading it and I'm like wow wherever have I been and this ain't nothing new I heard , this what all the good people been studying make you want to heed this message and get your life together .

[beezelbubbles]

You need to look at what's going down in Houston ISD. Our state government, who have vocally been trying to get a voucher system passed and been dismantling the public systems, declared HISD "underperforming" and did away with the elected school board and installed their own board and superintendent and now it is an absolute clusterfuck. Libraries have been turned into detention centers and librarians fired. Kids with low reading skills aren't called on to read. Teachers have to check in with their students every 4 minutes no matter what they are doing. That's all just the tip of the iceberg. And it's very clear that this is to test what they can get away with in Houston and it will set the tone for the rest of public schools in Texas. So parents will send their kids to charters, which are not necessarily to the same standards. And without bus systems, the same charters aren't available to everyone. And they can kick kids out for "underperforming" or having an IEP or 504 (ie learning disorders or physical disabilities or any kind of special needs). It's all a money grab that conveniently leaves an uneducated voter base and in some cases increases the school to prison pipeline.

it is totally okay to be hurt and tired and fed up with the american schooling system but i need you to understand that we need to be better about loudly and routinely defending public education.

yes, many teachers suck, many schools utterly suck. i also got bullied and was absolutely not given the right support for my needs. i am not defending public education because it was kind to me. i am defending it because it needs to exist.

right-wing republicans do not want an educated population. they want kids to be homeschooled or in private school. there is a huge religious undertone to this.

the most common argument is that despite high costs, the "result" is not "good" enough. they point to failing schools as proof that public education is just never going to work out. there will be arguments made here that you actually agree with: that teachers can be bullies, that we taught online for 2 years and still charged the same amount of tuition, that we have no recourse for students to actually have agency or a voice, and that schools are now unsafe for kids due to risk of illness and gun violence.

these are all placing the blame in a fraudulent way, one intended to get your parents to homeschool you. the less kids in a school, the less federally-awarded funding for that school, the less any school succeeds. they will not mention the fact it is their legislation that takes away important funding opportunities, that teachers are living at or below the poverty line, that buildings are not kept up to code, that administration is overpaid and forces specific curriculums, that corporations like (my personal enemy) Pearson Education control certain classroom goals because teachers can't afford other options. they pretend to be ignorant of the gun violence and say "oh just get a gun" - but these are the same people who will be sending their child to a private school with a bulletproof backpack. they don't care if your kid dies, though. they "don't believe" in covid, but they did get their kid vaccinated, because of course they did.

it is a closed loop. conservative parents hear the fearmongering and remove children from the system. frequently these parents are also deeply religious. the kids are raised without access to other media & learn to parrot their parents. you have now created a new generation of conservatives. additionally, one of the parents/caregivers must stay home and homeschool the children, usually for free. i will give you 1 guess which parent tends to stay home to homeschool the children. these parents are encouraged to have many, many children. those children are most likely not getting access to safe sex ed.

we might laugh at fox news suggesting teachers are forcing children to use kitty litter but: first of all, there is kitty litter in the classroom. it's part of an emergency kit in case children are locked in due to a shooter. so that's fucking dystopian, and the fact they've completely reimagined the scenario to somehow make the teachers look bad when it's instead a fucking huge symbol of our failure as a country to protect our children.... it feels a little intentional.

secondly: don't just dismiss the situation. because, yeah, obviously, no teacher is encouraging kids to be a catboy. but the actual undertone that fox news is trying to sew is an outright distrust of teachers and of public education. they rely on the dehumanization of trans people as a common touchstone to hide the fact they're pushing two agendas at once. (which is ironic. because the thing they accuse teachers of. is pushing. an agenda.)

whenever someone tells you they want you to read less, you should be suspicious of that. when someone tries to separate you and your education, you should be suspicious of that. i don't even like incel rhetoric nor would i want my kids exposed to it - but i would not take away my child's (age-appropriate) access to the internet. i would just provide more educational materials, not less. the difference here is that i believe we can resolve ignorance with knowledge; whereas conservatives believe that ignorance is bliss.

