testing one two three
could everyone please
come to the front so
to look at least look
like you're like me
you come always affront
I promise you I will buy
I took a shower this
morning you get closer
feeling good
up of new
I'm a tell the principal
so good morning
are we do better in that I
know is a vacation day for
some for all good morning
I want to welcome everyone
here today -- as you probably
can tell I am a morning
person -- like to welcome
every when here today for
-- the select committee on
ending to school to prison
pipeline I'm the chair of that
committee -- I'm here
because I am a a proud
alumnus and graduate of LAUSD
-- I'm not a pathfinder but
I am a Roman so I don't study
and -- really
I'm also the chair of public
safety and like that would help
people I been the more prisons
ever wanted to in my entire life
and I when I first got elected
in two thousand twelve every
private prison because that
that time we had we're in
mass incarceration we had
incarcerated more people
in California did any other
state and in most cases any
other country -- I asked
the private prisons why they
were my office and they said
that they needed ten thousand
more prison beds over the next
-- ten years and I asked him
how we're able to come up with
that number and how accurate
was and they said they were
actors she was about ninety
nine to a hundred percent
accuracy that they would need
ten thousand more prison beds
and I say well what was your
algorithm what was your would
you use no I I'm expecting
some for the teachers in here
I'm expecting some out long
and drawn out algebraic
kind of a -- example
and he basically said to me
we can we know by the number
third graders they can't read at
third grade how many more prison
beds we will need SB in
from south LA and your in my
district -- represents south
LA of I said why don't we
educate those individuals so
we can determine how many more
universities and colleges we
need to build in clap with that
but the next thing you
should really clap about is
since two thousand twelve
none of those private
prisons have ever come
back to my office again to
talk to me about anything
so it is said to me that
maybe the solution it's close
enough the pipeline we spent a
lot of money a rehabilitation
which you still we still should
do making sure people get out
and it become function many
members of society but also
woke me up to the fact that --
if we cut off that pipeline
and squeeze it till it's just
impossible for any of our
young people to go through
the whole system in the whole
world would change and so
-- on behalf of the of the
speaker the legislature -- I
want to welcome everyone to
this this is the second hearing
of the select committee on
ending the school to prison
pipeline in our first hearing
we heard from educators DCS
using various organizations
discussing the crucial role of
teachers the teachers play in
ending the cycle of and promote
the education not incarceration
my colleagues and I and I have
spent years about the issues
are communities face we heard
about the need for teachers
that understand the trauma I
mean the trauma our students
experience the need for more
school based health services
and that's why we're here today
addressing trauma through
supportive services and programs
and wraparound services on
campus this have been a frequent
topic of conversation the route
this legislative year how can
we expect our students to learn
to succeed in the classroom if
we're not providing the services
they need and to create an
environment where they feel they
can access this help this is
why fought with fifty million
dollars in the state budget
over the last years the fund the
youth diversion programs
this system we have now takes
our children from classroom to
prison it's really time to in
that they will be looking at
what current program through
providing for students and
their families as well as what
are additional steps we can
take to help them overcome the
barriers to their success I know
how important is the issue is
and what and which is why I
this year I worked on AB two
five eight a bill to establish
a grant program that button
student support services and
their integration within the
surrounding community we look we
must look at our children as at
promise right now we
call our children at risk
which kind of focuses on
maybe one mistake for two
mistakes that they've done
they carry that label with
them throughout their school
academic year sometimes
when a in a criminal justice
system I have a bill on the
governor's desk right now to
get rid of that term of at risk
take it out education code
and take it out of the penal
code and call our young people
who have challenges call them
at promise miss of the
future they're not gangsters
they're not criminal their young
people young people get from
doctors lawyers engineers could
be anything we should celebrate
the promise of what they will
be and not just well
on what they may have done
with that I want to introduce
one of our esteemed guests
on the first team guesses here
okay I will do
sports betting
superintended of school
-- Mister Butte near
I go too fast
so what I will
right could do is bring up
the first panel and when
he gets here just kind of
like we do in the assembly
just stop bring our
special guest unless you're
sure let's do that
you can use the Mike regularly
actually push
the button
hello
hello and I'm the local
districts south superintendent
so I wanted to welcome you and
and assembly member thank you
so much for everything you do
for youth in our communities
course Fremont high school
as part of your assembly
district here -- and I wanted
to introduce longer ask of the
-- our new principle here and
Blanca can you bring greetings
here as well that's what
I'm glad you did that for me
you might my mother said when
they become somebody's house
you should at least acknowledge
until thank you thank you Mr
Romero my name is blank cattle
COS give in and I am the proud
principle fabulous Fremont high
school I want to officially
give you the welcome to our
beautiful school this is home
of the pathfinders where we find
a path or make one but I want
to welcome all my community my
community partners my parents
my mother's that are here person
as well as my students I want
to give you the official welcome
it is a privilege serving the
south central community I am
to a proud product of valley
unified once the pilot always
the pilot hole of any is banning
hospital and my two children
are also products of LA unified
they are nor bond cal
chose so proud around very
honored to be here get all that
a lesbian but me that's good
asked yes Bob it is a little
knows the meet the audios
enough money that I mean nobody
is blank of CSU in the soil
or will you also I meant the
Soviet Exora and estará got
on community that they Fremont
high school so thank you once
more I do see that we do
have our superintendent Mister
Austin Butte near here I want
to officially welcome him two
beautiful Fremont high school
home with the pathfinder's
strohmaier I turn the Mike
over to you so we can introduce
our superintendent Mister
Austin Butte their gas yes
thank you thank you
yeah and I have the -- after
the honor and a pleasure --
of introducing Mister Brookner
-- Pacific leaders plan for
best public servant former
businessman who has worked
for the past decade to make
out Los Angeles is stronger
community often precursors as a
superintendent for LAUSD --
Mr bean or as service first that
the mayor is the Los Angeles
publisher the Los Angeles
Times culture de LA twenty
twenty commission and the LA
unified advisory task force
and founded vision to learn
the organization provides free
eye exams and glasses to low
income children I met this
to be very pride and remember
so I used to work this
is the deputy mayor -- for
Richard J. Richard Riordan
and he used to talk about
this man all the time and
the work that he's doing and
-- when he was talking about
it consider the source yes
-- it was just after the the
mayor Riordan had fallen on
his bicycle in France I know
this abusing her head of
bicycle mishap and that maybe
not be a bicyclist for the
rest of my life -- but
a he is -- someone
I note passionately about
what he wants to do and where
you want to take LA U. S. B.
-- and especially since I have
two children that teach Cannella
UST -- at the high school
level I wish them much success
because with his success both
my children success as teachers
in math and biology --
and I think that makes the whole
system a lot better and with
that to pretend
thank you and I just it's
my privilege to be here not
only serving in this role -- but
it's my privilege of Mr assembly
member to work alongside you on
this initiative thank you for
years of commitment to this
-- it's fitting that were here
at Fremont because
if we had been here not so
many years ago at Fremont
twenty percent of the kids
were be graduates today
will celebrate about eighty
percent of graduating if
we'd been here not so many years
ago we treated our students
as a challenger as a problem
almost as criminals -- now
we treat them -- each as
individuals and provide them
with the opportunity to succeed
because we've got a bunch of
schools in Los Angeles I'm
have almost fourteen hundred
schools we serve the needs
of seven hundred thousand
students and we know there
is opportunity in everyone of
those seats Calvet everyone
of those seats but unfortunate
opportunity insults work
like this -- that we think
will help make sure there
is not only talented but
opportunity in everyone of those
seats so it's my privilege to
be here -- today a free mind you
would see wraparound services
for counseling clinical care
restorative justice -- and
dramatically improve community
engagement that's a start our
students are staying with us
for helping them graduate we
still have a ways to go to
make sure that they're each
realizing their full potential
so just let me share a
few of the things that we
are working on -- because
we could spend days and weeks
but I'm just gonna give a few
highlights -- so since two
thousand thirteen what we've
been trying to do is reduce
suspensions keep students
with us given the chance to
learn -- and we led the way
with willful defiance and
restorative justice practices
so within a decade ago our
students miss sixty thousand
days -- to suspension this past
year less than four thousand
in addition state leaders led
by the assembly member and
others agreed earlier this
month to an act into law to
strengthen the policies to
protect especially our youngest
learners from suspensions
related to will for the five
thank you for your leadership on
that that is making a difference
are the next piece of our
work and I think I see in the
audience a few members of our --
-- task force we set up a task
force was here when the folks
at the bunch center really
brought some information or
attention that was really
troubling -- there almost
twenty drug and alcohol related
infractions on a list that
in the past students would be
arrested so permitted
mark on the record for obvious
see an issue work counseling a
diversion -- and more support
is needed so we put together
task force our colleague from
the bunch center the brotherhood
crusade suits and solidarity
and the social justice learning
instead we spent the past six
months developing a set of
strategies to reduce the arrests
and citations of students under
fourteen in particular African
American students who are over
represented in that where we
can provide counseling support
-- and give those students an
opportunity learn from what is
a mistake but just a mistake
as a young person shouldn't
more the record for life --
Esther assembly member we will
be coming to you we like to
-- we will intend to apply for
you three investment fund -- for
additional support -- I know
I can kind of your support
we need to make sure the rest
of your colleagues understand
the importance of this work
because these are just numbers
on a page is not just dollars
but each of these investments
represents the chance for --
young person have a better
life so we appreciate your
support on that -- the second
if I brought in the lands
of one of the things that we
see here today if we took a
tour campus you'd see that
all of the needs of our
students are not being met --
and we have a big challenge
in public education on the
issue of adequacy well
just put in simplest terms
if we were sitting at the
high school in New York
the investment any student
would be about twenty nine
thousand dollars a year two
nine thousand dollars a year
we're sitting at a high school
here in Los Angeles and our
funding is only about sixteen
thousand dollars a year
as a high school math problem
twenty nine thousand minus
sixteen thousand twenty nine
minus sixteen I think that
second or third grade and it's
elementary and our great
challenge or opportunity if we
choose to look at appropriately
is how do we all come together
and make sure schools are
adequately funded because
adequate funding allows us
to pay people working schools
properly and fairly it allows
us to make sure that we have
smaller class sizes that we
have the wraparound supports
that are needed that we have
all of the a to G. support
an AP classes and beyond that
our students need and deserve
but the issue of adequacy is
something we as a community
have to address and if we don't
address it we're going to be
left with big opportunities
that we cancer because we know
what it takes we know
that additional investment
will pay enormous dividends
not just to the students
that were investing by the
community as a whole so would
appreciate your support on that
are the work doesn't end today
-- but you have our pledge our
commitment as a school district
with leaders like Mike for
Meryl our fearless principal
doctor Whitman others who
day in day out to the work to
make sure that we build on the
success that we're having -- the
increase graduation rates -- to
make sure that each student has
a chance to succeed in school
life thank you thank you and
-- I want I want thank you for
taking time out of your day
to come here this is really
important and -- and I have
been Askin I don't know how
those leader run through your
office I have a bill --
you mention at risk I have a
bill to change the term at risk
and take it out it occasion code
other penal code call our young
people have problems because
and not dwell on what problems
they had poured but look at
them as as you said what big
ultimately can be press and is
on the governor's desk right now
so of any kind of make a
call for the letter anything
you know how he'll have of my
letter of support before the
