Our Blog
How Unfair Laws and the Culture of Punishment in Schools Can Harm Children & Families
On November 1, author and investigative journalist Erin Einhorn joined the League of Women Voters of Washtenaw for a virtual panel about school discipline and due process protections. SAC was grateful for the opportunity to attend. Einhorn's research has been featured...
Know the Facts: School Discipline in Michigan
Zero Tolerance is illegal in Michigan, but our expulsion rates are worse than those before Zero Tolerance was overturned. Last year, 1,396 Michigan students were expelled -- 49 more than in the 2014-2015 school year. In this fact sheet, you will find...
We Couldn’t Do This Without You!
This past year was historic for us, and we are so thankful for YOUR support along the way. Thanks to you, we served more students than we ever have. We hope you will take a moment to check out our annual gratitude report. You will find stories of students graduating...
Story-Power Policy Briefing on Virtual Schools
"When “Monique’s” grandson was forced into a virtual school, she had no idea how he would finish 5th grade. She felt lost and unsure what to do. Unfortunately, these kinds of stories have become far too common. The COVID-19 Pandemic made virtual learning...
Now is the time for change
May is National Foster Care Month — and a time to reflect on changes that our state needs to make. Students who experience foster care deserve a robust public education and support to graduate, don’t you agree? In Michigan, though, we see...
Michigan, We Can Do Better
Michigan has returned to a tired playbook of criminalizing youth in schools — but we know there are better ways forward. And YOU can help! What is going on? We are seeing increasingly more punitive approaches from schools. When we look at expulsion data from last...
We are Grateful for You!
It's time to celebrate YOU, our community of supporters and partners. You have had such an amazing impact on students and families in southeast Michigan and around the state. We served more students than we ever have, but sustained the deep work we do in our...
Telling Tales Out of School 2022 Video
On Friday, May 13, 2022, we gathered for our annual event, Telling Tales Out of School. Thank you to everyone who enjoyed the evening with us, live in Ann Arbor or through the livestream! Watch all the videos from Telling Tales 2022 here!...
Celebrating 10 Years at SAC: You have helped us change and grow!
BY PERI STONE-PALMQUIST This month is my 10-year anniversary working at Student Advocacy Center and I can’t help but be nostalgic as I reflect back. I was not looking for a new job when approached to apply at SAC. I was happy working part-time at the Washtenaw...
Honoring a life taken too soon
Our hearts are broken here at Student Advocacy Center after LaRonte Benion-Phillips was shot and killed just weeks after his 18th birthday — just months shy of walking across the stage to receive his diploma. We met LaRonte when he was just 14 and spent hours...