For Immediate Release

Contact: Shawna Ellis
617-876-7700

QUINCY, MA – The Schott Foundation for Public Education has partnered with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in a multi-city effort to support positive school climates for students of color. The initiative, funded by a one-year $2,000,000 partnership grant from the Kellogg Foundation, includes efforts to reform harsh, ineffective school discipline policies and improve school climates so that all students feel safe, healthy and ready to learn. There is extensive research documenting the racial bias in existing discipline policies, including the Loving Cities Index recently released by the Schott Foundation, and Closing the School Discipline Gap—Equitable Remedies for Excessive Exclusion by Dan Losen.

The Schott Foundation is a national public fund serving as a bridge between philanthropic partners and advocates to develop and strengthen broad-based and representative movements to provide all students an opportunity to learn. This bridge role enables Schott to leverage grant funds to create coordinated initiatives with multiple advocacy organizations to yield high impact results.

Schott will work collaboratively with the Advancement Project National Office and Communities for Just Schools Fund on the initiative to reduce racial bias. Together, the three organizations have an extensive track record working on policy and organizing strategies to improve school climates for students and school personnel. They will collectively support a variety of strategies to support local and national efforts through funding, evaluation, communications, technical assistance, policy support and, in some cases litigation.

“We are proud to partner with the Kellogg Foundation in this critical endeavor,” said John H. Jackson, President and CEO of the Schott Foundation. “We share a deep commitment to systemic change and resourcing grassroots partners to build broad cross-sector collaborations that lead to the reduction of  racial disparities and the creation of healthy living and learning communities where all children can thrive.”

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.