day's out Sir thank you thank
you a because I think what we're
collaborating on and working
on is to think of every student
and their fullest opportunity --
that growth mindset no deficit
mindset so as we think of each
student are opportunity I love
the way you phrased it -- these
are not students who are at
risk their opportunity and it's
our job to make sure they have
the full opportunity and then
the other thing is probably
hopefully I'm able to get
monies for pop sixty four to
build these health centers like
the one you have read Ana so
we can collaborate with your
ministration on what is the best
way to distribute that money
because I feel that we could
be we're going to get the money
one of the things that -- since
we're broker just IBM relation
-- the school as the center
of the community is the
centerpiece of a lot of our work
this year because Los Angeles
unified serve students over some
her square miles very different
communities very different
needs -- and so actually --
Mr Romero and his team are
leading one of our efforts
in the south where Fremont
is to make sure that we are
doing everything we can to
restore the school as that
center the community we think
that a feeder pattern the
community whether it's an
elementary school to middle
school to high school of
the offering of services to
children in the community and
their families -- and wellness
services are important part
of that -- so we'd love to
work with you on that because
the coherence we can do around
that to make sure the services
are not disjointed there's a
reason to provide service to
the school children and families
are here every day -- so the
state coming along with funding
is fantastic we need to bring
our county partners into it
-- because they have a certain
different stream of funding to
actually staff and I don't miss
as good here who runs our mental
health support and services
will talk if she is not already
about that but I think if we
can think of the school as the
center for everything we can
to bring the community back in
and provide that support there
were other personalized of
that thank you thank you at I
do believe it will happen and
not to put any more pressure on
Fremont when I'm in the capital
when I'm in Sacramento when I
talk to the governor lieutenant
governor to the Senate I talk
about Fremont high school is
being the example of what I want
the future of education to be
when it comes to mental health
trauma care and all of that
so -- and your stats that you
mentioned I need more those
stats like even been specially
members that may be on the other
side of the aisle who may not be
as in like had I not sure
what what side at all is because
when the kids are the national
of the other thing that I'll
just mention since we are
together I think we're gonna
hosts -- bring together the LA
delegation I would welcome got
to be one of the hosts to do
that because your leadership
we need to bring whether
there are sides they all outside
of our own the kids out of
the island and we need to talk
about the entire delegation
helping us to make sure we're
making investments need in our
schools here thank you
and thank you for being here
I don't know where I
don't which has had some
of
okay
often
yeah
all of
from my fifty
number one two three
yeah
let's give the superintendent
of big round of applause
Bob so let's invite our first
panel Dr AB do
dual side he from -- my clinic
asking dental from Daly UST
division of health and Human
Services Arturo Valdez
chief academic officer for Los
Angeles office of education
could you comment have a seat
so
so I have staff here
just in case anyone
having trouble understanding
what's going on probably
don't understand what I'm
saying right now if you to --
everyone of the land
play everyone total
okay so
we'll begin with doctor
Adel psyche from
I thank you assembly member
Jones Sawyer -- steam guests
and panelists -- we're fortunate
to have a second hearing here
on the campus of -- Fremont
high school the first one
we hosted was in August of
twenty seventeen on committee
trauma informed care -- so
we really -- welcome you back
to the campus and again thank
you for for having us here
-- I am I will say than the
chief executive officer of all
my communicable operates as
wellness center here on the
campus of Fremont high school
well my clinics started from
a small group of UCLA students
responding to the health
disparities in south LA up to
said after the nineteen ninety
two civil unrest and twenty
seven years later organizational
heart is in the same place
we know how special it is to
have a space that houses the
greenhouse a community garden a
committee clinics specifically
for teens and community members
and upcoming dental clinic all
while sharing the campus with a
high school in other community
partners we're also fortunate to
be hosting twice a month if free
farmers market that provides
over twenty five thousand
pounds of food to the community
with partnership with LA food
forward despite all the amazing
resources we have we want to
do more to affect injustice
injustice is our community faces
we are honored here to speak
on behalf of our community and
the team of sixty staff members
that make up in addition to our
stern health leaders program
it'll McKinney clinic at the
core of our work every month at
the view on campus is a need to
provide pathways for students
to be successful in mind body
and overall health a body of
research indicates that Los
class time due to suspension
expulsion and elimination
results in early involvement
with the juvenile justice system
we cannot look at the school to
prison pipeline without creating
a framework of alternative
models of justice in our
schools and restorative justice
practices at the core of this
alternative framework according
to Daniel Venice executive
director for the center of
justice and reconciliation of
the prison fellowship a world
recognized expert on restorative
justice three core principles
underlying the theoretical
basis of restorative justice
repairing harm stakeholder
involvement in transforming the
role of comedian governments
the role of comedian government
cannot be stressed enough and
as a healthcare organization
serving the campus of Fremont
high school I'd like to focus
some remarks on what we're
doing to engage at a community
level the entire Fremont high
school student body is made up
of black and brown students all
of whom have been impacted in
some way by the socio economic
disparities that exist in south
LA the student health leaders
program of the mckinny clinic
was created to reflects the
student body giving students
the power to tackle campus
and community issues affecting
health the criminal justice
system and environmental
inequities amongst others each
cohort of students as part to
advocate for themselves and
issues that affect them the most
teaching their peers to do the
same in the process these topics
usually merge general health
race social justice issues in
our campus and community events
and partnerships of school clubs
and committee organizations
that are doing similar work
south central LA is comprised
of about fifty four thousand
you under eighteen forty one
percent of them living below
the poverty level only six point
six percent of this county has
a bachelor's degree with just
under fifty one percent of high
school students graduating that
alone is enough to inspire us
to do more especially to the
empowerment of students who
are at opportunity and -- I
really appreciate the assembly
member going in that direction
of changing language because
language is important the
sentencing project reported in
twenty fifteen that California
has six thousand seven hundred
twenty six youth in custody with
two times the amount of light
necks and nearly nine times
amount of black youth in custody
compared with will their white
counterparts in twenty sixteen
the centre of juvenile justice
and criminal justice reported
that south central has some
of the highest rates of felony
arrest and state confinement
with rising numbers of foster
care youth ages ten to seventeen
and sixty three percent of
youth with mental health cases
actively open simply put the
members of our student health
leaders program their friends
and family and community members
have have a higher likelihood
of becoming a cycle of becoming
part of a cycle that screw
explosion criminalization in
the face of health and community
based disparities our leadership
staff began considering ways
to deepen our social justice
impact to our programs with
the development of a stand
alone programs department are
teens house was passed with
addressing the social justice
issues our students face and
has been able to align their
goals more clearly becoming more
attended of ways of merging our
clinical educational committee
partnerships in serving the
community we implemented a
plan to increase support of the
feeder elementary and middle
schools within the almost
service network an increase
as soon health leaders program
to sixteen students this year
virtually started off with
five students this year we are
going to sixteen students with
hopes expand reach to even more
students in the years to come
this work continues as part
of our trauma and community
informed care which is why we
recently re branded giving the
students side of the clinic
its own name the -- much teen
clinic so students would have
a greater sense of ownership
of the clinics seeing as a
space that is more there's
than anyone else's this didn't
help leaders are especially
excited because they help
designing new outreach materials
including a new logo which
they now Pat probably were on
campus the work we do as health
practitioners cannot be done
without the strong partnership
in cloud of collaborative
efforts alongside with LAUSD
when Ellie is the adopted the
discipline foundation policy in
two thousand seven the district
stated goal was to establish
a framework for developing
refining and implementing a
culture of discipline conducive
to learning the school wide
positive behavior interventions
support framework provides a
systematic an evidence based
approach for improving school
relationships student behavior
and learning outcomes based on
this new implemented framework
as we spoke about earlier if
you look at the whole district
suspensions have declined
dramatically from a high of
nearly seventy three thousand
in two thousand five it just
eighty eight thousand and as a
superintendent Peter said about
four thousand recently there's
still much more work to be
done and in tandem with these
restorative justice practices
on campus the path for can
truly be transformative the
on campus principal at school
Val has offered her self as
a resource fully committed to
increasing for my high school
graduation rate understanding
the impact the first or second
hand involvement with the
criminal justice system can
have an insurmountable effect
on the success of students we
are partnering with her the
Fremont teachers the Los Angeles
trusts for children's health a
Los Angeles neighborhood land
trust our teen clinic staff
the student health leaders the
school nurses psychiatric social
work on campus the healthy
start coordinator any newly
hired restorative justice corner
coordinator who will be working
closely with us to do this work
the we are showing proud of the
impact we have have so far on
campus we in to see Los Angeles
county the state of California
in the United States make a
push to create more clinics
like ours on school campuses in
a recent behavior health focus
group that we had at Wilma with
our team clinics students click
talked about there's shared
solutions to disparities seen
in our community regarding
mental health they are in dire
need of more counselors arts
programs disciplinary version
programs in spaces to truly
feel heard and validated we
look for departing with you all
to create the solutions they
aim to see and using health
equity to build capacity in
disrupting the public health
crisis that is the school to
prison pipeline thank you so
could you quickly tell us what
woman made sure we must answer
university in medical Muslim
association we're the first
-- federally qualified health
centers founded by American
Muslims we serve the entire
south Philly community and in
two thousand thirteen we were
so excited to expand our second
location here on the campus of
Fremont high school serving the
students and their families --
we are a one of a kind facility
Ellie UC's investment in Fremont
high schools truly remarkable
we have a one acre community
garden a a community clinic is
to maybe dental clinic and one
of a kind greenhouse this is
truly transformative in the work
they're doing so I encourage
you all to please stop by the
clinic talk to our partners
and see how you can join our
efforts and also like the
fact that it's multi cultural
yes absolutely our staff is
very diverse our our patients
I diverse and it's really
reflective of the community
that we serve thank you
good morning
in my thirty years of the
school social worker I
have learned that being
compassionate and caring does
not require additional funding
yep policies and funding
are critical and necessary
to breaking the pathway of
cars serrations psychiatric
hospitalizations and health
emergencies as you have
just heard LA unified has
invested for many years
towards the trajectory of
wellness prevention and early
intervention yet there's a lot
more that we can do towards
that while on this road an
important way to begin is by
building the capacity of all
adults to know why and how they
can support resiliency adults
parents care givers in the
school community play a pivotal
role in promoting student
outcome with proper funding and
resources we can educate all
school stakeholders about the
science and the impact of trauma
on talk to trial development
learn about systemic change
and opportunities to become
from a resilient and form
schools such as we are here at
Fremont high school to build
on individual community assets
despite risk factors or a will
now -- do -- as as which
thank you very much for that
and how each adult plays a
role by teaching our children
every day regardless of their
age social emotional skills
that are needed empathy anger
management problem solving goal
setting and so they can gain
tools and strategies to address
adversities the grief and many
of the trauma triggers the
experience for students to learn
that the can counseling and
mental health support throughout
their lives spent is healthy and
right for adults to build the
capacity to understand what it
means to be regulated so that
they can be call regulating
