Blog

When we began our journey in 2003 to dismantle our zero tolerance disciplinary system in our schools, an interesting thing happened along the way. The crime rates went down, but not until we changed the way we disciplined kids in school. I am not sure how many folks similarly situated in juvenile justice understand that how we treat kids in our schools is one of the most essential factors in reducing crime among juveniles, and later in reducing crime among the adult population. As go kids,...

Following the election, many reports from schools reflected fear and anxiety among students and families about the potential for deportation. Other feared that the outcome gave a license to some to bully minorities or marginalized members within the community. Still others reported overt bullying and victimization. In response, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) put out guidance for schools, educators, and any adult working with children experiencing (or re-experiencing)...

It’s called The Martinsburg Initiative . It’s based on a Centers for Disease Control study that shows when children have adverse childhood experiences, like exposure to drugs and alcohol, it can have a major impact on their physical and mental developmental health. The Martinsburg Police Department and Berkeley County Schools are piloting the program at two elementary schools in Martinsburg. Shepherd University will provide technical services and volunteers via faculty, staff, and students...

In the days since Donald Trump was elected president, horrifying incidents of election-inspired bullying have been reported at schools across the country. The 74 is tracking these terrible stories. If something has happened in your school or to your family, we want to know about it; please email: bullying@the74million.org . (CAUTION: Many posts below contain disturbing and harsh language and images) [For more go to ...

University of California President Janet Napolitano will soon meet with undocumented students to address their concerns about Tuesday’s presidential election of Republican Donald Trump, who pledged to rescind an executive action protecting them from deportation. Napolitano herself carried out that protection in 2012 as President Barack Obama’s homeland security director. Napolitano on Wednesday issued an unusual post-election statement, signed by her and 10 UC campus leaders, stating that...

Marcos Mohammad, a senior at Berkeley High School, had a question the morning after Donald J. Trump was elected president of the United States: “How will he find me?” asked Mohammad, an undocumented immigrant from Peru. He walked along a wooded path on the UC Berkeley campus with six of his high school friends, all of them undocumented immigrants, all members of the small Newcomers Program for immigrants at Berkeley High and all of them anxious. They carried signs — “Love still trumps hate”...

I know so many women who “don’t want to be a bitch.” I hear this phrase at least 10 times a week. My friend M, speaking about a colleague on a committee she has to serve on for the college where she teaches: I wish I could tell him to stop talking over me, but I don’t want to be a bitch. My friend L, on the man who used to be her friend but now badmouths her to colleagues because she challenged his authority in a meeting: I don’t want to be a bitch, but he’s so defensive. My friend B, in the...

Four American cities— Boulder , Colorado; and Albany , Oakland , and San Francisco , California—just finished voting on controversial soda-tax ballot measures meant to raise prices, curb consumption, and, hopefully, flatten out the ever-increasing obesity epidemic. There’s early evidence that similar taxes in other cities and countries are working, but exactly how much effect they have can be hard to measure. Now, a new study of Berkeley’s soda tax suggests that, when it comes to the first...

County law enforcement and mental health officials say multi-pronged action is needed to keep the mentally ill out of jail in favor of medical treatment and stable living conditions. By default, they underscore, society has allowed jails to become unsuitable mental health service providers. What sufferers desperately need are urgent care centers, intensive case management services and crisis sanctuaries for those with mental illness who need a brief respite. Ideally, too, Humboldt County...

On October 29, 2016 close to 100 community members and activist participated in a community forum to discuss Adverse Childhood Experiences and pathways to Resilience. The session was held at the new Skyline library at 7900 Paradise Valley Road. The day began with the county of San Diego Department of Health Services designating San Diego Black Health Associates as A Live Well San Diego Partner. The forum is the second of three forums to address information, reshape attitudes and stimulate...

In spite of rhetoric that heralded a massive electoral rebuke of progressive values on Tuesday, labor-friendly policies also had a strong night at the polls. Four states—Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and Washington—passed ballot measures that will raise the minimum wage significantly by the year 2020. Hourly workers in Arizona, Colorado, and Maine will see their pay floors rise to $12 an hour—all gains of more than $3.75 an hour—while Washington’s minimum wage will rise to $13.50 by 2020, an...

There is a commonly accepted idea that addiction is a lifelong struggle that most fail to overcome. The current opioid epidemic and the media coverage of celebrities whose downfalls are fueled by substance use perpetuate the idea that most people with substance use disorders are likely to fail in recovery. But it’s more common than most people realize for people who battle an addiction to eventually obtain a stable recovery. In part, it depends on how one defines the term. Dr. Thaddeus...