To: Superintendent Carole Smith and PPS High School Directors
Teachers, Parents, Community Members Against Racist Exclusionary Discipline
Dear Portland School Board, Superintendent Carole Smith, and PPS Administrative Personnel,
We stand together, united as teachers, parents, and community members who demand an immediate moratorium on the punitive discipline system in PPS that targets and marginalizes students of color, often excluding them from class for an hour, a day, a semester, or a life time.
As a teacher, I sign to show my commitment to end racist exclusionary discipline by committing to an immediate moratorium on writing referrals for my students. I sign to show that I will not participate in punitive discipline and request an immediate moratorium on practices that promote exclusion and institutionalized racism. I will utilize alternative strategies to maintain decorum in my classroom, including mediation or restorative justice programs available to me in my school, parent communication, counseling services, and one-on-one communication. If there are no such services, I request immediate mediation services be made available to resolve conflicts that would otherwise lead to exclusionary discipline.
As a community member and parent, I sign in support of the immediate moratorium on punitive and archaic discipline systems that unfairly target minority students in public education. I stand with students by supporting teachers who refuse to write referrals or participate in punitive discipline programs in public schools.
We stand together, united as teachers, parents, and community members who demand an immediate moratorium on the punitive discipline system in PPS that targets and marginalizes students of color, often excluding them from class for an hour, a day, a semester, or a life time.
As a teacher, I sign to show my commitment to end racist exclusionary discipline by committing to an immediate moratorium on writing referrals for my students. I sign to show that I will not participate in punitive discipline and request an immediate moratorium on practices that promote exclusion and institutionalized racism. I will utilize alternative strategies to maintain decorum in my classroom, including mediation or restorative justice programs available to me in my school, parent communication, counseling services, and one-on-one communication. If there are no such services, I request immediate mediation services be made available to resolve conflicts that would otherwise lead to exclusionary discipline.
As a community member and parent, I sign in support of the immediate moratorium on punitive and archaic discipline systems that unfairly target minority students in public education. I stand with students by supporting teachers who refuse to write referrals or participate in punitive discipline programs in public schools.
Why is this important?
Exclusionary Discipline is clearly a problem in Portland Public Schools, as it is nationally. Teachers, parents, and community members must come together to demand change, as this problem of institutionalized racism against Black, Latino and Native American students has gone on for far too long. The current system is broken. We must show our unwillingness to operate within the current punitive system and request a new system from our District Leaders. Leaders who wish to maintain the status quo are reluctant to make immediate changes, arguing that these changes will take time; we maintain that they should have taken place a long time ago. Every day that we wait to end punitive discipline systems mean more African American, Latino, and Native American children who are excluded at higher rates than their white peers. We will not stand for this any longer...and request action now to eradicate the discipline referral system in Portland Public Schools.