their children and also know
when children are at risk
and need additional support
when them they demonstrate
behaviors that may be harmful to
themselves harmful to others or
to stop students and adults were
introductory towards violence if
left untreated or a monitored or
services lack we will continue
to experience incidents that
may lead to tragedies on campus
or have to prepare for active
shooters or tertiary services
that we can prevent this is why
I am so proud to represent LA
unified today I can tell you
what is working what we could
expand on and we can build upon
we need to fortify and build
upon our current efforts we call
for policies and prioritizing
funding for school support teams
as the one you have here at
Fremont and many of other high
schools to continue to fund
academic enrichment programs
and focus on prevention and
early intervention I represent
the division of student
health and Human Services as
executive director I read a
represent over twenty five
hundred professionals and
support staff including nurses
psychiatric social workers
people services pediatricians
child psychiatrist and many
multi disciplinary professionals
administrators and support
personnel some of the work
we do we do with partnerships
internal and external and we
focus on the whole child and
when we look at data we know
that our children are not all
right we have over nine hundred
diabetic students across the
district every week we get the
average are an additional five
or so the numbers keep growing
we have twenty one thousand
students who have asthma
and there's as our students are
screened for vision we have
a very as partners that have
helped us green over two hundred
fifty thousand students thirty
six percent of the students
did not pass this screening
and we have been able to hand
out over twenty seven thousand
glasses because they needed
them when we joint partnerships
with our dental partners that's
what's so exciting that you're
gonna have a clinic soon let
that last year we served over
two thousand three hundred
ninety six children and those
children under when eighteen
thousand or more procedures
we first began to screen a look
at the impact of trauma and
our students twenty years ago
with partners at UCLA and ran
in our department of school
mental health we have come
a long way but we're still
yet in the infancy stages of
doing trauma informed work
I'm proud to highlight some
of our current practices and
lessons learned last year
we educated and build the
capacity of all students as a
priority implementing AB twenty
two forty six which is enacted
in California it required
all school districts to train
and and teach our teachers
seven through twelve quite
a suicide prevention LAUSD
revised its policy to include
all employees certificated
classified administrators
basically anybody who works
with children is required
to learn to be a protective
factor by being trauma informed
ninety three percent of our
sixty five thousand employees
completed the training last
year and we're taking that
training again this year
we've also developer training
for school support staff are
without nearly five hundred
psychiatric social workers
and counselors who are trying
to assess triage and develop
safety plants across elementary
middle and high schools we
hope to help destructive of
the pathway of self harm self
injurious behavior and that
way we can just -- and the
trajectory towards school
violence or violent threats to
school community in response
to the aftermath of parkland
Florida beginning in July twenty
eighteen we also launched a
dedicated partnership with
school police department student
health and Human Services
we teamed up mental health
practitioners and school police
officers to respond to self
injurious behavior or threat
to others these teams took
over eighteen hundred fifty
called the watch commander's
office and LA school police
once those calls were --
are activated they work
triage and assessed for self
just -- -- harm to self or
or harm to others provided
technical support and assistance
-- to school sites with right
assessment and risk and what
ended up happening is that
fifty three percent of the
students were assessed on
campuses and out of those twenty
five percent of the students
were hospitalized we really
tried to stop our children
from going to psychiatric
hold which seems to be the
the route that we were doing
before an out of those cases
we continue to do intensive
case management to ensure that
children get the right services
the right district an external
partnerships every month in LA
unified we have -- we convene
what we call the LA chart the
lawcenter threat assessment
resource -- response partners
it involves school police LAPD
department of mental health
department of children family
services the city attorney and
other partners we look at risk
factors that cases and we review
students or any rest to develop
develop a collaborative action
plan and support to address
any critical incident our
students may be experiencing
and mitigate threats and that
way we can provide services
and not wait until a tragedy
occurs this year all schools
will be mandated to receive a
trauma informed professional
development we're also
developing a micro credential
for teachers we have done
universal screenings we started
with a lot of individual
therapy and group therapy and
we've moved into classrooms
we looked at eighteen thousand
students and about a quarter
of our students screened
at high risk for traumatic
stress another twenty percent
screen for moderate risk what
we do targeted screening in
our clinics in our schools
with parental consent more
than eighty percent of our
student report students
report exposure to three or
more stressful events drama
is prevalent in their lives
half of our students screen
positive for PTSD twenty
five percent of our students
experience depression and twenty
five percent also our screen
positive for anxiety twenty five
percent of all those students
also report using substances
so we are help build up on
individual and group therapy
and we are now doing class
interventions and whole
world a great approaches and
school wide -- activities
LAUSD operates its own mental
health and health clinics and
wellness centers as well as
partnering with FQHCs like
the one we do here at Fremont
and as I mentioned earlier when
children receive services at
school sixty percent of them
finish services versus when
we refer out only ten percent
of our children finished
services we have children with
comorbidity issues that means
that you can have diabetes
possibly also have asthma
but also experience home in
security or homelessness or
have been in a foster home and
have had multiple traumatic
experiences as you now that
leads for a child to have
difficulty learning and taking
on full academic potential
we need funded policies
necessary to pro provide
support to the whole child to
prevent and intervene early
our focus is has been and school
culture and climate physical
and emotional safety we plan to
increase the number of schools
that are currently implementing
trauma inform interventions and
practices many have began to
use meditation and mindfulness
and some schools have also --
been trained in transit and --
meditation we will continue
to refuse classrooms with
social emotional and trauma
informed curriculum as they
take on their instructional
methods and we have now also
began to have staff and student
wellness rooms where they can
go and have a break we truly
are facing a fork in the road
either we continue to find
pathology children needing to
be hospitalized for psychiatric
crises incarcerating are you
youth in juvenile hall or
having our children removed
from their families or take
another road towards wellness
this work depends on investments
of funding and policies to
protect school communities they
do services cannot depend on
limited Kern -- school
district general fund or school
district grants or philanthropy
we need to take on this
opportunity to really find
pathways and link learning so
our children I mentioned also
earlier we have a shortage of
school nurses of social workers
there's nothing better than the
opportunity to raise our own
-- social workers in north and
school nurses and staff from our
communities so we look forward
to supporting your efforts to
really -- be preventative in
early inner intervention so that
prison pipeline doesn't need
to exist we have way too many
other things to do and we are
ready to implement them thank
you thank you you mentioned
trauma can you just give real
quick the top two trumpeted
domestic violence bullying
violence industry what are the
well that's interesting and
poverty well poverty for sure
our eighties eighty six percent
or above eighty percent of our
children arm free and reduced
lunch -- when we talk about
drama what are screening tools
are not clinical as they can
do in the clinic it was what we
ask is have they been hit kicked
or punched that they witnessed
community violence and that the
prevalence one of the ones that
is increasing I just want to
highlight is car accidents so
please everybody be very safe
with your social media I think
that are accidents are more more
of our children experience car
accidents as well thank you
-- October of value
to you I think we have an extra
person there that you'll we do
yes we do thank you -- assembly
member Jones Sawyer for all of
your hard work and dedication
and being such a friend to
education -- I am also proud
to hear that both of your
sons are teachers -- one of
my son is also a teacher and
LA unified and I couldn't be
more proud of the work that
he's doing back I'm sure you
are so thank you for that and
I know you also talked about
legislators that are on the
other side of the aisle that
we want to in light yes and I
referred to those legislators
as at promise legislators
absolutely the term should
be shared with them as well
because they do have promise
and it's our responsibility to
go out there and provide them
the information that really
tells the story of the need
in our community I also want
to thank Blanca ski there are
principle here Fremont this is
an absolutely beautiful school
when I drove around I didn't
know what was an unassigned day
and I thought wow everybody's in
class there's no one out there
but I found it's an -- on
the sign day but thank you my
name is our total there's some
the chief academic officer
with the LA county office of
education I'm here representing
superintendent Deborah Eduardo
couldn't be here today but
I also brought with me Susan
Chait is who works -- so much
around social emotional learning
in health services at lake --
just briefly the Los Angeles
county office of education
covers the area from Lancaster
and Palmdale to Pomona to the
mountains to the ocean it's
about one point five million
K. twelve students and part
of our -- goal in our promises
to make sure that we work with
all eighty school districts to
make sure that they have the
tools they need to be successful
so that's kind of what we're
looking at an equity an axis
is ki¿m paramount the two words
prison and education or school
to prison bills are two words
that should never ever be used
in the same sentence and I think
our goal here today is to Iraqi
that and to never have those
two words a used in combination
I think our principal knows
that her primary job is
to support our teachers
because if you support our
teachers and they do their job
effectively and efficiently and
I know that there are barriers
to academic success and that's
where the the health and mental
health component come into it
we all need to work together
no one's going to do it by
themselves no teacher can do
it by themselves no principle
no superintendent no social
worker we all need to bind
together and say what's best
for the community and for our
parents that are sitting right
there we work for you and we
need to do a better job at
working well together and that's
really what this panel is all
about saying that we need to
to join arms and support you
in your work as we move forward
I wanted you to know that the
county has -- an incredible
relationship right now with
the county mental health county
health services department of
public social services so much
so that were opening up fifteen
community schools throughout LA
county -- many in this area as
well and we're also opening up
health clinics with the help of
those centers as well so we're
hoping to make some inroads --
with our partners and to talk a
little bit about that is Susan
Chait is with the Los Angeles
county office of education
thank you Mister Valdez in
assemblyman Jones Sawyer it is
a pleasure to be here and to
talk about some of the specific
things the LA county has to
offer and the partnerships in
the things that were working
with school districts so really
we're looking at the whole
child how do we support that
child the family in making the
school a hub for that community
as well and later has looked at
two initiatives in particular
looking at the trauma and
resiliency inform schools and
we started that last school
year we're looking at how do we
support our staff and students
and looking at so that their
understanding where our children
are coming from and providing
the best support that they can
at the schools we also as Mr
Valdez had mansion looking at
starting off the school year
the community schools initiative
again we're looking to make the
school a hub for bringing in
services not only increasing
the capacity of the services
of that the school site but
also looking at bringing in the
county departments bringing out
community based organizations
and pulling the men helping them
to be able to support students
and are on our schools but
also the families as well sue
we are very proud that we've
been able to look at -- some
collaborations with Lake over LA
county office of education which
is department of mental health
department of public health UCLA
in their center for excellence
and we have been collaborative
working to bring services to
do increase capacity of not
only of our administrators are
teachers but also the support
staff that surround to make
that village for students
in the schools we also work
with -- I can the interagency
council on child abuse and
neglect and in particular
looking at some of the mental
health issues and looking at
-- also looking out the mental
health issues of students that
are -- have suicidal ideation
that are considering that and
how do we support them so we
look at trends of what has
occurred in the past we look
at specific cases and then we
make recommendations for the
county to be able to implement
