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As LA Unified shifts $25M away for its police budget, it should also make sure its restorative justice program is sound
Since the Los Angeles Unified School Board voted to cut its school police budget by $25 million, activists have been calling for more student support services, such as additional counselors and social workers. Meanwhile, restorative justice programs offer another strategy that could prove useful as we look to soften our schools and move away from...
By Josh Brown | July 20, 2020
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Teachers need time and support to earn the professional distinction of tenure
“Are you sure you want to do this job? You’ll be perpetually stuck in puberty.” Those were the first words I heard from a colleague on my first day as a middle school special education teacher. She was only half joking and five years later, I realize the truism of her question all too well: Pubescent pre-teens are...
By Josh Brown | March 14, 2018
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Commentary: What boys need in the classroom — a few good men
It’s only the second month of school and Ernesto has already cussed me out several times. He learned to protect himself in the school of hard knocks, where daily lessons involve neglect, abuse, and distrust from the adults in his life. His father left him when he was young, and his mother worked multiple jobs...
By Josh Brown | September 25, 2017