they misappropriate funding and demonize teachers. they pull the same trick each time - the same thing we are seeing with anti-trans rhetoric. they do not want you to have access to safe sex ed, so they act horrified, claim sex ed teaches you how to thrust deep, claim that we have no idea what "age-appropriate" means. since the mid-nineties, the united states has spent at least 2 billion dollars on abstinence-only education, even though to quote the above link: "a preponderance of studies has found no effect of abstinence education at reducing adolescent pregnancy". conservatives want you to think less of any person struggling with addiction so they can continue their racist "war on drugs", so they spend up to $750 million dollars a year on the DARE program which has absolutely no effect. acting like teachers "must" be "grooming" children is just the same thing - so they can demand that funding either goes to their causes or the funding doesn't "exist" ("i'm not paying for our kids to learn that thing!")

and they want you to feel uncaring about this. they are aware that you will hate some parts of your school experience. pretty much everyone does. they want to lean into the parts that you hate so that you don't put up a fight about it when they take it away for not being "good enough."

i know i maybe sound like a conspiracy theorist. but truly. truly. it is beneficial for conservatives to reduce your faith in the american public schooling system.

one of the explicitly stated campaign promises of the conservative party: to axe the Department of Education in 2024.

i know we are all tired and burnt out and there is so much else wrong with their entire platform. but maybe just - pay attention to this one.

[thxnews]

UK Tool's Potential in US Youth Justice

The Suffolk Youth Justice Service in the UK has seen transformative results with its adoption of the Youth Justice Board's new Prevention and Diversion Assessment Tool, designed to prioritize children's needs within the justice system. As discussions about youth justice reform continue across the pond, could a similar tool find success in the United States, addressing deep-rooted challenges like racial disparities and the school-to-prison pipeline? Consequently, exploring the potential of such a tool offers a promising avenue for mitigating these complex issues and promoting equitable outcomes within the US juvenile justice system.  

Aligning with US Youth Justice Priorities

The "Child First" philosophy central to the UK's assessment tool resonates strongly with current trends in US youth justice reform. Moreover, these trends increasingly advocate for a rehabilitative, trauma-informed approach. This alignment suggests that the principles underlying the UK tool could be well received by US stakeholders eager for methods that prioritize the well-being and rehabilitation of youth over punitive measures.   Customization to the American Context For the tool to work in the US, it would need significant adaptation to fit the diverse legal and operational landscapes of state and local jurisdictions. Consequently, each area's unique challenges and existing infrastructure would dictate how the tool could be integrated and the extent of customization required. This underscores the necessity for guidance and support mechanisms that were crucial in the UK, provided by the Youth Justice Board, to find a counterpart in the US—possibly a federal agency or a coalition of state agencies committed to juvenile justice reform.  

Addressing National Issues

The US faces specific systemic challenges in youth justice, such as pronounced racial and ethnic disparities and a notable school-to-prison pipeline. A well-adapted version of the UK's tool could play a significant role in addressing these issues. By focusing assessments on the individual needs of the youth and facilitating their connection to community-based services, the tool could help reduce recidivism and improve long-term outcomes for at-risk youth.   Evidence-Building and Evaluation To garner widespread acceptance and implementation across the US, rigorous evaluation of the tool's effectiveness within the American context would be essential. Consequently, this would involve detailed studies to track the outcomes of interventions guided by the tool. Moreover, it could benefit from a collaborative approach between US and UK authorities to share best practices and success metrics.  

