School Discipline Reform
Overview
Our Experts
Direct Services:
Our Education team provides direct representation to families with students facing expulsion proceedings and other forms of school pushout from comprehensive schools throughout Los Angeles County. We represent students in all stages of the expulsion process including the expulsion hearing. We prioritize students who are at the intersect of special education and school pushout providing representation in Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) meetings and engaging in all stages of the special education and expulsion advocacy process.
Policy:
We draw from our direct service work and community engagement to advocate for statewide reforms to end the school-to-prison pipeline and confront the educational inequities embedded in our educational system. Our team is committed to practices that keep all students in schools, remove barriers to access to education regardless of the student’s race, gender, or socioeconomic status and dramatically limit the number of times a student comes into contact with law enforcement in school. We believe that all students should have access to safe and supporting school environments where students can develop trusting relationships with their teachers and other school staff.
Community Trainings:
We offer community Know Your Rights discipline trainings that provide an overview of the legal framework of exclusionary discipline, key discipline data and an understanding of the expulsion hearing process. Our hope is that we can equip parents and community members with the necessary tools to identify key issues and engage in advocacy on behalf of their students.
Publications
Public Counsel publications offer practical tools and guidance to help students, families, and advocates navigate complex education systems. Our resources aim to advance education equity by supporting efforts to secure the services and opportunities that every student deserves.
Get Help
Services
Public Counsel’s Education team helps students and families challenge harmful school discipline practices and fight unlawful school pushout. Through direct legal representation, community education, and policy advocacy, we work to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline and promote safe, inclusive school environments where all students can thrive.
Get Help NowNeed help with a school discipline issue? We provide free legal representation for students facing expulsion and exclusion from school, with a focus on students impacted by both special education and school discipline. We also offer community Know Your Rights trainings to help parents, students, and advocates understand the discipline process and protect students’ rights.
Click here, or call (213) 385-2977 ext. 500., to request assistance or schedule a training.
