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The "School to Prison Pipeline," is a disturbing national trend wherein children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Many of these students are minorities, have disabilities, histories of poverty, abuse or neglect, and would benefit from additional educational and support services. Instead, they are isolated, punished, and "pushed-out". "Zero-tolerance" policies criminalize minor rule violations by students whom schools find challenging to control. High-stakes testing programs encourage educators to "push-out" low-performing students to improve their schools' overall test scores. Students of color and disability are especially vulnerable to "push-out" trends and discriminatory application of discipline. This film will promote awareness, expose the issues, and start dialogue that brings to light destructive effects of these practices. |
The film will expose the audience to the stories of individual students, and parents along with interviews of nationally known educational, psychological, and legal professionals who have represented students caught in the pipeline. They will explain its existence, effect and results. The first hand accounts of events will give a face to the pipeline by showing a personal side of this issue. Research and statistics will show the negative outcomes for youth who enter the pipeline and their tendency to be funneled down the continuum to prison. The film will present best practices as well as raise awareness of the need for reform. |
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