Comparative Perspective: Existing Tools in the US

While the US already utilizes various risk assessment tools in its juvenile justice systems—such as the Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASI) and the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY)—these tools generally focus more on assessing risk than on integrating a child-first approach that aligns interventions with individual developmental needs. The UK's tool, with its comprehensive focus on the child’s broader social, psychological, and educational needs, offers a potentially valuable complement to these existing assessments.   Significance As the US continues to reform its juvenile justice system, integrating tools like the UK's Prevention and Diversion Assessment Tool could be a significant step forward. Such tools not only align with modern rehabilitative ideals but also offer a structured method to make systemic changes that are both compassionate and effective. The journey from pilot programs to wide-scale adoption would be complex and require commitment from multiple stakeholders, but the potential benefits for US youth justice could well justify the effort.   Sources: THX News, Orbis, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, National Library of Medicine, US Department of Homeland Security & OJP. Read the full article

[arcticdementor]

Members of the Democratic Socialists of America have quietly gained leadership posts in K-12 education to push anti-capitalist and anti-Israel views on youngsters across the US, according to a parental rights watchdog group. Parents Defending Education, a grassroots organization that backs the “restoration” of non-political schooling, has identified dozens of DSA members who have landed or sought top school board and teachers union positions in at least 15 states — from California to Kentucky and from New York to Texas. “The Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, has long had the goal of using the K-12 system as a way to proselytize to a captive audience of other people’s children,” Parents Defending Education outreach director Erika Sanzi told The Post. “Their anti-Jewish and anti-Israel messages in the K-12 context are not at all new but many more people have become aware of them since October 7th,” she added. “The DSA is poison in schools.”

…

Over the past decade, at least 26 DSA members have either won or sought school board posts — and at least six of those have held leadership positions, according to Parents Defending Education, which notes that its list is not “exhaustive.” One such example is in Republican-leaning Suffolk County, where Colin Palmer serves as the board president of the Riverhead Central School District. “[DSA members] advocate for dismantling capitalism, pushing for the Green New Deal, defunding law enforcement, implementing critical race theory, and supporting minors seeking gender surgery without their parents’ consent. Their goal is to push these topics on children as young as 5 years old,” the report says. One DSA member, Milwaukee Public Schools board official Missy Zombor, posted the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” on Oct. 22 of this year, according to a screenshot of her X account included in the report. Over the past decade, at least 26 DSA members have either won or sought school board posts — and at least six of those have held leadership positions, according to Parents Defending Education, which notes that its list is not “exhaustive.��� One such example is in Republican-leaning Suffolk County, where Colin Palmer serves as the board president of the Riverhead Central School District. “[DSA members] advocate for dismantling capitalism, pushing for the Green New Deal, defunding law enforcement, implementing critical race theory, and supporting minors seeking gender surgery without their parents’ consent. Their goal is to push these topics on children as young as 5 years old,” the report says. One DSA member, Milwaukee Public Schools board official Missy Zombor, posted the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” on Oct. 22 of this year, according to a screenshot of her X account included in the report.

…

Additionally, the report finds at least seven major teachers’ unions that either have some links to or key members who have worked with the DSA. In Colorado, teacher and DSA member Bryan Lindstrom submitted a resolution to the Colorado Education Association, the largest union of educators in the state. The resolution proposed that the CEA affirm “that capitalism requires exploitation of children” and state that the way to “fully address systemic racism (the school-to-prison pipeline), climate change, patriarchy (gender and LGBTQ disparities), education inequality, and income inequality is to dismantle capitalism and replace it with a new, equitable economic system.” The resolution was approved with slightly tweaked language, but still stated that “capitalism inherently exploits children, public schools, land, labor, and resources” and was “in opposition to fully addressing systemic racism … climate change … patriarchy … education inequality and income inequality.”

…

In June 2021, Lindstrom ripped conservative uproar over the teaching of critical race theory, calling it “the new Red Scare” and vowing to espouse such teachings in his classroom. “I’m going on record now,” he wrote. “At the end of the day, it’s just my students and me in our classroom and we will be discussing race, class, and gender in my history classes, regardless of what laws and policies people want to pass. Critical race theory is a component of everything I do.”