some of these things we're
also working with the LA county
suicide prevention network the
department of mental health
in particular on the school
and youth work group and we
put together a framework for
strategic strategically looking
at how do we support students
in decreasing the risk of --
suicide decreasing -- providing
not only policy -- as per
AB twenty two forty six but also
looking at how do we provide
interventions how do we provide
for students that are returning
to school after an attempt how
do we support them in making
sure that we're providing
that safety net for them as
well as any other students it
might be at risk as well we're
also working with department
of mental health -- regarding
there's there -- threat
assessment so we're looking
at how can we be prepared to
make sure that we having this
safe environment for students
at school and looking at not
only -- mental health supports
but emergency preparedness
looking at -- active shooters
and looking that again providing
that safe environment for
students we've also been looking
at this year we are expanding
and in collaboration with not
only at lake up in collaboration
with the California department
of education expanding training
of youth mental health for
state for staff to be able to
support students as well in this
is part of the cal stop which
looks at providing free training
for any schools any districts
on youth mental health for
state and also working through
sandy hook promise to provide
school prevention our school
violence prevention models and
training for them and so we
have been an active part of
that and will be expanding those
services through our schools and
districts this school year or
also expanding and incorporating
into lego being able to provide
restorative practices training
for our schools of the bacon
and incorporate those practices
into their school site we also
have -- through our center for
distance online learning we
have something called support
to otherwise known as suicide
prevention ongoing resilience
trainee we also have to deal
which is a teaching education
through the arts for learning
and so again looking at how do
we support that social emotional
learning for students how do we
make that environment so that
the classroom the campus itself
is a supportive environment and
recognize they were not looking
to push you out of school we're
looking at what can we do to
put to support you and keep you
in school and recognizing any
of the challenges and how do we
train those and opportunities
for students and so we're very
excited about all the work that
we're doing and again anyone who
wants to reach out and look at
-- are accessing the Ste the
services at Los Angeles county
office of education but yes it
is important that our students
support staff again it's nice
to be see that that's been a
focus that it's not just in
the classroom in the academics
but how do we support again
the whole child -- the services
that they need including not
only their physical well being
but there mental well being
and making this particular
with the mental well being is
decreasing the stigma so that
it's it's okay to get support
it's okay to keep yourself
healthy physically and mentally
and so again we thank you for
-- again the support and looking
at how do we increase our
capacity as well our staffing
and looking at school nursing
school school social workers
and school counselors because
they are key and some of those
wraparound services for our
schools sec thank you very
much thank you let's give up a
hand a plus for a school based
health services panel thank you
now will bring up we are
-- the effective environmental
factors -- panel number two
or will Thomas government
affairs director California
immigrant policy and professor
Robert Hernandez from my alma
mater university southern
California school of social work
are there any are there
any parents here in a crowd
you Reyes grandparents
welcome welcome hopefully
you heard that we
your identical part of this
I'm glad issue here not only
to hear it but hopefully
get some input from you so
thank you for being here
so when every year ready for
or will first then your
family member Jones Sawyer
-- for this opportunity in
addition to the explicit threats
against their communities
immigrants and refugees are
often unknowingly subjected
to external pressures that
drastically impact the outcome
of their lives this opportunity
to examine environment
examine environmental factors
affecting the state's immigrant
communities is critical to
reducing California school to
prison pipeline ensuring that
this population is part of
California success it should
come as no surprise to the
members of the committee to
the assembly member and to the
community that the current
federal ministration has
major priority to foster anti
immigrant fervor in America
features such as the department
of homeland security's public
charge rule change set to go
into effect on October fifteenth
we'll weaponized safety net
programs for immigrants looking
to enter into the country or
apply for status change the
permanent residency county
social service programs already
reporting a high rate of dissing
Roman for programs that keep
immigrants and their families
fed help the in house in
this policy change one which
California is suing to prevent
-- is also having a chilling
effect that will adversely
affect generations of school
children families who will
have to live their lives in
poverty and without access to
the mental and physical health
care they so desperately need
for this committee hearing
I will speak to the factors
that immigrant and refugee
students may be exposed
to that could potentially
affect their performance at
school programs in existing
services that are effective
and specific areas that we
can improve upon to mitigate
the effect of environmental
factors was the finding cited
in my remarks can be found
in the healthy mind for the
future report a collaboration
from the California policy
center and the children's
partnership that was released
in two thousand eighteen in
that report immigrant families
interviewed across the state
-- said that they had increased
levels of fear anxiety and
uncertainty about their futures
with half of California's
children having at least one
immigrant parents and one in
six children having at least one
undocumented parents the fear
of being detained or deported
manifests itself to behaviors
of local school district level
for example Oxnard Union High
School district the former
parents to provide instructions
for the school on next steps
in the event that the parents
are deported research suggests
that this fear keeps families
from fully participating in
American society in addition
to the threats from federal
officials students and families
must deal with the trauma that
comes from balling at the hands
of other students immigrant
youth ages sixteen to twenty
one have openly acknowledge
that billion anti immigrant
sentiments have impacted their
daily lives at school immigrants
participating in the study
also said that they felt the
general public seems to be more
emboldened to make racist and
discriminatory remarks since
the election of president
trump pediatricians expressed
the current environment is
creating a toxic stressed to
children which will result
in increased chronic disease
and mental health disorders
in adultery and wobbling is
an issue not exclusive to
the immigrant community it
is important to note that
the fax it will have on our
community as they may have
limited English speaking skills
and limits support on campus
one of the respondents to the
survey said pulling is one of
the roughest experience for a
lot of students who are newly
arrived immigrants outside
of the school environment
immigration status plays a
role in family engagement for
students parents see their own
immigration status as a barrier
to the dreams and goals that
they have for their children
school officials interviewed
talk about parents being
disengage from the children's
school activities because of our
country's current anti immigrant
climate this level of separation
between parent and school
means students may miss out on
valuable services such as free
and reduced lunch applications
and also result in reduced
participation in parent teacher
or parent administrator meetings
that may be required and now
comes the good part there
are examples of existing and
effective programs and services
all in for safe schools is a
coalition of statewide partners
that works with the California
department of education to
further support children in
immigrant families on school
campuses benefits from this
coalition include distributing
of materials hosting committee
conversations and having
trainings on from one form
curriculum Senate bill fifty
four passed in two thousand
seventeen the California
values that contains an often
overlooked sensitive locations
provision that requires
specific public of locations
including public schools to
adopt a model policy that guides
their response in the face of
any immigration enforcement
activities the one California
program which is operated by the
California department of social
services went from a one time
to an ongoing funded program
passed this past year along with
legal service funding this year
the state allocated five million
dollars for two new pilot
programs one of which allows
for mental health assessments
and the other which will find
a navigator program to connect
immigrants receiving services
with wraparound services if
successful this would provide an
opportunity to begin integrating
mental health into the state's
immigrant integration efforts
and would allow for program
that could be expanded to
provide trauma informed care
the California policy center
has many recommendations for
helping to mitigate the anti
immigrant environmental effects
the California is currently
facing the limited to three
for the sake of time and so
that we can have more talk in
Sacramento one policy first
we need to strengthen community
safety to ensure children youth
and families feel secure and
supported in their communities
this includes state and
local agency administration
staff supporting the full
implementation of Senate bill
fifty four as well as assessing
steps local health clinics are
taking to identify existing
service gaps this is even
more important as immigrant
communities encounter fear and
confusion over the public will
charge change and limit their
participation public services
and programs community help
would also mean encouraging
schools to address school
climate in their local control
and accountability plan second
recommendation is to invest in
community based approaches and
a community based workforce
of support immigrant families
this includes expanding of the
mental health services that
school based health programs can
provide the students a perfect
example is right here Fremont
and third we would like to
improve access coordination
integration of services
to reduce the barriers for
immigrant families is means
including schools offering
say spaces to host communities
questions on sentiments
around immigration issues
and encouraging partnerships
with community organizations
and schools to host know your
rights trainings to educate
the community members on the
latest public policy changes in
regards to immigration in ending
it's been twenty five years
since California voters passed
the racist and xenophobic prop
one eight seven since then our
state has served as the leader
on immigrant integration and
inclusion we must continue
to hold California's up hold
California's values of equality
in compassion to move our
country forward during this
time of uncertainty thank you
thank you back
assemblymember thank you for
having us -- I do like the app
promise her you know when
I was doing my graduate
studies earlier at USC I came
across what I was calling in
the collected population and
and people were saying what
are you talking about I was
like well it's what society
categorizes as getting involved
getting affiliated view
and as I explored further I
realize once a youth becomes
in gauge with the criminal
justice system getting a line
strengthens by eighty eight
percent based on research those
like are we creating the issue
so how do we look at front
and types of strategies and
treatment which you have been
doing throughout your career
so now trimming AB promise
is the step to go there
at risk to the factors
but they are not from a deficit
understanding right so thank
you for that -- today I will
be focusing on the impact
environmental factors have on
healthy youth development with
the focus specifically on youth
violence as a primary area of
concern what we continue to
over look is this whole issue
of rapid development terrible
development Weber calling
gentrification and its impact
on health youth development
the identified intractable
problem through all of this
is what is called violence
related trauma and its
relationship to challenges
faced by urbanized view to
limit the find violence related
trauma for you violence related
trauma is any relationship
this for condition by which an
individual or a group violates
the physical social and or
psychological integrity of
another person or group so
it's not strictly physical harm
the psychological integrity of
another group has more severe
repercussions on our community
members and we just heard from
our previous speaker studies
indicate that there is a twenty
two percent increase of trauma
exposure for communities known
as enclaves which we find
in your district go union
what's going on the list goes
on twenty two twenty two percent
increase of trauma exposure
now that's equated and I hate
to do this but it's equated
because it's the only other data
that I could compare to troops
doing a tour of duty it's hot
or higher than a trip doing
a tour of duty in a war torn
country that level trauma exist
in our community in our backyard
where we sit today so
I want to also mention that
within these impoverished
enclaves there's an escalation
of fragmented institutions
economic insecurity lack
of opportunity amplifying
psychological barriers for its
community members brown's
indicates that there is a
high prevalence of violence
exposure injured by urban youth
living in impoverished enclaves
whether as victims or witnesses
studies nationwide also indicate
detrimental impacts on a young
brain due to violence exposure
again this isn't just physical
harm this is also what we call
structural arm study after
study indicate that unaddressed
trauma for youth residing in
disenfranchised communities
can have detrimental effects on
