Summit to Discuss School Suspension and Policy in North Carolina

Raleigh, NC, September 07, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Safe Schools, Fair Schools: A Community Dialogue about School Suspensions in North Carolina is planned for November 12 from 9am to 5pm at the Wake Technical College in Raleigh. The NC Partnership for Educational Opportunities (NCPEO) is presenting the event. The one day gathering of stakeholders is designed to allow dialogue about issues and examine proven strategies to implement in their local communities regarding out-of-school suspensions in North Carolina. NCSJP is a founding member of the NCPEO.

School discipline is an issue affecting North Carolinians at both local and state levels. North Carolina has the 3rd highest suspension rate in the country and minor school-based misbehavior account for over 40% of all complaints files against children in juvenile court. Over-use of suspensions and over-involvement in the court system have negative implications for children, school climate, academic achievement, dropout rates and gang involvement. This one day summit will focus on issues like out-of-school suspensions, safety, due process, disproportionate minority contact, the school-to-prison pipeline, raising the juvenile age, promising strategies to reduce suspensions and expulsions, and the intersection between education and the law. There will be an opportunity for representatives to caucus and discuss the next steps in their local districts and communities.

This event is designed to involve all stakeholders in creating a common understanding of the current situation, trends, and promising strategies. Confirmed presenters include Linda Hayes, Secretary of the NC Dept. of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; Jenny Owens, Duke Center for Child and Family Policy; Heather Reynolds, NC Department of Public Instruction; Shay Bilchik, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University; Judge Brian Huff, Presiding Judge in Jefferson Family Court (Birmingham, Alabama); Dan Losen, UCLA Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles and Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School; and Patty Long and David Hutchinson, North Carolina Juvenile Justice Treatment Continuum.

Registration will open September 1. Please visit the NCPEO website, www.ncpeo.org, for more details, registration, and accommodation information.

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The North Carolina Social Justice Project (NCSJP) is a progressive non-partisan, non-profit organization that researches the causes of, solutions to, and advocates for the elimination of, the widespread social inequality among traditionally under-represented groups in North Carolina. While these problems manifest in a variety of ways, NCSJP tackles problems in four major areas: Human Rights, Education, Housing, and Finance. Please visit www.ncsjp.org for more information.