…

In August, during the DSA’s 2023 convention, its governing body greenlit a resolution calling for more DSA candidates to run for school boards.  “The teacher movement is the tip of the spear of a revitalized labor movement and school board races are a clear way to build relationships with teacher unions by showing ourselves to be the strongest fighters for teachers and quality public education for all,” said the resolution, which emphasized backing “trans and queer rights, and to defending democracy” as well as countering “right-wing and neoliberal attacks on public schools.” A DSA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(@mitigatedchaos)

[gavrannoir]

I just reblogged a Twitter thread which referenced the above article and emphasized how systemic racism leads to this situation wherein poor black kids do not have full access to healthcare (in this case vision care) for a plethora of reasons and the consequences are decreased comprehension in the classroom from not being able to access materials, disengagement from lessons, behavioral issues caused by being unable to participate and falling into boredom, punitive penalization of those behavioral issues, and a reinforcement of the school to prison pipeline that so many Black Americans experience.

I wanted to add (without hopping on that other person’s post) that this is also a prime example of how disability changes due to context. Most people would not consider needing glasses/contacts as a disability because the use of corrective lenses is so ubiquitous, but that ubiquity is dependent upon vision insurance/the ability to pay out of pocket, the ability to go to an eye doctor, and, if you are a child, adults believing you when you say you cannot see. If you need corrective lenses but do not have access to them in the correct prescription you are living with an invisible disability.

Because so many people use corrective lenses, we often forget how circumstance can make them inaccessible. My husband and I are both white and have moved in and out of poverty in our lifetimes. My family immigrated to the US when I was a toddler and only one of my parents had a legal right to earn money in the US while the other was simply allowed to live here. When I was in second grade, I began complaining of being unable to see the board at school. Because I was an obedient child with good grades who had a parent in a PhD program, my teacher moved me to the front of the classroom. My parents didn’t believe me. I was near-sighted, so reading at home was fine; it was just the blackboard which caused issue. The next school year, my parent had moved out of the PhD program into a university adjunct position and our family income skyrocketed (as compared to a TA salary). My other parent still was not allowed to work. My school did hearing and vision testing and I failed the vision test. Faced with this proof of my poor vision, my parents reprimanded me for not telling them I was struggling to see, took me to an optometrist, and got me new glasses. Looking back, I realize that both of my parents, who also wear glasses, had been wearing the same pair they had brought over from the home country for over seven years. Until I needed to go to the eye doctor. Until we had enough money to get new glasses. My parents got new pairs around then too. Similarly, my husband and I have been experiencing lots of gaps in health insurance the past couple of years because of low income and job changes. My husband got his last prescription update two years ago while we were on a state insurance plan so his spare glasses are enormously heavy (he has a high prescription and state insurance doesn’t cover the expensive lenses that can give you a high refractive index with thinner lenses). He runs, and understandably doesn’t like those heavy lenses bobbing around on his face, so he wears contacts. Contact prescriptions, I have learned, are written for a specific brand of contacts rather than just being a prescription that is applied to lenses for any frame, like with glasses. Contacts also need to be thrown out after a certain period of time because they degrade (you may have heard of daily or monthly contacts, this refers to how long they can last without degrading). Your doctor prescribes different brands and longevity based on what your eyes need and who they have a contract with. My husband has dry eyes, so daily contacts are best for him, unfortunately, daily contacts are expensive (because you need more of them) and so his last prescription was for monthly contacts. My husband took precautions to care for them and stretched each pair to two months, because we couldn’t afford to get more that quickly. The last kicker is that vision prescriptions expire in the US so after a certain amount of time you can’t get new corrective lenses until you see a doctor again. This restriction is ostensibly to ensure you have the right prescription, but realistically it means that if you are poor and break your glasses or run out of contacts, you won’t be able to see until you scrounge up enough money to buy more. My husband just refilled his contact prescription a week before its expiration so he’s set for six months to a year before he needs to get a new prescription. I’ve got one pair of glasses with the latest (but at this point probably wrong) prescription. Hopefully my new job’s vision insurance is as good as they claim.