youth and families increasing
the likelihood of violence due
to stress placed on community
members it's here where I'm
going to highlight we need to
look at what types of assessment
tools were using to capture
this evidence that impacting
and compromising the integrity
of our youth development
foster defines this as drama
Chiu Jean experiences resulting
in severe psychological distress
applying certain theories such
as multiple marginality by
Diego V. hill helps is better
understand the historical and
structural dynamics of community
subject to violence when we
apply this framework it reveals
a strong correlation of urban
youth engage in violence due to
strain caused by urbanisation
rapid development were seen here
in the city and county of Los
Angeles with the gentrification
of communities specifically how
it's impacting our communities
of color something to be aware
and I really feel assembly
member you could champion the
effort to really look at how
this is impacting our youth
and community members which
were largely overlooking were
seen it with the increase
of homelessness today
so Adam bird bird
tell defines this phenomena
as structural violence he
defined structure violence as
systematic ways in which social
structures harm or otherwise
disadvantaged individuals
such as policing practices
use of zero tolerance and the
list goes on the on attended
re triggering of complex
traumas which is the cumulative
repetitive traumas experience
by institutional failures
intensifies the psychological
wounding of community members
and Abbott documentation that
I could submit to your office
later on this this has also
been framed as synergetic
trauma so we're going to a
deeper landed or trauma not
just domestic but how it
actually impacts as from a
structural lands case in point
I had a youngster come into
my office and he lives in one
of these areas that are being
gentrified up springs a coffee
shop no surprise for any was
Mister I'm gonna go in and
and I'm gonna give it a try
he goes into this coffee shop
and he said you know
what they look at me
as if I was a foreigner
he left still live in
he goes do you understand I
go for generations back in
this community and they're
looking at me as a foreign
there's no coincidence that
there's up taking graffiti as
well the sign of certain
fractures to communities in
hell they're still trying to
really show that they're still
part of the community in a very
assertive play that's what I'm
seeing happen this also
has been framed S. intergenic
trauma as I said before the
substance abuse and mental
health services administration
stamps of further identifies
this as historical trauma
Sam ser associate this
type of trauma with the
racial and ethnic groups in
the United States who have
suffered major intergenerational
losses and assaults on their
culture and while being
a study conducted by Yang of
the neural science poverty
project at the university of
southern California concludes
that areas subjected to violence
excessive noise que es at home
pollution mall nutrition abuse
and parents without jobs can
had detrimental impacts on a
young bring hi a stocky
also knows how the problems of
housing discrimination unsafe
living environments racism
and underfunded schools affect
brain development there's a
strong correlation study after
study indicates that unaddressed
trauma for youth residing in
impoverished enclaves whether
due to discriminatory policies
like immigration public charge
migration urbanization
development gentrification red
lining and policing practices
has detrimental effects on
youth and families manifesting
itself as under achievement in
schools high rates of drug use
abuse dangerous sexual behavior
gang activity and violence
exposure that's why are you
are at risk the environment
makes them at risk and they
have so much promise that's
been overshadowed by these
factors the national center
posttraumatic stress disorder
indicates that close to forty
percent let me let me highlight
this forty percent of urban
youth develop posttraumatic
stress disorder forty percent
why are we up in arms right now
if it was inserted communities
people would be up in arms
forty percent that's higher
then a soldier coming
back from a tour of duty
not to down play with the
printer the forty percent
this there appears to be a
gap in research specific to
violence related trauma expose
report urban youth making this a
pressing area to explore further
assembly member and we need to
today the state of California
we know the costs ninety
five thousand two hundred
fifty two thousand dollars to
incarcerate one juvenile for
one year between the ages of
seven to eighteen years of age
nationally Acosta roughly an
estimated four hundred and seven
dollars a day to incarcerate
when you end up to one
hundred forty eight thousand
seven and sixty south seven
dollars per user per year
as opposed to investing
prevention intervention
treatment at Acosta anywhere
from ten thousand to fifteen
thousand dollars annually
blueprints for youth development
of behavior health science
institute shows that incorporate
in and Bective evidence
based treatment model such
as multisystem make their pre
the list goes on which takes a
multifaceted system approach has
a reduction in recidivism rates
for juveniles from anywhere to
seventy to seventy five percent
that's roughly and this
also includes a reduction in
convictions for aggressive
youth crimes at a cost of seven
thousand dollars to invest in
of infective treatment model
financially the smarter
to invest in front end
treatment than to continue
to do this reactive response
which taxpayers have entered
I'm a big proponent of
the debate youth development
taking what youth you are
framing as youth promise how
do we get it from thriving
used to floor seen use our
assessment tools also not
contrary to certain research
today we can't just look at
the adverse affects impacting
our youth we need to look at
the strength some people call
resilience basically it's
survival skills and how do we
look at the survival skills
and incorporate measures that
invest in their healthy youth
development firm of positive
youth development assessment
strategy and implementation
approach thank you
and I and I would have you bring
that information so that we can
make the big thing about what
we're trying to do is develop of
policies legislation removed
for with and then budget request
so if we could have a follow
up meeting with both of you
are how we can turn this into
something tangible would be
great thank you again could you
give them a round of applause
and now we're for our
last panel to discuss per
rational -- development
in addressing unconscious
bias in the classroom
okay I have harm say thành
-- Polish coordinator for
California for justice
Ingrid canal my good friend
Ingrid from the California
federation of teachers and
sherry Taylor from the Los
Angeles county office of
education positive behavior
interventions and support
hi
push the button on the echo
hello thank you assembly
member -- and one also thanked
the community here Fremont for
having us here today -- again
my name is Khan on the policy
analyze director California's
for justice we are a statewide
youth powered organization be
fighting to improve the lives of
communities of color immigrant
low income LGBT Q. and other
marginalized communities here
in California we have offices
in Oakland San Jose Long Beach
and Fresno and part of why
I'm here today three lift up
the work that's happening in
Central Valley -- we know that
there's a lot of folks in places
like Central Valley there are
struggling but sometimes we
forget that many of these folks
are people of color immigrants
in the document of folks part
of our work is closing the
achievement gap -- but we've
also identify something called
a belief gap which we see the
product of unequal expectations
based on race and zip code
students confirm that teachers
have higher expectations the
white students and students of
color for example black students
we are compatible test scores to
white students were about half
as likely as white students to
place and gifted programs this
gap between what parents and
students of color believe they
can do and what teachers and
administrators believe they're
capable of capable of confined
to potential students of color
-- so you see a graphic up here
on a power point out to be of
speak a bit to that -- a
solution our students identified
to kind of close to billion
gap is to really build trusting
and empowering relationships
between students and school
staff most of us agree with
this we can probably all think
about a teacher or school staff
who made an impact on life
who helped us believe in our
potential unfortunately not all
students have that experience
school climate survey data show
that one in three students in
California could not identify
a single caring adult in school
one of our students and Fresno
has said that they feel teachers
see then the subject to be
managed you walk of the school
you see large gates you see
police cars surveillance cameras
the school has more school
resource officers in mental
health counselors in office as
one of the large window panes
that separate you from the
people working office like the
ones they have in prison -- I
also separately from California
justice also organizer prisoners
in Oregon state penitentiary and
actually a lot more parallels
between how admin teach tree
students and how the O. three
prisoners in the penitentiary
for a lot of students the
only the only time they have
interactions with principles
in the school administration
is when they're in trouble
and the only interactions
you have leadership in your
school isn't healthy then your
relationship with your school
is going to be a healthy our
campaign are right now we few
relationships are critical for
educational success and social
emotional development research
shows suit relationships between
students and staff decrease
students suspensions absences
and drop outs and increase
graduation rates test was in
school climate relationships are
critical for students of color
who often have less supportive
relationships with teachers
California for justice launch
our relationship sentence was
campaign in twenty fifteen
at the ten months of you flat
action research a survey two
thousand students in interview
six five education leaders we
found their relationships are
the key to addressing systemic
racism in schools and closing
the belief gap students are
not driving this equity focus
improvement efforts at districts
and school sites across
California relationship center
schools build upon existing
after is the address races and
in schools throughout through
restorative practices community
schools and student parent
voice and recruiting retaining
teachers of color we define
relationships and our schools
as one that unite social
emotional learning in academics
ensure all students reach
their full potential regardless
of race or zip code provide
staff with the capacity and
conditions connect with students
address trauma the resilience
and confront bias to create
healthy relationships and leave
together with students parents
and staff working towards a
shared vision having healthy
relationships with adults in
school can really make or break
your school experience we have
student and grain who has a
strong relationship with one of
our teachers was also fact the
adviser for the black student
union and she said just being
able to have conversations rainy
were black history to natural
hair has created a safe space
for her in the classroom it
creates trust and support and
to start this process of healing
the trauma the many black and
brown students experience in
schools no the next line
thank the three core conditions
to create a relationship Senate
school that we've identified
are one valuing student voice
this roping racism in our
education system requires a
stem systemic approach that
addresses all three phones
racism internalize interpersonal
institutional I noting students
internalized racism begin
valuing them seeing them as
hole and then an unbroken bring
brimming with potential and
experts capable of teaching
and learning to investing
staff shifting the culture and
climate schools requires us
address interpersonal racism
by investing in our staff to
pass city to deeply within
the students to brave the talk
about the impact of racism
in our schools and to both
the act by sending practices
that build relationships
based on mutual appreciation
and accountability and three
great space for relationship
building the four point five
million students of color in
California are really calling
on a third reimagine schools
to transform the institutional
racism that is inherent in the
fact the amount of education
with the prioritize the social
and emotional development and
unique needs and interests
of students of color students
quality preschools where every
single young person feels like
they belong in are safe and
supported to succeed a key
role state policymakers can play
in helping us to really create
relationships in a schools
are through policy in budget
priorities and investment staff
-- I do one again lift up the
communication initiative and the
school crime initiative that we
have organized run past would
love to continue to to see more
investment in our two other
priorities that we want to talk
about on that are particularly
relevant in Central Valley
are bilingual educators and
community schools for bilingual
teachers it is important
for students to have healthy
relationships with teachers who
speak the same language of them
a lot of students learn about
the ports programs and other
resources to their teachers
and having a teachers and speak
that same languages you really
opens up of resources California
for justice English learner
students identify bilingual
staff is one their main needs
one of our students pointed out
why having a bilingual consular
is helpful whenever I don't
understand she talks to me she
showed me examples to make sure
everything's okay she asked
how you are doing your classes
will kind of help you need he
sometimes give me information
about some opportunities that
I can take he told me about
the summer internship these
courses about cybersecurity
and I'm taking it because I'm
interested in computer science
and computers in general show
me to get en she's been really
helpful Central Valley has a
large population of what hockey
in long and can jobs student
when we talk about language
accessible resources we also
need to be investing in binding
with teachers and Central Valley
is not alone in this need about
thirty eight percent of K.
