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 THE PROJECT 

 BLACK STUDENTS 

 NATIONALLY ARE 3 TIMES 

 MORE LIKELY TO BE SUSPENDED 

 THAN WHITE STUDENTS 

THE PROJECT GOALS

Short Term

  • Become a certified restorative justice coalition through the International Institute for Restorative Justice Practices 

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  • By June 2019, train and develop educators and youth to advocate for the re-introduction of bill SB2545/ HB2516 (Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, requires all school personnel to receive implicit bias in-service training annually; requires students desiring a license to teach to pass a course of implicit bias training. - Amends TCA Title 49.)

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  •  Initiate an inaugural Memphis Restorative Justice Institute which will train educators, non-profit leaders, public servants and etc. throughout Memphis and the Tri-State area.   

 

  • Adopt 1 Shelby County School to pilot Public Policy & Restorative Justice Infused Youth Empowerment & Leadership Development program and recruit students.  

    • The pilot school will have lower suspension rates as compared to the previous academic school year by May 2019.    â€‹

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  •  Hold the Public Policy & Restorative Justice Symposium by May 2019.

  

Long Term:  

  • Establish a partnership with Shelby County Schools to facilitate mandatory implicit bias and restorative justice training resulting in a decrease in suspensions across the district by June 2020.   

THE HARD TRUTH

58%

BLACK STUDENTS MAKE UP THE STATE OF TENNESSEE'S SUSPENSIONS

55%

NATIONAL SUSPENSIONS OCCURRED IN 13 SOUTHERN STATES

95%

BLACK & LATINO STUDENTS MAKE UP THE RATE OF STUDENTS SUSPENDED IN SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS DURING THE 2017-18 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR

Our core policy levers include: â€‹â€‹

  • Establish a local restorative justice training center tailored for school level and district level educators 

  • Recommendation to Shelby County Schools and Local School Board to require implicit bias and restorative justice training for school leadership teams and all district leadership 

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