TL;DR It’s disability pride month and perceived disability is predicated on whether your requisite accommodation or assistive device is normalized and accessible.

[stevishabitat]

Also, in regards to local politics, one of the most important things to vote for, specifically to protect queer kids, is school board members.

Any time you have school board spots on the ballot, please check the candidates and see who is most likely to support the rights and protections of school-age kids. Particularly children who are queer, disabled, poor, children of immigrants, or otherwise marginalised.

Kids in public school are some of the most vulnerable in our community and the fight to make sure all kids have access to a safe, high quality, and well-rounded education is never-ending.

Whether it has to do with bathroom access, book bans, bans on sex ed, the use of restraints/isolation, "don't say gay" policies, whitewashed history curriculum, evolution denial, police presence on school grounds, allowing/encouraging teachers to carry guns, the school to prison pipeline, dress codes, gerrymandering of school districts to consolidate resources for wealthy families, desegregation policies, handling of shooter drills, special education resources, English language learning, resources for pregnant teens and teen parents .... the list goes on. All of these are handled, by and large, by the people you vote for in your state, city, and school board elections.

My dear lgbt+ kids, 

A few quick reminders: 

If you are a human being, then yes, politics do affect you personally. Laws and policies impact your daily life in ways you might not even realize, from health care and education to jobs and the environment. Voting is your chance to shape the world you live in day to day.

You most likely won't find a "perfect" candidate on the ballot. It’s rare, if not impossible, to agree with a candidate 100%. Vote for the one who best represents your priorities in general.

Avoid throwing away your vote. Writing in someone who isn’t running (like a celebrity or fictional character) doesn’t actually send a message to candidates. It just makes it harder for your voice to be heard. Use your vote for someone who’s truly in the race.

The "big revolution" that fixes everything might be a nice fantasy, but change happens through small steps. Voting won’t solve everything right away, but it’s a powerful tool for moving the needle in the right direction. Progress, even if gradual, adds up over time. Fantasies are just.. well, fantasies.

Many places offer early voting or absentee ballots. If you can’t make it on election day, look into these options to ensure your vote gets counted. 

If people tell you you can’t vote for whatever reason, double-check that info. Do your own research. Sometimes people have bad intentions or are simply misinformed. 

Voting is private. Your parents, partner, caretakers etc. may be able to check IF you vote but no one needs to know WHO you vote for if you don’t feel safe or comfortable with them knowing. Your ballot will be secret and protected. You have a right to keep the secret. Always remember: Lying for safety is okay. 

Last but not least: You know who will vote? Nazis. Fascists. People who hate queer people, women, immigrants and people of color. People who want to take away your rights, even people who want to see you in jail or dead. They will absolutely go out and vote for their preferred candidate, even if you stay home and refuse to vote. You throwing away your voice as a “protest” will only make theirs louder.

With all my love, 

Your Tumblr Dad 

[rosarenn]

This is the oppressor's language, yet I need it to talk to you.

Adrienne Rich, "The Burning of Paper Instead of Children"

via Boarding Schools and the School to Prison Pipeline web project

[qqueenofhades]

Okay, I’ve read Joe Biden’s plans.

I’ve just sat down and spent several hours actually reading all the damn plans on his website, the whole thing, so you don’t have to. And here’s the conclusion:

They’re pretty good.

Are they absolutely everything we want immediately? Maybe not. Are they a solid Democratic agenda anyway? Yes they are. Are they better than Trump?

Light years!

His Violence Against Women plan is lengthy, detailed, and pays specific attention to violence against Native, lesbian and bisexual, low-income, disabled, rural, transgender (especially trans women of color) immigrant, domestic abuse victims, and other vulnerable women. He calls for replacing and expanding Obama-era policies and funding for campus sexual assault programs that DeVos trashed, and for providing money for culturally specific services that are sensitive to the diverse backgrounds of survivors. He also notes that sexual assault, while it predominantly affects women and girls, needs to be taken seriously and addressed for people of all gender identities.

