White House initiative for alternative school discipline

Miami-Dade County Public Schools officials will be at the White House on Wednesday to help “Rethink School Discipline.”

That’s the name of a national meeting of education leaders gathering to discuss discipline alternatives that keep students in school and out of the juvenile justice system. Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Deputy Superintendent Valtena Brown and Chief Academic Officer Marie Izquierdo were invited to the policy discussion.

“Students who are not in school whether because they are absent or because they are suspended, don’t learn,” Carvalho said.

Miami-Dade County police agencies, including school police, recently were named the best in the state for issuing civil citations to juvenile offenders rather than arresting them. School police in Miami-Dade issue civil citations in 93 percent of cases, according to the report by Tampa-based Dewey & Associates, on behalf of a group of advocacy organizations.

Source: Miami-Dade officials join White House initiative for alternative school discipline | Miami Herald