Why We’re Here
Several
of us have been personally affected by the horrific way our county
administers its zero-tolerance rules. Others of us have witnessed the
effects on children we work with or care about.
Beginning
in 1995, when one of us joined a lawsuit to modify
misguided and unconstitutional rules of conduct forced on families by
the governor (changed as a result), we have been watchful and waiting
for an opportunity to make change happen here in our village. Did we
wait too long?
In
March 2009, Josh Anderson died. He was a 17-year-old Fairfax County
junior at South Lakes High School who committed suicide just one day
before a second hearing that very likely would have kicked him out of
any Fairfax -- and therefore any Virginia -- public school. He was an
extraordinarily well-liked young man, a good student, involved in his
community. He had already experienced initiation into the disciplinary
process and a hearing that shredded him and his family by using tactics
like humiliation and false accusations to get him to acquiesce, and to
get his family to keep silent about it.
His parents did not keep silent. You can read about their terrifying journey here at their blog: http://rememberingjosh.blogspot.com/. Their school board hearing is here, along with accounts from others: http://rememberingjosh.blogspot.com/2009/03/our-school-board-hearing-experience.html.
Grace and Mercy Lead to Restoration
Our
children deserve to be treated with grace and mercy. They deserve to be judged as
individual human beings. We adults are obliged to practice restoration,
not retribution.
FairfaxZeroToleranceReform.org
seeks reform of the FCPS student disciplinary process so that EVERY
child's Constitutional, due process, and educational rights are
protected, so the process is just, consistent, individualized,
transparent, and monitored, and so it WORKS.
Shouldn’t WE in Fairfax County be leading the nation?
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