ACTION ALERT
End suspensions for elementary school students

Your actions can help get this legislation passed! Here's how you can help:

1. Call! Call House Ways & Means Committee members and/or your legislator to urge passage of the "suspension moratorium" bill (HB 687 Delegate Marriott)

2. Send letters! Send letters to House Ways & Means Committee members and/or your legislator to urge passage of the "suspension moratorium" bill (HB 687 Delegate Marriott). A sample letter is attached.

1. Attend the February 26th hearing at 1pm. The House Ways & Means Committee will be holding a hearing in Annapolis at the State Capitol and you can show your support by attending and making your views heard!

1. Take Action on March 10th! Come to the Legislative Education Day, sponsored by the Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition's Community Action Members.

1. Get others involved (host a letter-signing or phone-banking activity).

For additional fact sheets, materials and information, contact Cameron Miles, Community Outreach Director for the Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition at 410/547-9200.

Contact House Ways & Means Committee members to urge passage of the "suspension moratorium" legislation:

Sheila E. Hixson (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3469) e-mail: sheila_hixson@house.state.md.us Anne Healey (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3961) e-mail: anne_healey@house.state.md.us Joseph R. Bartlett (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3107) e-mail: joseph_bartlett@house.state.md.us David G. Boschert (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3223) e-mail: david_boschert@house.state.md.us Bennett Bozman (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3431) e-mail: bennett_bozman@house.state.md.us Jon S. Cardin (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3342) e-mail: jon_cardin@house.state.md.us Jean B. Cryor (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3090) e-mail: jean_cryor@house.state.md.us Clarence Davis (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3257) e-mail: clarence_davis@house.state.md.us D. Page Elmore (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3433) e-mail: page_elmore@house.state.md.us Michael R. Gordon (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3744) e-mail: michael_gordon@house.state.md.us Henry B. Heller (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3528) e-mail: henry_heller@house.state.md.us Carolyn Howard (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3074) e-mail: carolyn_howard@house.state.md.us Adrienne A. Jones (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3391) e-mail: adrienne_jones@house.state.md.us Anne R. Kaiser (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3380) e-mail: anne_kaiser@house.state.md.us Nancy J. King (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3037) e-mail: nancy_king@house.state.md.us Robert A. McKee (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3447) e-mail: robert_mckee@house.state.md.us LeRoy E. Myers, Jr. (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3435) e-mail: leroy_myers@house.state.md.us Obie Patterson (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3012) e-mail: obie_patterson@house.state.md.us Victor R. Ramirez (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3326) e-mail: victor_ramirez@house.state.md.us Justin D. Ross (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3058) e-mail: justin_ross@house.state.md.us James Rzepkowski (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3233) e-mail: james_rzepkowski@house.state.md.us

***If Delegate Salima S. Marriott is your legislator, call her to tell her you support her efforts to pass this bill as she is the main sponsor of the bill (1-800-492-7122, ext. 3277) e-mail: salima_marriott@house.state.md.us

Suggested Tips for contacting legislators:

• Contact legislators on legislative days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) in their office in Annapolis before the legislative sessions begins at 11 am.
• If you cannot talk directly to the legislator, leave a message with their staff person.
• Ask for the staff's name, and write it down with the date and time you called.
• Give the staff your name and address and ask for a written response to your call.
• Let your legislators know you are from their district.
• Tell them you'll be contacting them again to find out what specific steps they've taken to address your concerns.

This is (your name) and I'm calling to urge you to support "suspension moratorium" legislation to end school suspensions of elementary school students in Maryland's schools.

I support this legislation because:

• Maryland's law has gone too far in kicking kids out of schools for very minor misbehavior

• These "zero Tolerance" policies are not applied fairly to all children. For example, children of color are more harshly treated and harmed by these suspension policies

• Most children who are suspended are removed for skipping school! We need to make our schools more supportive, nurturing and better learning environments so kids will want to be in school in the first place!

• No child should be denied an education for misbehaving in school!

• As a result of these suspension policies, children are ending up on the street, in trouble with the law, or incarcerated in Maryland's juvenile and adult correctional facilities

• These policies feed the "school to prison" pipeline

• Instead of prisons, we need to invest more in our children's education and in our schools. We need textbooks and smaller classrooms.

Here's my name and address, and I would like a written response to my call on how you intend to vote on this legislation.

Thank you for your time and consideration

Dear ____________________,

I am writing to bring to your attention an issue of serious concern to me - the suspension of elementary school students from Maryland's schools - and I urge you to support "suspension moratorium" legislation (HB 687).

I support this legislation because:

• Maryland's law has gone too far in kicking kids out of schools for very minor misbehavior;

• These "zero Tolerance" policies are not applied fairly to all children. For example, children of color are more harshly treated and harmed by these suspension policies;

• Most children who are suspended are removed for skipping school! We need to make our schools more supportive, nurturing and better learning environments so kids will want to be in school in the first place!

• No child should be denied an education for misbehaving in school!

• As a result of these suspension policies, children are ending up on the street, in trouble with the law, or incarcerated in Maryland's juvenile and adult correctional facilities;

• These policies feed the "school to prison" pipeline;

• Instead of prisons, we need to invest more in our children's education and in our schools. We need textbooks and smaller classrooms.

Sincerely,