“We are thrilled to see this bill being introduced by our hometown Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and teachers across our city applaud her strong stand on this critical issue. She has long been an advocate for ending the school-to-prison pipeline and has been both a leader and a partner in this work for years. As the first teachers union to negotiate language to support restorative practices into a union contract, we know that zero tolerance policies are harmful to the students who are often the most vulnerable and most in need of support. The policies incentivized by this bill reflect the much needed increase in investments for social emotional supports and wellness, as opposed to the kinds of punitive ‘push out’ policies that we have been long been fighting against alongside Congresswoman Pressley.” – Jessica Tang, Boston Teachers Union