twelve students California have
been or are currently English
learners on the for communities
schools and offices and talk
about that briefly on there are
kind of schools who are packed
in these models out there there
adopting some of these practices
these are public school was
a partner with families in
Kenya organizations to provide
opportunities for student
success you community schools
though community schools in the
could be different depending on
whether at our partners at the
partnership for future learning
have identified community
schools is having four pillars
that first one is integrated
student support recognizing that
students social and emotional
development are linked with
academic learning some of
the most common services and
supports a medical dental and
mental health care services
tutoring in our other academic
support resources for families
such as parent education classes
job training and placement
services housing assistance and
nutrition programs number two
expanded in rich learning time
and opportunities community
schools provide students with as
much as one third more learning
time in which they experience
arts physical activities mark
group or individualized academic
support and hands on learning
activities across a range of
subject areas number three
active in family community
engagement I mean of course
prioritize meaningful and
ongoing gave me the families and
community members and establish
the systems structures and
supports the make it happen
from partnering with parents
to develop and promote a vision
for student success offering
courses activities and services
for parents in communion
Amer screening structures
and opportunities for shared
leadership and number for
collaborative collaborative
leadership practices this bill
act as the glue that connects
all the other pillars examples
of this include professional
learning communities Sybase
team charged with improving
school passing passion teaching
and learning labor management
collaborations and future
development strategies such
as peer assistance in review
-- as I wrap up I also want to
say we are living in a unique
moment right now in this country
-- where a lot of people are
experiencing different forms
our passion we are experience
really differently so I think
it is important that we also see
this moment as an opportunity
to really bring people into
space about education and I
think we have an opportunity
to be the re invasion what
public education can look
like in the state -- and that
vision often means a radical
shift in how we think about
schools in the people in them
really humanizing our students
by seeing rations ships as a
foundation to students of fast
-- so look forward to building
and putting in work with the
folks in this room to make
that happen thank you thank you
you know
is it on yeah my
name's in very good now
I'm here representing the
California federation of
teachers I am also a member
of United teachers Los Angeles
some banner yeah we're we're
high tech over here when the
high tech over here you are
-- it's the Jewish new year
so I want to read a quote by
Eli Weisel Holocaust survivor
the opposite of love is not
hate it's an difference the
opposite of art is not ugliness
it's a difference the opposite
of faith is not heresy it's
indifference on the opposite
of life is not death it's in
difference and I think that
relates to a lot of what we're
talking about in here I'd like
to say thank you to assembly
member Jones Sawyer for hosting
this on the second of four
hearings -- on the school to
prison pipeline I also want to
say -- we actually should change
that to the school to prison to
deportation pipeline I did
not come up with that so don't
give me credit I was at another
training probably about a year
or two ago and that's very
important -- across California
and -- some of some of our other
states that once our students
get into prison if they're
not here legally they will
much more easily be deported
so let's just put that in our
lexicon the school to prison to
deportation pipeline --
somebody mentioned earlier --
the the assembly bill I think
is assembly bill they --
we are not allowed to suspend
for willful defiance and it
brought down our suspensions
an alley UST by the thousands
or tens of thousands and that's
great but it's it's a false
narrative because we don't
actually have systems in place
that support our students
of course even if you're not
allowed legally put to suspend
of course those numbers are
going to drop but that doesn't
mean the support or the student
behavior has improved so it's
really a false narrative that
I would like to get away from
and I supported that legislation
when it came because I don't
think that we should suspend
for willful defiance when the
teachers are in the classrooms
with overcrowded classrooms en
L. A. U. S. T. in much much of
the state of California there
really are in a bind when a
child is cussing and they
have forty other students
and their their holding that
class hostage so when we talk
about the suspension rate has
declined fabulous let's have
a real narrative and say that
that has not brought on the
support that we need for our
students I'm glad also that
that superintendent beauty
-- -- spoke about all a lot
of our are things that we
went out on strike for in U.
T. LA we went out on strike
for the schools our students
deserve we went out on
strike to and random searches
this is one of our T. shirts
students not suspects we don't
want to criminalize our children
in a place of learning I have
to say I was a little taken
aback when I drove up here on a
people free day and saw police
cars in front of the school
I don't think that we should
normalize that so one of the
things we went out on strike
for was ten random searches on
our schools and not only did we
get that but the school board
then voted to end them across
the district but I want to
make you aware something that
happened a Dorsey -- within the
last month there was a Malay
or whatever you want to call it
of some students and the
the the school police pepper
sprayed the students at Dorsey
and Dorsey is a school that
is predominantly students of
color so I don't I hope that
we're not going to get into a
situation where we and random
searches and we replace it with
something else that's toxic like
pepper spray in our students
we really need the supports
in place superintendent Brough
user spoke about community
schools that was another thing
that we went out on strike
for community schools and this
this for Fremont high school
is absolutely beautiful it's
my first time here and to know
that there are systems in place
to support the students and
the families of this community
are amazing I can you imagine
if we have that at all of our
over nine hundred campuses a man
I would thank you ready
I was a seventeen and a half
year teacher at Robert hill
lane elementary school which
is an east area right across
the street from Robert hill I'm
sorry from east LA college can
you imagine if we had health
services at all of our schools
so I'm glad the superintendent
superintendent pewter is on the
bandwagon for community schools
because we had to go out on
strike for that and I'm glad
that he's on board and I
really hope that the that the
state of California find more
of those because the federal
government is and in the funding
I do have notes here
so you can take me out of
the classroom but you can't
make me not be a teacher
so I brought my reality --
we as people that are white and
I'm looking around and I may
be one of the only ones in here
need to be more than just not
races we need to be actively
anti racist we need to stand up
and be allies of our students
of color are communities of
color are friends of color we
can't just sit back and say
well I don't burn crosses are I
don't wear a hood that's great
don't do that but also be out
there and actively support our
students be more than just not
races to be actively anti racist
-- I want to talk about --
conscious bias and the
definition is unconscious bias
either social stereo types about
certain groups of people the
individuals from outside their
own conscience -- from outside
their own conscious awareness
everyone holds and conscious
beliefs about various social
and identity a group and these
by see stem from one's tendency
to organize social world by
categories and unconscious
biases former prevalent
been conscious prejudice
and are often incompatible
with one's conscious
values certain scenarios
can activate unconscious
attitudes and beliefs for
example by cities may be more
prevalent when multi tasking
or working under pressure
so when we as teachers at the
school site and hopefully and
community schools across the
state that would be amazing
we can bring the things into
our classroom here's another
teaching her that says
education not deportation
on Tuesday's utility members
were read every week so
I've got a lot of teachers
another -- group that we
can support if you're if
you're an ally or if you're
black black lives matter LA
and this is one that -- are you
tell a racial justice task force
made and all the great
if you can't see it it said in
our class we believe black lives
matter women's rights are human
rights no human is illegal Xena
phobias wrong love is love and
kindness is everything so we
have to actively show that we
believe in our students that
we believe in our communities
I'm gonna wrap up soon ready
I did bring some other --
books that if you're educate
if you're an educator or if
you're somebody that supports
-- students can buy to help
-- to help our students one
is for white folks to teach in
the hood and I actually heard
the speaker this summer in in
DC and one of his quotes I'm
gonna get it wrong but it was
something to the effect of
you are somebody's ancestor
teach like it so for the future
generations when I die when
might you know three great
grandchildren generations down
-- look back on me am I going
to be teaching to make them
proud or am I going to be
teaching to make them want
to you know not recognize
teaching for black lives
there's a black lives matter
week in February I think it
starts February seventh of
twenty twenty don't quote
me on that date but teaching
for black lives and when
we teach for black lives
that means that we don't teach
for other lives it means that
were recognizing the black
students at that time --
wait fertility why it's
so hard for white people
to talk about racism
why are all the black kids
sitting together in the
cafeteria they're teaching
tolerance has a movement to
have -- an integrated lunch
week where you sit with students
-- where the students it
was students that they don't
normally sit with to integrate
-- different groups across the
the the -- campus and
push out the criminalization of
black girls in schools somebody
mentioned earlier hair why
do we have to actually make a
law about legalizing somebody's
hair but we did Holly Mitchell
brought that and it's now law in
the state of California the we
legalize hair my hair would
never be illegal and there's
a problem with that so when
we talk about what educators
need we need to address their
unconscious bias and we need
to do it in a meaningful manner
I Tuesday PT that's one hour
after the teachers of worked
all day isn't sufficient
I to the -- Saturday where
they're coming for three hours
and getting paid twenty five
dollars is insufficient if
we want to systemic change
we need an investment from
the state of California into
professional development
for educators and for all of
the adults on the campus and
with that I'm going to and
next
thank you so much and I couldn't
agree more with my other two
colleagues sitting here and
I'm very pleased to be here
Sherrie Taylor I'm Los Angeles
county office of education and
assembly member Jones Sawyer you
are man after my own heart
I believe in the power of words
and I believe that speaking
promise versus speaking from
a deficit model is empowering
and principle as the file as
I walk through your hallways I
see I saw all of your the parts
that you and your staff have put
up and I can only imagine how
empowered the students feel here
and it it just touched my heart
for the moment I walked on to
the campus of thank you I think
you family members community
members students for being
here and for sharing in this
very important issue and
-- just showing your support
coming using and being willing
to step up and use your voice is
so important so I wanted
to mention someone I'm not sure
if you're familiar with her
but doctor to rent that Carter
Andrews is a professor at the
-- universe is state of
Michigan university for the
teacher education department and
there she teaches about multi
culturalism and about a critical
race theory and she talks
about she talks to new teachers
about how to enter into the
the teaching profession and
really go de a
reflective deeply about what
it is the thing you want to do
in terms of touching the lives
of their students and building
the kinds of relationships that
are going to make them the kind
of teacher that people are that
those students are going to
remember for a positive reason
she says the teachers want
to address their biases like
you're talking about they want
to be able to be open about
that but it's very difficult
for them to find a safe space
that they need so that they
can talk about something that
they're feeling without feeling
like they're going to be poorly
evaluated for something that
maybe they don't even know why
the the feel a certain way
why they might have a certain
bias they often don't feel that
they have the time so she says
something that rings true with
me is that we need to move past
just having one diversity
-- workshop a year we need
to get house just making
it a theme that we show up
to and we -- embrace
that one day we need to embed
this very important work and
to our day to day reflections
and are David day work
it takes critical
self reflection and
it takes critical love
to do this work you
can't have the two separated
and so touching the hearts
of children starts with
touching the lives on the
minds of the adults who work
with the children every day
and there on the frontline
so every day we need to
be asking ourselves how does
money social location my
class my gender my worries
my religion how does the dot
in fact an impact mine mine
set water those kinds of
-- biases that I might
not even know that I have
we all have implicit bias
like it or not we all have
that and so we all have to
address that on a daily basis
we have to ask ourselves
how can we know more about
what we don't know how do
we know more about how to
address the biases that we
carry around with us maybe
from childhood he may be some
things that we thought came
from a dinner conversation
that happened we were little
and it just kept on living into
our life somehow so it's up to
us to figure out what that is
and to pull it out and look at
it and not be afraid to talk
about it -- and then how
do we continue as
leaders and education and nots
leaders in the classroom doubts
leaders in administration how to
we all come together and be
very courageously old
about addressing issues of
power racism and implicit bias
it's not a one and done
application so I want to talk
to you about positive behavior
interventions and supports
because when I talk about these
things about how do I how I
can know what I need to do but
if I'm operating and a system
with an a school where I don't
however that Steve space and I
don't have that time built in
because that's not the culture
of the school I'm probably
never going to be doing that
except at night before I lay
my head down on the pillow so
I want to tell you about that
it's an evidence based framework
for supporting schools to be
double safe consistent
I an equitable for
all students but knowing
what we've talked about their
different layers of what we
look out for all students
we can't be afraid to look
at what are some of those
barriers that impact students
of color and students of
poverty and a different way
than all the rest of the
students but never the less
that that all means all
is -- critical for the work
that we do in positive behavior
interventions and support
it's recognize P. I. S. is
recognized and indicated
by both individuals with
disabilities and Education Act
ID a and every child succeeds
act esse or E. at that day
the I. S. as a multi tiered
system of support that when
it's embraced by everyone
at the school not means
everyone of the also all
staff whether it's -- teachers
administrators support staff --
that parents family members
everyone community members --
it is a way of enhancing
the adoption and implementation
of a continuum of evidence
based practices to achieve
important outcomes for students
that are academic social
emotional and behavioral
the I. S. is critical for
supporting all students in the
local context through a trauma
informed and equitable system
the I. S. allows for offense
with county office of education
and over three thousand
other educational agencies
in California to utilize
the systematic framework
to reduce bias in our schools
so how is this accomplished
we can't talk about anything if
we what we always say in P. V.
