With the aim of reducing out-of-school suspensions and fostering alternatives to punitive measures for Transitional Kindergarten through twelfth-grade students, California’s legislature has granted $1 million over three years to the newly established Race Education and Community Healing (REACH) Network. Led by the UC Berkeley School of Education and the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, this initiative will collaborate with public and charter schools, local education agencies, community-based organizations, and universities across California. Their goal is to create alternatives to suspensions and transform public schools into centers for racial and community healing.
UC Berkeley School of Education Associate Professor Travis Bristol, who will co-lead the project with UCLA Professor Tyrone Howard, emphasized the need for educators to acquire tools and knowledge to create inclusive classroom environments, stating, “You can tell educators to end suspensions, but that’s not enough. Educators need opportunities to learn how to create school and classroom environments that engage students’ minds and not police their bodies.”
The project aligns with State Senator Nancy Skinner’s successful SB 274, which seeks to eliminate suspensions for “willful defiance” or low-level behavior issues in TK through grade 12. Senator Skinner highlighted the importance of keeping students in school and working with teachers and school administrators to develop alternatives to suspensions.
“SB 274 is based on a simple premise: Students belong in school. Suspending students, no matter what the age, does not improve student behavior. Instead, suspensions greatly increase the likelihood that the student will fail classes or drop out of school completely,” said Senator Skinner. “To put student success first, it’s imperative that we work directly with teachers and school administrators to develop thoughtful and engaging alternatives to out-of-school suspensions so that teachers and classrooms can flourish and students can thrive. That’s why I’m so pleased that we were able to secure funding in this year’s budget for the newly created REACH Network at UC Berkeley and UCLA.”
Joseph Bishop, Executive Director & Co-Founder of the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, emphasized the need for schools to promote positive relationships and welcomed the partnership with the REACH Network to address the intersection of race, education, and student learning.
“Policy is only a start to ending the overuse of punitive practices in schools that disproportionately impact students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and historically marginalized groups in California. Schools and educators need greater capacity and tools to promote positive and healthy relationships,” said Joseph Bishop, Executive Director & Co-Founder, UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools. “Thanks to Senator Skinner’s leadership, we’re going to build upon our statewide CA Multi-Tiered System of Support partnership and focus unapologetically through REACH on the relationship between race, education, and student learning.”
The REACH Network will establish communities of practice for educators statewide to develop evidence-based alternatives to suspensions, expulsions, and criminalization in schools. It will also provide resources and prevention strategies for educators and school leaders, forging partnerships to create safe learning environments and address past punitive practices affecting students of color.