His gun safety plan is forceful and lays out several steps for banning assault weapons, taking existing weapons from offenders, closing gun purchase background check and other legal loopholes, addressing the intersection between domestic violence and weapons ownership, and reducing or eliminating weapons and ammunition stockpiling.

His plan for tackling climate change and creating green jobs is also lengthy. He makes the connection between economic, environmental, and racial justice. He pledges to immediately rejoin the Paris Agreement and restore American leadership on the issue in pushing for even stronger climate standards, make climate change a central part of our trade, international, and justice goals, demand a worldwide ban on fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks (!!!) and if the Green New Deal is passed, to sign it, as well as for the U.S. to achieve 100% clean energy and zero percent net emissions by 2050.

His healthcare plan is decent. It offers an immediate public option for all Americans regardless of private, employer, or no coverage, and generous new tax credits to put toward the cost of coverage. It strongly protects abortion rights and federal funding for Planned Parenthood, as well as rescinding the “gag rule” that prevents U.S. federal aid money from being used to provide or even talk about abortions in NGOs abroad. It attacks generic and drug price gouging. It calls for doubling the capital gains tax on the super-wealthy (from 20% to 39.5% paid on capital gains by anyone making over $1 million) to help fund healthcare reform. He also has a separate plan on the opioid crisis in America, and on older Americans and retirement, including the protection and re-funding of Medicare and Social Security.

His immigration plan is lengthy and detailed. He apologizes for and acknowledges the excessive deportation that occured during the Obama-Biden administrations, pledges to do better, and attacks Trump’s current inhumane acitivities on every front. The policy of children in cages, indefinite detention, the metered asylum system, and the Muslim Ban are gone on day one. In this and his LGBTQ plan, he notes the vulnerability of LGBTQ refugees, incuding LGBTQ refugees of color. He proposes streamlining of visa applications and prioritizing the immediate reunification of families. It also specifically states that ICE and CBP agents will be held directly accountable for inhumane treatment.

Speaking of which, his LGBTQ plan is comprehensive. It pays attention to multiple intersectional issues, down to the high rates of incarceration among trans people of color. (He also notes the rates of violence against trans women of color particularly.) He calls for a complete ban on conversion therapy and the discrimination against HIV-status individuals, as well as removing the ban on blood donation from gay and bisexual men. He will remove the transgender military ban immediately. He calls for funding for mental health and suicide prevention among LGBTQ populations.

His plan to empower workers calls for raising the federal minimum wage to $15, as well as indexing this to median hourly wages to ensure that working-class and middle-class wages grow closer to parity, and implementing strong legal protections for unions. He expresses support for striking workers and to empower the National Labor Relations Board in workplace advocacy. Farmworkers, domestic workers, gig economy workers, and other non-traditional labor groups are included in this. He will restore all Obama-Biden policies related to workplace safety and regulation.

His plan to restore American dignity and leadership in the world calls for immediately investing in election security and reform, restoration of the Voting Rights Act, immediately restoring White House press briefings and other Trump refusals of information, tackling criminal justice reform and systematic racial discrimination, calling for campaign finance reform, and basically blowing up all the stupid things the Trump administration does on a daily basis. It also calls for an end to all ongoing wars in the Middle East, restoring the Iran nuclear deal, and new arms control treaties with Russia, among general repairing of international alliances.

His plans for K-12 education and post-high school education call for greatly expanded funding across all levels of 2-year, 4-year, and other educational options. There will be no student loan payments for anyone making under $25,000 a year; everyone else will pay a capped amount and be completely forgiven after a certain period. Public servants qualify for up to $50,000 in loan forgiveness. This is not total loan forgiveness for everyone, which is obviously important for me and many of us, but it’s acceptable to start with. Additionally, his wife is a teacher and has a proven track record of calling for education investment and supporting public school funding.