I. S. if you talk about P. B.
I. S. and you don't talk about
data then you don't have people
yeah yeah because you really
need to know it's not just
about how you feel things are
going has a lot of times you
can feel that things are really
going well but you have to
find out how things are really
working and how well things
are being implemented so we
know that the national child
and traumatic stress network
from UCLA and Duke university's
tell us that students who
have experienced trauma need
environments that are all
beings P. V. I. S. that are
predictable safe positive
consistent and equitable
and yeah I as has made
a significant impact on
children who have experience
simple and complex trauma
the I. S. allows for an
integrated and collaborative
teams that comes together after
school but they include those
teams include family members
they include community members
they include students because we
can't leave any voices are heard
and so the P. V. I. S. team
is the one that creates that
plan for that school in that
context no one is coming in and
saying this is a program you
use this is the curriculum we
use we can't tell you how we
give you tools but that's up
to the people who live out the
school day in and day out to
make that difference for their
their students and their staff
it's all about improving quality
of life so we say if you're
implement the P. B. I. as in
you're not feeling pretty good
about it something needs to
be tweaked with the system
and and -- and
improve so the --
at the I a support schools
in creating an environment to
respond to student needs for a
comprehensive structure using
data systems and practices
the I. S. has over twenty
years of research demonstrating
positive outcomes for
students and this decreasing
disproportionate holiday
in their research the fact
of school Y. P. B. I. S. on
disciplinary exclusions for
students with disabilities and
out without disabilities doctors
Nicholas cage and Nicole it
gracefully boring focused on
schools who have implemented
PP I as with fidelity a
tier one with fidelity
these outcomes showed a student
any student in the school is
thirty seven percent less likely
to have received one out of
school suspension I has panic
student is thirty three less
likely to have received one
out of school suspension with
PP I as simply a student
is thirty seven percent less
likely to have received one or
more out of school suspension
a black student is thirty
five less likely thirty five
percent less likely to lose
a day of instruction due
to out of school suspension
a student is thirty five
percent less likely to lose a
day of instruction due to out
of school suspension a student
with a disability is sixty nine
percent less likely to Brough
you referred to an alternate
setting for disciplinary
reasons so I agree
with you and that is
my voice people who look
like me need to
up we need everyone's voice
I'm not saying that -- if
you were to open my childhood
and look at it I had issues
of domestic violence of
my family I had issues of
-- divorce I had issues of
all kinds of other things I
still benefitted from the socio
economic system that we have in
the United States just because
of the color of my skin you
wouldn't know those things about
me those are things probably
a lot of us might have in common
but there are so many other
layers and I am going to use
my voice I always have and they
plan to for the rest of my life
to be able to get the word out
there about what we need to do
to make our schools to be
all of the things that we
protect the ball that we
talked about predictable
and safe and positive
and -- consistent and
equitable so if I had a dream
market to fill --
I would ask for
some consideration in in the
magical world of the legislature
that you live in that we
would -- in addition we've
already put the -- we've
already put positive behavior
interventions and supports
support into the new teacher
standards wouldn't it be a
beautiful world if we really
did require a system of support
that's PVI as in all of our
schools and our wonderful state
of California that would be my
of my little wishlist but thank
you so much for this opportunity
I'm so grateful to --
speak on behalf of AB from the
students thank you thank you
can get it my hand round of Los
thank you -- the the
one thing that I kind of
heard in in and is going
to help me when I go
back -- we talked about
non minorities
teachers and --
-- non people of color
being able to understand the
plight of what's going on
unfortunately -- I should
add that there are after
American Latino legislators
who advocate for policies
that are detrimental to rural
communities I've after American
legislators to advocate for
mandatory minimums three
strikes longer sentences I'd
like Tino legislators that
talk about criminals who
are immigrants on the floor
the assembly so we also have
some work to do among our own
people too so it's not just
non people of color and so
we have to a lot of work to
do all the way around -- so
where were read the end but we
also gonna have I don't recall
the open Mike but we if there
any questions or things that you
would like for the legislation
to work on if that might
at Mike is there and if and
if we've answered all your
questions as good -- but if you
have questions or you want to
make a quick comment just come
up to the Mike and we have a we
have a little time to do that
yes ma'am he's
doing the microphone right now
our when our service no
fifty aye Garcia marquis
cam for the total seat --
joblo in the in the vocal
English I don't know if
you have the deductible
on there are back in any
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they most low rate for souls
get the name of your reports of
are there they're going to
see if it is school Charbel
they look -- affordable to
people is to worry if they
raise your support for
-- is the most of those or
media if you ever the very
on my more longer rather
okay is still seems Limón
estamos for more than three
hours when you know you're
not really that --
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the market now that are
in the overall the --
where's your love my extra
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across the vast product
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is to be an are put in learn
in lemur Leon mainstay
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they say will be that he
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get the men for mon Mar --
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to canyon so on this record
CA your room order order order
so the record is the most fun
vandal Florida are common one
of the rooms with people from
one of our most of our lives
north local of for five sixty
fifth total is the pharmacist
before give us because the
event one of the rituals one
minute give us some your level
from of me when my guess
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give us by phone number your
when the only one I that
I'm part that has to be able
to get out on the first and
foremost Acosta traffic so
-- my phone weapons
are there that only if they
several Nino Phyllis --
out of our formal if the okay
say if I'm not at this young
law for governor what all of
you see not he's seen econ
park out of the classroom
air for someone to restore a few
repeated across young are so
it's on a separate from which of
this for a few years for young
-- informal this I feel
ever left our workable they all
know those vehicles from the
Los is available for the
door that is the US although
for progressive what I'm to
for the Beatles acceptance
I think what the bill by your
to four PM for the floor we
got they gave you for that our
records it offers
so don't give someone the and
on the fourth floor there's
a voting means the at the
yes your available
como careful over I'm
for in they locusts
it is used them hello guest
lap but our car they are
made in this this is going
journal I have low a --
not far from there are there
are fourteen of them in
physical form he for the will
nor at the new of course isn't
correct please because our
converter for almost three
six K. are a different
browser on the TV the local
McCarty with the maestro
formal made on our schools
-- was that is not the America
policy that they are they
are put in their formal Los
Ninos any of the wives spoiler
-- okay are it is the fee for
the committed start if they
can be markets under to be
involved in west of this to
be honest with a left glasses
is to my main
fair the north face
out your from one of the
with them we can we let
her know the they locate
since December are located
le practicar --
if the locate any other
theory -- sectarian whichever
Cisco normally most people
more preferable for a local
service our state all that are
fearful to our to see on --
I'd rather put up with me that
you think are most are
from the by the rest my
throat if we're lucky
for me that directed me
briefly summarize
-- sorry for the informal
translation here I mean yeah
that's not -- she said
she wanted to use our self her
name is a nearly as you the
parent here -- at this high
school and she just wanted to
note that since two thousand
seven she's heard a lot about
school wide support systems
but in the past ten years
she hasn't seen a full
implementation of programs to
really support students and --
she notes sort of the
number of detentions that used
to be given to students and
so on some occasions are given
the students and not we know
that and she wanted it noted
that knowing that students
are are losing a day or two
of schooling means that their
likelihood of going to prison
increases drastically by twenty
six percent so she just wanted
to say sort of in these past
ten years what has been done
and though her children have
not really face those issues --
in terms of detention she had
they have had to face comments
from teachers -- speaking
about how they compare go white
students at the top previously
for being disgusted by --
by her children in particular
and so she just wanted to
let voice those concerns and
really say thank you to all the
speakers here and for working
on this issue and that she
hopes that we can all continue
to work on this issue moving
forward as a matter of policy
-- in the coming years later no
we're gonna work on the tension
and it's been call continuation
schools which is really a a --
continuation schools have led
to the school to prison pipeline
so I am very familiar with
good afternoon my name is that
passed the Calvin souls and
to be here assemblymember and
that the work that we've been
able to do together -- I'm the
-- -- the network strategists
and community health councils
and -- we work -- specifically
you know year and at three
one any this community around
-- and initiative called
the healthy kids zone --
which -- is an initiative
that seeks to bring together
-- -- parents educators
-- as well as a community
leaders and community based
organizations such as well mà
you know and other organizations
around how to -- advocate
for what needs to happen -- but
he on campus for the students
-- as well as what needs to
happen you know -- for this
community within a half mile
radius you know -- and to see
how we can build it out you
know I to facilitate community
betterment and upliftment --
I really appreciate the --
positive energy you know --
around at promise -- as well
as you know a school -- but --
to preserve the deportation --
because it it it provides us I
think with the whole realistic
you know approach as to how to
move towards you know a bad
of a community you know where
-- we can you know work on
strategies and solutions for
students and for -- those
who are in this community --
I want to specifically just lift
up a couple of things one ease
-- the -- grant that -- that you
have assembly member you know --
I wanna I've talked with some of
our members she and -- work that
I've done you know in the west
Adams community you know around
freedom schools you know we've
been able to utilize freedom
schools as a direct
strategy to a this rob and
destroy the -- prison you know
-- the school to prison pipeline
and so -- I don't know you know
how you can there be resources
you know -- allocated for
that -- because I know one
of the visions we have in this
community is to try and see
how we can facilitate something
like that -- for the summertime
I know this summer you know
we've had a program here at
Fremont are on a trip to New
ship for young people as part of
a violence prevention strategy
you know -- which is what you
know of freedom school is all
about it is a national program
it is in California you know
-- and we've been able to do it
you know in various communities
you know through community
coalition you know -- and how
many that Mathis shows when I
passed it you know around that
so I don't know you know what
how can we access some of those
funny because that's a very
very expensive program and also
very very effective program
you know in terms of -- how
we can you know look you know
