Summer of Justice - School to Prison Pipeline

Our final session focuses on the school to prison pipeline and how schools can work to prevent it. We first explore how exclusionary school disciplinary actions (such as the zero tolerance policy) and the damaging impact of principals/teachers who are underprepared in critical/culturally responsive pedagogy contribute toward the downward trajectory of students. We then examine what K-12 schools can do to dismantle the pipeline. We highlight how a strong community ethos, strategic programming, carefully selected and trained school staff, wrap-around services, and a flexible learning environment help students succeed in school and become productive members of society.