The Just and Fair Schools Fund (JFSF) supports grassroots organizing initiatives that work to eliminate harsh school discipline policies and practices – and that uphold the right to education for all youth.
Zero-tolerance policies, aggressive policing in schools, and other extreme school discipline practices lead to high rates of suspensions, expulsions, and arrests of students. As a result, large numbers of youth are pushed out of school and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
Across the country, youth, parents, and concerned allies are forging a movement to secure meaningful and sustainable changes in how public schools address student discipline. The JFSF seeks to bolster this powerful community-based leadership for reform on the local, state, and national levels.
JFSF goals include the following:
- With targeted support and broader collaboration, organized communities shift the national discourse from “zero tolerance” to keeping all children learning in school.
- Youth and parents convince schools, school districts, and states to adopt prevention-oriented and evidence-based school discipline that respects students’ right to education and fosters engaging learning climates.
- Organizing victories reduce suspensions, expulsions, school-based arrests, push-outs, and drop-outs.
- Funder interest and support increase for community organizing on school discipline reform.
Grantmaking
The JFSF will award 21 grassroots organizations a total of $2,375,000 in two-year core grants (plus subgrants) over 2011-2012. For further information on the JFSF and JFSF grantees, click here to learn more. Please note that letters of intent or funding proposals cannot be considered at this time.
Donors
The JFSF is made possible with the generous support of The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Falk Foundation and the Gill Foundation. JFSF staff and partners are raising more awareness of the devastating repercussions of the school-to-prison pipeline, with the goal of encouraging broader support for effective grassroots strategies to end the pipeline. If you are a donor interested in learning more about or supporting the JFSF, please contact Don Cipriani, Senior Program Officer, at (212)378-4438 or through our contact page.
Newsletter
For information about JFSF developments and events, please subscribe to the periodic JFSF e-newsletter.
Please see below for the most recent issues of the JFSF e-newsletter, a source for organizing victories, actions, news, and resources to end the school-to-prison pipeline.
