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An example of Justice
Matters Policy for the People in Action is the Senior
Year Demonstration. Justice Matters worked collaboratively
with West Contra Costa School Board Trustee Dave Brown
to create an alternative to the California High School
Exit Exam which was presented to the West Contra Costa
School Board in 2006.
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Download PDF [34 KB] |
Who should make the policies for our schools? Justice Matters
believe that it should be students, families, communities
of color, educators, and other people who care about racial
justice in schools. Get involved in making policy by telling
us what you think and help us develop ideas for policies that
will transform our schools.
This month we want to know what you think are the biggest
problems in our schools. We want to make sure that Justice
Matters’ policies are focused on solving the problems
that matter most
What problems most get in the way of a good education
for students of color?
| Tell us your answer and we'll publish it on our website
in the near future. Send answer submissions to: info@justicematters.org |
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Policies are decisions and actions that the government takes
to address a social issue. Policies can come in the form of
laws and resolutions. Also, government administrators have
the authority to make some policies without getting a law
or resolution passed.
Different types of education policies
In education, there are policies for:
- Where the money for the public schools comes from
and what it is spent on
- What the schools should teach students
- What a person needs to learn in order to become a teacher
- When and how schools should discipline students
These are just some of the issues that education policies affect.
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In August 2005, the Board of Education of the San Francisco
Unified School District passed a resolution to address problems
with how students were being suspended. The resolution said
that from now on, all schools had to offer alternatives to
suspensions. Also, if schools did suspend a student for two
or more days, they must provide the student with homework
assignments or give the student an opportunity to make up
the work he or she missed during the suspension.
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Elsa Mejia of Madera Youth Leaders and Channing
Martinez of Coalition for Educational Justice present at a statewide
meeting of the Campaign for Quality Education, an alliance that
Justice Matters works with.
Photo: William Romero
and Valentina Velez-Rocha/Justice Matters |
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| To teach in a manner that respects and cares
for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide
the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and
intimately begin.
-bell hooks
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