COFI

POWER-PAC and Allies Say to Chicago Schools: Reduce Suspensions

On November 13th, fifty POWER-PAC parent leaders joined over a hundred other parents, youth, teachers, and religious officials to launch the High HOPES (Healing Over the Punishment of Expulsions and Suspensions) Campaign. The campaign calls upon Chicago Public Schools officials to drastically reduce the number of suspensions and expulsions in the schools and to implement restorative justice practices.

Three years ago, POWER-PAC and its allies won a major rewrite of the CPS Student Code of Conduct that now includes a philosophy of restorative justice and a list of restorative practices that schools are encouraged to use. But, too many schools continue to operate with the old, punitive guidelines that the new code replaced. POWER-PAC leaders have been modeling the use of restorative justice at Peace Center projects in four Chicago schools and are now asking CPS administrators to assure that restorative justice practices and culture expand to ALL Chicago schools throughout the city.

Other High HOPES Campaign partner groups include the Community Renewal Society, Enlace Chicago, Family Focus-Lawndale, Blocks Together, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, and Organization of the Northeast.

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