Appointed by Senate President: Barbara A. Robinson
Appointed by House Speaker: Alonzo T. Washington
Appointed by State Superintendent of Schools: Tiffany Nace; Rhonda Richetta
Appointed by President, Maryland PTA: Marla L. Posey-Moss
Appointed by President, Maryland Association of School Resource Officers: Jon Carrier
Representing Youth Leadership & Advocacy Network: Craig Minor
Ex officio: Walter J. Sallee, designee of State Superintendent of Schools; Gavin M. Patashnick, Esq., designee of Secretary of Juvenile Services; Melanie D. Shapiro, Esq., designee of Public Defender; Michael D. Phillips, designee of President, State Board of Education; Barbara S. Grochal, designee of Director, Center for Dispute Resolution, Francis King Carey School of Law, University of Maryland; Gail L. Sunderman, Ph.D., Executive Director, Maryland Equity Project, College of Education, University of Maryland, College Park; Shantay McKinily, Director, Positive Schools Center, School of Social Work, University of Maryland; Shamarla R. McCoy, designee of Executive Director, Advocates for Children and Youth; Kimberly Humphrey, Esq., designee of Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland; Ande Kolp, Executive Director, The ARC Maryland; Matthew Zernhelt, J.D., designee of Executive Director, Community Conferencing Center; Lorig Charkoudian, Ph.D., Executive Director, Community Mediation Maryland; Michael Bunitsky, designee of President, Maryland Association of Boards of Education; Robin L. McNair, designee of President, Maryland State Education Association; Ruben Amaya, designee of President, Maryland Association of Student Councils.
Staff: Barbara S. Grochal
![[photo, School of Law, University of Maryland, Baltimore]](/msa/mdmanual/25univ/umab/images/1198-1-434b.jpg)
c/o Center for Dispute Resolution
School of Law, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 500 West Baltimore St., Baltimore, Maryland, July 2003. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
In July 2017, the Commission on the School-to-Prison Pipeline and Restorative Practices was established (Chapter 762, Acts of 2017).
The Commission studied and analyzed current disciplinary practices in Maryland's public schools. Also, it considered ways to implement restorative practices that promote peacemaking and conflict resolution, and repair damage through dialogue that emphasizes individual accountabilty and builds a sense of belonging, safety, and social responsibility in a school community. Further, for Maryland students, the Commission documented suspensions, expulsions, and retention and dropout rates. Finally, the Commission explored national best practices for training school personnel, engaging parents in restorative practices, and eliminating the school-to-prison pipeline.
By October 1, 2017, the State Department of Education briefed the Commission on specified disciplinary practices, student behaviors, and each local school system's code of conduct and disciplinary policies.
The Commission made recommendations for establishing a Collaborative Action Plan to create a statewide framework for change in public school disciplinary practices, and define what legislative and policy initiatives could be used to enact such a plan.
In December 2018, the Commission submitted its report to the Governor and General Assembly.
Authorization for the Commission ended June 30, 2019.
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