NEA’s Black Lives Matter @ School Demands
Our children hold the dreams of future generations, and by joining together – parents and teachers, Black, white, and brown – we can make our schools and communities places where all children can learn, grow, and thrive.
To continue the ongoing movement of critical reflection and honest conversation and impactful actions in school communities we will work together to:
1. Create supportive environments where all students can learn, grow, and thrive
School is a place where childhood happens. Most of us believe that every child, whatever their color, background or zip code, has the right to learn in a supportive environment that respects their humanity, upholds their dignity, and responds fairly to mistakes and mis-steps.
Our neighborhood public schools should be places where children can ask questions, make mistakes, and learn so they can live fulfilling lives .Every student has a right to a quality education, to be treated with dignity, and to be provided with the opportunity to learn.
But today, certain politicians fuel divisions so they can take resources away from our schools while they let the wealthiest few get away with not paying their fair share. They then blame parents, teachers and students to distract from these failures. They enact zero tolerance and other exclusionary school discipline policies that push Black, brown and LGBTQ+ students out of the classroom and into the criminal justice system —harming our students, our educators, and our communities.
Effective approaches to discipline include restorative justice practices that can result in improved school climates and increased educational opportunities.
We will support and implement policies that will:
- End suspensions and arrests for minor misbehavior.
- Adopt school-wide positive restorative justice practices and enhance training for all school personnel.
- Engage educators, students, parents, and community advocates to build and strengthen successful implementation.
When we join together across race and place, we can demand that our schools treat all our children equitably and with compassion, nurturing a love of learning and meeting childhood mistakes with the proven approaches that help kids grow.
