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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane education advocacy group receives award from ACLU of Washington

The Spokesman-Review

A group of Spokane parents and activists have received a statewide award for their work for change in Spokane Public Schools.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington awarded the Every Student Counts Alliance of Spokane with the 2017 Civil Libertarian Award. Representatives from the Every Student Counts Alliance will accept the award Saturday in a ceremony in Seattle.

The Every Student Counts Alliance started in the 2016 and is comprised of a number of local organizations.

The alliance has advocated for widespread implementation of restorative discipline throughout the district.

In November 2016, the alliance, alongside the ACLU of Washington, asked the district to change its use-of-force policies claiming they were too similar to the Spokane Police Department’s. In early 2017, the board of directors approved new use-of-force guidelines, partially in response to the alliance’s advocacy.

Nikki Lockwood, a Spokane parent involved with the alliance, was highlighted for her work. So was Dawn Sidell, director of the Northwest Autism Center.