CCE Hosts Rollout of Equity in School Discipline Report; Key Stakeholders Discuss Improvments in School Discipline

On March 23^rd, the Council for Court Excellence formally released our Equity in School Discipline Report at the historic Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives. More than sixty participants gathered for the formal rollout event, representing local and national advocacy organizations, local government, foundations, private bar, local law schools and other community members.  CCE Executive Director June Kress welcomed everyone and explained CCE’s connection to exploring the issue of school discipline as it relates to circumventing District youth’s involvement with the courts and the juvenile justice system. CCE Board Directors Bruce Berger and Victor Long discussed the work of CCE’s School Discipline Project Committee in collecting and analyzing data and the impact that the report will have on the District and continuing the conversation on improving equity within DC’s public education disciplinary systems.

CCE Policy Analyst Hillary Evans then transitioned the program to a conversation with some of the District’s key education stakeholders about some of the report’s findings in the context of what is being done and what remains to be done. The panel, moderated by Allison Brown, Open Society Foundations, included the following: Councilmember David Grosso (I-AL), Chairperson, Committee on Education; Jennifer Niles, Deputy Mayor of Education; Jeffrey Noel, Assistant Superintendent of Data, Assessment, Accountability and Research at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education; Timothy Riveria, Advocates for Justice and Education, Inc.; Joyanna Smith, Ombudsman for Public Education; and Rashida Young, DC Public Charter School Board.

Councilmember Grosso provided closing remarks about what his committee will continue to address and prioritize around implementing appropriate school discipline in the District.  Relatedly, CCE will next focus on the implementation of select report recommendations and welcomes interested organizations and individuals to join us. 

Head over to our Facebook  page to see more photos from the event.