Supportive school environments allow students to feel safe, cared for, and connected to school — crucial elements if they are to achieve their full learning potential. However, many school districts across the country still rely on school police to discipline students — a practice that erodes safety and disproportionately harms students of color.
In an op-ed published in City Limits, ChangeLab Solutions senior policy analyst Cesar De La Vega and his co-authors Emma Kaeser, Ashley C. Sawyer, and Thalia González argue that New York City's budget proposal for the coming fiscal year, which includes an increase in funding for school police, does not reflect students' needs or community priorities.
Instead of funding school police, the authors suggest, New York City should fund school-based restorative justice practices, mental health resources, and opportunities for community building.
Read the full op-ed on the City Limits website.
6/18/2021