Episode 12: Breaking the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Today I spoke with Ms. Jennifer White, an Education Staff Attorney at the Massachusetts Advocates for Children. We discussed her journey from social work to law, and how her background in both fields shapes her advocacy to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. Jennifer shared insights into her early work defending students in Massachusetts and highlighted the systemic issues that push vulnerable kids out of school. We also spoke about her day-to-day work at MAC, from answering helpline calls to systemic advocacy, and discussed the disproportionate impact of school discipline on students with disabilities, Black students, and Latinx students. Finally, she walked us through the IEP process and how individualized education plans are developed to support students' needs.