all that and then the --
the other piece you know -- he's
how can we continue you
know -- to collaborate with
you as you take all these
legislative pieces in terms of
-- being you know a sounding
board for you supporting you
under getting you you know
as you move you know these
positive -- legislative pieces
for because we know you know
-- -- you don't up there by
yourself by religion on and
we are here to see how we can
work and live with you you know
around those pieces so are those
are the two that I just well
enough that you know around
that thanks everyone thank you
and just quickly week we may be
close to it I just need to know
it's not like we're we're full
support of community schools
in the commuter school concept
I don't know the difference
between freedom schools
community schools and it the
delta between the two may not
be that far to where we do
community schools and maybe just
a little extra funding to get
to communities to if we can sit
and talk about the two concept
with C. U. T. LA which you doing
and then on as far legislation I
just need people to to to write
letters on at promises to the to
the governor's desk as soon as
possible you heard to retain a
Butte their favourite a letter
today so the sooner the better
I also afternoon everyone thank
you family member Jones Sawyer
for doing this year leadership
-- on A. B. two fifty eight
and everything else -- and
freedom schools I believe are
tomorrow from the children's
defense fund that -- have you
focus on literacy and started
sort of the civil rights
movement community schools are
like wraparound school that a
village that we know it takes
the raise the child and there
are definitely some synergy in
some integration between them
-- so my name is Amir would
become a policy attorney with
the ACLU of southern California
-- also researcher with the
Salih civil rights project and
I've done work with them on
this issue and I want to share
a report I have copies that I
provide for you as well because
-- we just published earlier
this year the largest reporter
first report on a school based
mental health -- it we looked
at every school in the country
off fifty million students
-- and we found as you all
know in probably her here in
California were forty eighth
in the nation when it comes to
student access the counselors
-- experts recommend what counts
for every two hundred fifty
students nationwide is one
counts ready for Jim forty for
students in California's one
counts for almost every seven
hundred students and we have
some of that students face in
the highest level the family
separation and other forms of
trauma adversity highs levels
of homelessness hi number
English learners and other
things so what they sell you --
here specifically in LA --
we part of a lawsuit the cocoa
will represent a community
schools or committee coalition
an effort to ensure that a high
needs school receiving what
they were entitled to on the
lawn there el cap LCF at --
because the district were not
originally given those funds
to the students need because
understate lawsuit schools with
higher in his students low
income high accented English
learners foster you should
receive more students -- but
the schools were getting that
originally but through the
settlement -- they were able
to hire additional psychiatric
social workers and other things
so it's not we know that
funds are limited and --
schools don't have enough but
there's also an issue here
with this funds not be in place
in prioritize where they are
and that's a big part of the
school to prison pipeline --
here in California one in this
is in our report as well there
several times as many police
in schools and social workers
it's almost by default that a
school -- will have police here
in LA U. S. the almost eighty
million dollars a year on school
police the largest school police
force -- in the country and
most girls don't have social
workers this by default and
there's by one social worker
for every about two thousand
students here as well so that's
a big part of the school to
prison pipeline we also saw
that there several times many
security guards in California
schools and school nurses
-- M. at they sell you we
represented students who in
southern California -- were
placed on probation for reasons
like grieving or other things
that would have been addressed
through the school based
mental health professionals --
but instead they were placed
through the school to prison
pipeline in part because the
school didn't have the proper
staffing so they were probation
offices there so they were
placed on voluntary probation
that I was the program here
ended in LA county last school
year -- that places students
on voluntary probation as part
of school to prison pipeline so
what we see is the schools don't
have the right resources and
if something else then that's
what ends up trapping them
in the system -- and we also
see here -- --
Dorsey that was mentioned
earlier that the pepper spray
incident that happened at Dorsey
-- which again and thank you
for the to incredibly -- when
that happened a within an hour I
got tax from teachers Instagram
messages from students showing
the incident number ten police
on campus responding to and you
saw some of them just sprained
pepper spray indiscriminately
-- in the situation and this is
something that is out of in band
in juvenile facilities so think
about that how can we can't
spray pepper spray which is
poison on ice right especially
if the odds are still growing
children is still development
-- that's able to happen in
our schools but not in argue
presence so that's something we
we definitely need the challenge
-- and this week is actually
the California association
school counselors national --
annual conference in riverside
will work with them a present
in there but we work with the
other people service personnel
to CalPERS office and school
psychologists and others and
sounds like they need to be a
right to care at school this
was a comment -- the California
school nurse association noted
that in almost half of schools
might not have a a nurse school
and if as we share earlier if
many students are you receiving
their care in school that
means they don't have the right
to care so we have a lot of
oracle careless schools were
students just don't have the
right to access in here and
as was mentioned are I think
the president and as that
forty percent of students in
some of the enclaves are at
risk for trauma -- more than
war torn countries if we know
that the need and we're not
responding with the resources
and responding with police
and probation then that is
the school to prison pipeline
so again thank you for your
leadership on this and I want
to give you a copy of our
report from my contact info and
so Amir took a lot of what I was
gonna say -- but I am
going to reiterate some of the
points that he made I think it's
really important and again thank
you probably the start first of
all my name is Joseph Williams
I'm I'm director of operation
the campaigns with -- students
deserve -- we're an organization
that works with UCLA work with
a CO you work with black lives
matter the push for the into
random searches in LA U. S. the
schools I know -- superintendent
you earlier said the LAUSD used
to treat students like criminals
right and we know that that's
still happening right we know
that at Dorothy high just a few
weeks ago right students were
indiscriminately pepper sprayed
at Los Angeles high school last
year black students were peppers
right at this high school
right Fremont high school two
or three years ago there with
the pepper spray incident were
seventeen people I believe had
to be sent to the hospital right
this is a a practice that has
been outlawed in our juvenile
detention facilities but that
school police are still using on
a regular basis right primarily
against black students right
on so I think absolutely that's
something that that needs to be
addressed I hope that they're
still folks from superintendent
units office or the school board
or you know whatever -- here to
the to take back some of this
stuff -- I think that's a
huge issue right that pepper
spray a chemical weapon is
still allowed to be used
against our students against
are you right -- number two
we talked again I think a number
of folks today mentioned the
the decline of -- suspensions
after the elimination of will
for the finance on the flip
side of that has been a huge
increase in arrests right
I don't think that's talked
about enough at all right
we talk about the decline of
suspensions and don't say what
we're replacing them with were
resting students instead of
suspending students were sending
students to the police right
arm which again a huge factor in
the school to prison pipeline --
especially black students there
is a report released recently
by million dollar -- the hoods
project that you feel and I
think Ryan was here earlier
-- basically saying that black
students are less than ten
percent around eight percent of
LA U. S. the schools but almost
thirty percent of those who are
referred to the school police
right for either divergence for
citations for rest almost thirty
percent of those students who
are sent to school police are
black students even other less
than ten percent of our schools
right so again another thing
that I think the district you
know the school district as well
as all the school district of in
LA county and and and California
need to address as well --
and then finally -- somebody
mentioned that it doesn't cost
to care right doesn't cost
to care more absolutely but
-- our our budgets show our
priorities right Amir mentioned
LA U. S. -- LA U. S. the
number one the LA school police
department is the largest school
police department in the entire
country right number two even
in spite of that we're still
inviting LAPD LA county
sheriffs and other police
departments on four campuses
even though we have our own
school police department right
as with mentioned that after
this incident at Dorsey right
ten to fifteen LAPD officers
and also K. nine office the
canine units were brought onto
campus not just for that day but
for the rest of the week right
-- instilling this police
presence in our students right
this is the all in one of the
few majority black schools
left in Los Angeles and this is
how we respond to the youthful
behavior right I got in fights
when I was in school right
when I was eighteen right so
finally like I said that the
budget for for LA school police
department over eighty million
dollars LA LA school --
LA unified has had a commitments
of restorative justice now
for almost five or ten years
their annual expenditure on
the restorative justice is five
million dollars five million
dollars for restorative justice
over eighty million dollars for
policing right so that shows
you the priorities empower
responding to student behavior
to youth behavior right so I
you know those three things like
I said pepper spray is still
being used on students arrested
students are skyrocketing
especially the rest of black
students right and the the way
that our priorities the
district priorities right are
are shown in our budget right
where we're spending over eighty
million dollars on school police
a couple years ago there was a
controversy on -- folks remember
when they were trying to get a
anti tank anti you know
terror tank and they have their
own anti terrorist apartment
within the LA school police
department right so these are
the things literally that we're
telling our students we look at
you as criminals we look at U.
S. terrace we look at you as a
threat rather than as somebody
who need services that somebody
needs support right as somebody
who's who's coming from a place
of trauma in a place of really
great need right so I definitely
hope that you know again we
can support you in in -- in the
work that you're doing that we
can continue to the up lift --
these issues that they can be
addressed by the superintendent
by L. U. S. the and other folks
so again I want to thank
everybody for being here today
especially since it is a holiday
in schools off but most
important -- -- I've to me
leave you with this one thing
in my publisher said at the
beginning about being careful
about be careful who you talk to
-- because I am one
of a hundred and twenty
people that make the Los four
forty million Californians if
you tell me seldom it might
actually get done you
did elect me about what I'm
gonna do you elected me because
I am going to do it so I promise
you I will follow up and I will
continue to do whatever I can to
make sure my community south LA
gets improved that's why I
created this committee because
this is an urgent call when I
talk about -- state emergency
four homeless Dave emergency for
earthquakes determine what this
is a state of emergency that
we need to address right now
and you have my full commitment
and I'm glad to hear sometimes
I feel alone I'm glad to hear
it advocates and allies who
want to help me continue this
works I also thank you for
for your support thank you
in the select committee