Pictured: LAUSD Superintendent Deasy (center) with Regional Director Amanda Susskind and Latino Jewish Roundtable co-chair Judge Bruce J. Einhorn.
ADL’s Latino Jewish Roundtable held a program featuring LAUSD Superintendent Dr. John Deasy about the district’s efforts to combat the “school to prison pipeline” on February 27 at the ADL office.
The “school to prison pipeline” refers to a pattern of actions that funnel low performing and misbehaving youth out of the education system and into the criminal justice system. Students who are suspended or expelled are five times less likely to complete high school. Students who drop out are 63 times more likely to be incarcerated.
In his remarks, Dr. Deasy addressed main causes of the pattern and its impact on different populations in LAUSD. The pattern disproportionally impacts students of color. He mentioned his changes in attitude to “zero-tolerance” policies and “willful defiance” suspensions and pointed out that we have more of a “push out” problem than a “drop out” problem as a result of these policies. The Roundtable program included a lively question and answer period with several challenges posed to the Superintendent as well as constructive ideas for the future.
The participants also learned about ADL’s efforts, including its Education Equity Task Force, to advocate for dismantling the school to prison pipeline in Congress and at the Department of Education, and to create safe and inclusive environments in schools through the A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute.
Also:
ADL LA Blog: Immigration and Education Equity Addressed by ADL National Civil Rights Attorney