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January 2016

Dismantle the School-to-Prison Pipeline


A resource guide to transforming the education system
into a cradle-to-career pipeline for students of color in
San Francisco, California.

In these days, it is doubtful that any


child may reasonably be expected to
succeed in life if he is denied the
opportunity of an education. Such an
opportunity, where the state has
undertaken to provide it, is a right
which must be made available to all
on equal terms
- Brown v. Board of Education 1954

Content
Page 2 Scope of Issue
Page 3 Resource for
Schools
Page 4 Community-Based
Organizations
Page 5 Reference

Produced by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission Equity Advisory Committee

January 2016

Scope of the Issue


Our nations education system is facing a serious crisis. The school-to-prison pipeline is
a pathway, which stems from ineffective school disciplinary measures that funnel
students into the juvenile and adult criminal justice system. The creation of this
pipeline is a result of numerous factors, ranging from zero tolerance school policies
and increased police involvement in schools to budget cuts and the lack of restorative
practices for effective student engagement. In addition, the school-to-prison
pipeline is strengthened by the increased funding in the prison industrial complex.
Studies have shown the inextricable link between school suspensions and
incarceration. Nationally, Black and Latino students are over-represented in school
suspensions. In the San Francisco Unified School District, 35 % of the student
population consists of Black and Latino youth, but make up more than 75% of
suspensions. Students with disabilities are also negatively impacted by the school-toprison pipeline and make up 32% of those in juvenile detention centers.
The school-to-prison pipeline has devastating long-term impact that follows youth
throughout the trajectory of their lives. One solution is to intervene on the school
policy level and to incorporate a more restorative model that encourages student
success rather than hinders it. This pamphlet provides resources for our community
members to use and solve this problem together. Parents, students, teachers, school
administrators, and public servants all have a critical role in solving the school-to-prison
pipeline epidemic.

Fact

The San Francisco Unified School


District, 35 % of the student
population consists of Black and
Latino youth, but make up more
than 75% of suspensions.
2

1
2

January 2016

Resources for Schools


Resolution No. 1312-10A4
Establishment of a Safe and Supportive
Schools Policy in San Francisco Unified
School District (SFUSD) was adopted in
2014 to identify policies supporting
Restorative Practices, Positive Behavior
Interventions and Supports, and
Trauma Sensitive Practices as a means
to reverse the disproportionate
suspension rates of students of color in
SFUSD. The resolution identifies the
SFUSDs Strategic Plan, Beyond the
Talk: Taking Action to Educate Every
Child Now, which recognizes the
achievement gap as the greatest social
justice/civil rights issue facing our
country, and closing the instructional
time gap by reducing office referrals
and suspensions for our African
American, Latino, and Pacific Islander
students is key to closing the
achievement gap.

In order to effectively reduce the number of out-ofclassroom referrals and suspensions now, it is imperative
to provide targeted support that empowers teachers
who most need to build effective instructional and
classroom management tools that can be exhausted
before referring a child out of the classroom. - Matt
Haney, President of the SFUSD Board of Education

and focus on prevention.


3. Train teachers on the use of positive
behavior supports for at-risk students.
4. Provide clear explanations of
infractions and consequences in the
student code of conduct to ensure
fairness.
5. Create limits on the use of law
enforcement in public schools.
Resources
1. SFUSD Restorative Practices WholeSchool Implementation Guide:
healthiersf.org/RestorativePractices

Recommendations for Change


1. Monitor the annual number of

3. Oakland Unified School District


Restorative Justice:

disciplinary actions that push students


out of the classroom based on gender,

ousd.org/restorativejustice
2. My Brothers Keeper White House
Initiative: whitehouse.gov/my-brothers-

race and ability.


2. Use positive behavior interventions

keeper
3

January 2016

Resources for Families


There are many community-based organizations making great strides in dismantling the
school-to-prison pipeline in San Francisco. These organizations work closely with
government agencies and families. The following list identifies a few neighborhood
organizations dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment where
students of color can thrive. For a more complete list visit: www.SFKids.org.
N ei ghbo rho ods

C ommun i ty-base d Organ iz atio ns

C on tact

Bayview

College Track

Jonathan Beauford

info@collegetrack.org

Providence Foundation

Patricia Doyle

415-642-0234

Hunters Point Family

Takai Tyler

415-822-8895

Mission Girls

Gloria Romero

415-206-7752

Homey Peace Center

Gabriel Santamaria

415-861-1600

Mission Neighborhood Centers

Gloria Romero

415-206-7752

Potrero Hill

Potrero Hill Neighborhood House

Sharon Johnson

415-826-8080

Chinatown

Cameron House

May Leong

415-781-0401

Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center

Jeff Ng

415-421-6443

United Playaz

Rudy Corpuz

415-431-6266

West Bay Pilipino Multi-service Center

John Dizon

415-431-6266

Mission

SOMA
Western Addition
Fillmore/Japantown

Mo' Magic

415-567-0400

Magic Zone Teen Center

Rika Chambers

415-567-0400

African American Art & Culture Complex

Nicola Figgins

415-921-8382

Arab Culture & Community Center

Loubna Qutani

415-664-2200

Tenderloin Youth Development Program

Ronnell Clayton

415-957-9622

Tenderloin Afterschool Program

Laura Choe

415-358-3908

Vietnamese Youth Development Center

Alex Abelos

415-771-2600

Youth Art Exchange

Raffaella Falchi

415-574-8137

Excelsior Community Center

Alex Cotton

415-307-3346

Richmond

KidCare America

Melvenia Tang

415-668-0266

Sunset

Sunset Youth Services

Mo Dejani

415- 665-0255

Japanese Community Youth Council


Civic Center/Tenderloin

Excelsior/Ingleside

January 2016

References
1. What is the School-to-Prison Pipeline? American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
https://www.aclu.org/racial-justice/what-school-prison-pipeline
2. Fenning, P, et al. Overrepresentation of African American Students in Exclusionary
Discipline : The Role of School Policy. Urban Education. November 2007 vol. 42 no. 6:
536-559. http://uex.sagepub.com/content/42/6/536.short
3. Adachi, J. Classrooms, not Courtrooms: SF resolution takes aim at school to prison
pipeline. San Francisco Examiner.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/classrooms-not-courtrooms-sf-resolutiontakes-aim-at-school-to-prison-pipeline/Content?oid=2712766
4. Suspending to Mentorship. Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cristinalara/suspending-to-mentorship-_b_2457842.html
5. Classrooms, not courtrooms: SF resolution takes aim at school to prison pipeline
.http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/classrooms-not-courtrooms-sf-resolutiontakes-aim-at-school-to-prison-pipeline/Content?oid=2712766
6. SFUSD Suspension Rates by Race (2012-13) ColemanAdvocates.org
7. The School-to- Prison Pipeline. Op-Ed NY Times 5/19/13
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/opinion/new-york-citys-school-to-prisonpipeline.html?_r=0
8. Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court by New York City School Justice Task Force
http://www.atlanticphilanthropies.org/sites/default/files/uploads/KKIS_for_Web_r.pdf
9. San Francisco Unified eliminates willful defiance as a reason to expel or suspend
students. http://edsource.org/2014/san-francisco-unified-eliminates-willful-defiance-asa-reason-to-expel-or-suspend-students/58105#.VNq1cHdbK5I
10. SFUSD Board Approves Measure Favoring Alternatives to Suspensions
http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/sfusd-board-approves-measure-favoringalternatives-to-suspensions/Content?oid=2715041
11. SFUSD Cuts Student Suspension Rate in Half
http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/sfusd-cuts-student-suspension-rate-inhalf/Content?oid=2841429

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