His plan for housing addresses the needs of formerly incarcerated, LGBTQ, veteran, low-income, sexual assault survivor, black and Hispanic, and other vulnerable populations at risk of losing housing. It calls for a tax on companies and corporations with in excess of $50 billion in assets to fund comprehensive new housing initiatives, including $100 billion in accessible and low-income housing development. It includes extensive investment in public transportation and a high-speed rail system. This ties into his plan to repair infrastructure and invest in new technologies across the country.

His plan for criminal justice reform calls for the end of mass incarceration, the decriminalization of marijuana, the automatic expunging of all cannabis convictions, and an end on jail sentences for drug use. It highlights systematic institutional racism and the impact on black and brown people particularly. It calls for an end on all profiteering and private prisons. It focuses on reintegrating offenders into society and funding the needs of people released from prison. It proposes to “expand and use the power of the U.S. Justice Department to address systemic misconduct in police departments and prosecutors’ offices.” It broadens funding for social services and other programs for people who are otherwise placed into the prison pipeline.

There are more plans, which you can find here. These are the ones I read top to bottom. I am not by any means a Joe Biden fangirl; he was not my first choice, my second choice, or really anywhere on my list. However, having carefully read through his policy documents, I can say that:

He has at the least a good team of advisors who are keenly aware of the political climate, and is willing to both restore Obama-era standards and to improve on them where necessary. Obviously, all politicians’ promises are politicians’ promises, but this is a solid Democratic platform with obvious awareness of the progressive wing of the party.

If progressive legislation is passed in the House and Senate, he will sign it, including the Green New Deal.

He represents a clear and definite improvement over Donald Trump.

Is he everything we want? No. Are his policies better than I was expecting? Yes. I advise you to read through them for yourself. It has made me at least feel better about the likelihood of voting for him.

I realize it’s an unsexy position, especially on tumblr, to advocate for an old centrist white man. I’m not thrilled about having to do it. However, speaking as someone who was very resistant to Biden and still doesn’t agree with all of his previous legislative track record, that’s my consensus. He is a candidate who broadly aligns with values that I care about. His policies represent a concrete end to the damage of the Trump administration and gets us on the right track again.

Joe Biden, if he is the Democratic nominee, will receive my vote on November 3, 2020. I urge you to consider what I’ve laid out above and join me.

[ausetkmt]

Racist Exposed After Calling Cops on 9-year-old Black Girl For Spraying Trees

"A former city council member of a New Jersey town and local Republican Party leader allegedly called the police on a 9-year-old Black girl when he saw her catching spotted lanternflies—an invasive species killing trees in the area—while wearing a hoodie, the girl’s mother, Monique Joseph, said at a local board meeting last week.

According to Joseph, Gordon Lawshe—the former council member for Caldwell, New Jersey, who’s also her neighbor—told police, “There’s a little Black woman walking, spraying stuff on the sidewalks and trees. I don’t know what the hell she’s doing, it scares me though.”

Joseph’s daughter is, again, 9.

The allegation speaks to the widespread crisis of young Black girls being adultified, placing them at greater risk of police violence, sexual violence, and harsher disciplinary action in schools that feeds the school-to-prison pipelin

[irishgop]

And we did not know that all that anti-government propaganda, all that over the top moaning and pissing about government regulations and all the “save the unborn babies”by banning abortion was to mobilize conservatives because the IRS wanted to deny tax exempt status to the “Christian Schools” set up so white kids wouldn’t have to go to school with black children in integrated public schools, and smart consultants said Americans will support saving “unborn babies” but not overt racism.

So now Trump judiciary has freed the babies to die with their mothers either in preterm or delivery medical trauma or slowly over a lifetime of depravation. Meantime, Christian Schools weren’t sufficient to the task of racial segregation, so now wide spread home schooling and cooperatives have secured the confinement of black, and poor immigrant or refugee children to under resourced schools that serve as a pipeline to prison for males, and maternity, prostitution or abuse for females.

Shut this sh_t down now! Vote Blue from Harris-Biden at the top of the ticket to Board of Education, City Council and Mayor.