FAQs | portlandparentunion3

Presentation and Workshop opportunities

LEWIS AND CLARK SOCIAL JUSTICE FORUM
NW RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CONFERENCE
OEA CONFERENCE
RIGLER K-6 WAS K-12
JACKSON MIDDLE SCHOOL
COMMUNITY SUPPORTING YOUTH
MARION COUNTY SERVICES/PSU
PARKROSE MIDDLE SCHOOL
MULTNOMAH COUNTY RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CONF.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CONFERENCE BY CITY CLUB
FACILITATING AMERICAN PROMISE MOVIE
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE WEBINAR PRESENTER
JOHN ENGLISH AND THE NORWEST DISABILITY ORG.
Presented at Oregon Educations Association Conference

Do you have memberships?

Memberships are possible but it is not a priority at this time. Our goal in the future is to create membership opportunities. Most of our constituents cannot afford the fees. We have given the parents the power to suggest creative ways to support PPU as well as how we can support them.

What is your position on Community Schooling and what is a Community School

We support Community Schooling

'What is a Community School?

A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities. Community schools offer a personalized curriculum that emphasizes real-world learning and community problem-solving. Schools become centers of the community and are open to everyone – all day, every day, evenings and weekends.

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What is school pushout?

Definitions:

Pushout refers to the numerous and systemic factors that prevent or discourage young people from remaining on track to complete their education and has severe and lasting consequences for students, parents, schools, and communities. These factors include, among others, the failure to provide essential components of a high quality education, lack of stakeholder participation in decision-making, over-reliance on zero-tolerance practices and punitive measures such as suspensions and expulsions, over-reliance on law enforcement tactics and ceding of disciplinary authority to law enforcement personnel, and a history of systemic racism and inequality. These factors have an impact on all students, but have a disproportionate impact on historically disenfranchised youth.

A zero tolerance discipline policy is a school discipline policy or practice that results in an automatic disciplinary consequence such as in-school or out-of-school suspension, expulsion, or involuntary school transfer for any student who commits one or more listed offenses. A school discipline policy may be a zero tolerance policy even if administrators have some discretion to modify the consequence on a case-by-case basis.

Criminalization is the labeling of an individual or group, his or her activities, culture and/or identity as deviant, dangerous and undesirable and the corresponding suppression of that individual or group by authorities. Criminalized people and populations do not need to engage in illegal or harmful behavior to be treated as criminals but are regularly targeted for surveillance, police stops, frisks and questioning, and school suspension and expulsion. Criminalization often extends beyond police and court systems to impact the larger society’s perception and treatment of the individual or group. (Adapted from Youth Justice Coalition definition)

Human rights are necessary for people to live life in freedom, dignity and equality, and to have their basic needs met. Human rights apply to every person equally no matter where they come from simply because they are human beings. The U.S. civil rights movement is part of a human rights movement to fight for civil rights to equality and freedom from discrimination, as well as economic and social rights to education,

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Is there other volunteer opportunities, besides the ones you mentioned?

We will ask our families and volunteers in place of membership dues to volunteer at least 3 hours a year in their school or communities or with PPU.

Parents are volunteering to incorporate and develop a parent involvement contract. Click on Picture to go to model.

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Is Parent Union a Black Organization?

We are not an organization only for black families. People assume that because our founder and director is black that this is so. We are for all children that are impacted negatively by education institutions. These are families who have been marginalized and have a history of multiple suspensions from schools. By default it ends up being the black boys who are most impacted by this.

Are you an advocate for public schools?

Absolutely, but we are also for the educational environment that could fit the best needs of the child- especially when the public school system has failed them. Yes even home schooling!!!! " One size does not fit all". Our hope is that public schools will get better for our children. We desire and support good public schools.

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What are some of PPU's accomplishments?

WE are in seven schools and more organizing families of color, sped families, and poor white families. Supporting principals in their desire to build relationships with families of color as well as the disabled (sped families). Also supporting them in their quest to minimize the "pushout" . We have created a strong alliance with the disability community.

We are organizing the "Moratorium Team" on Pushout with educators community and families/parents..We will create awareness through forums and testimony at the local and state level...

We signed on with Caring Communities to support LGBTQ communities

We are in demand for the Restorative Listendialogue (all one word) Activities. This activity Is a collaborative effort with teachers, principals, parents, organizations and community members..We are implementing trainings for restorative justice and restorative listeningdialogue.

We have signed the petitions supporting Gay Marriage.....(There are lots of same sex couples having children/adopting children. These children are in the school sytem also...and because of who their parents are could be singled out.

We aligned with organizations across the states to call for a "Moratorium on Discipline . Suggesting alternatives: Restorative Justice, PBIS, Safe and Civil Schools.. Gearing up to make this a campaign in Oregon...

We have represented and testified at the Federal and State level on pushout, gun control, parental involvement, and the Education Act. Parents need to be included up front in the decision making...

Poor white children are being impacted as much as any. Most times they are not identified in the data reports as"poor white children" but if you break it down. The income of the family would be "telling". We are attempting to identify those families to support also....... In schools where there are no kids of color its the very low (poor) income families who are targeted equal to families of color or SPED families...............We are finding when there is a strong emphasis in correcting the harm in one sub-group another sub-group raises to the top as being ignored and eventually harmed by exclusion....

Positioned on the ODE Dirproportionate Discipline Team as the co-chair

Postioned on the advisory team with u of O to support the merging of Restorative Juscice and PBIS

Poisitioned on the Mult. County SUN Systems Equity Lense Advisory Team

Poistioned in 7 districts to support parent envolvement of African Americans

Positioned on the Communities Supporting Youth Collaborative under All Hands Raised

Positioned with the Try Counties (Mult. Wash. and Clackamas) to lead Parent engagement

PPU PARENT ACADEMY

PPU parents and leaders travel to Washington, D.C with the NAACP Defense Fund and the Dignity in Schools Campaign to tell their stories twice a year of school pushout.

Testifying on Bill 553 Imposes limits on instances when student in fifth grade or lower may be subjected to out-of-school suspension or expulsion from school, April 2015. Law becomes effective July 1, 2015. PPU vice-chairs the Oregon State Discipline Advisory Committee were some of the Bill proposal 553 was birthed.

NECN grant to host “Know Your Rights” monthly clinics beginning April 2015. This is a collaboration with an Attorney John Salois who runs youth law clinics

Mama Bear Pushout Tour in New Orleans, Louisiana and Mississippi. We made the front page of the Times-Picayune, May 2015. We will do an action in Virginia in August. These states have the highest rate of suspensions and expulsions of black boys in the country. Proposing an Action in Portland for October 2015

Portland Parent Union/Portland Public Schools forms Restorative Listeningdialogue Circle. PPU formed a moratorium committee with PPS and other stakeholders to demand some kind of moratorium on school pushout. Pushed for the student discipline handbook to be rewritten in a human rights/civil rights document instead of punitive. PPU facilitates with PPS to make sure most impacted are included and the right folks are writing the handbook. Monitoring to make sure inclusive of all stakeholders. June 2014- continuing through June 2015- and next school year.

Participated in the Robert Wood Johnson think tank on Restorative Justice in Chicago, July 2015.

PPU has contracted with PPS as consultants to bring Restorative Listeningdialogue (all one word) into 12 schools with families and teachers together. To build relationships and to document families voices.

Check out the most common questions asked along with the answers. Please contact us if you have anymore questions