Police-free schools actually bring us closer to truly safe schools. Here’s why:

Our students are in crisis, especially Black and Brown students, because we’ve consistently denied them the resources they deserve to thrive and succeed. We’re in the middle of a pandemic and it’s still easier to find a police officer than a social worker in hundreds of our public schools.

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Even one student criminalized, harassed and assaulted by school police is too many. We have *thousands* of students who report abusive behavior by police officers. And the police do it on our dime.

Many school police are Black and Brown women who are also targeted by the carceral system. This cycle of Black children being overpoliced by Black and Brown women does a disservice to all. We need to create the right kind of jobs — where care is the priority, not policing.

Safe schools have support systems, adults who care, resources, funding and trauma-informed practices. They see children as children — not threats in need of control or policing. We don’t need to debate police-free schools. Students are telling us what they need: resources and support, not police. We need to listen.

As the Dignity in Schools Campaign has said, we can’t implement plans that create policing by another name. We need to reinvest the $450 million spent on school safety officers to provide services including mental health, student support positions and restorative and transformative practices. We need care, not cops. And we need a mayor who understands the difference.

We can choose a new model — one that truly centers our students’ needs — but we need your help. Will you rush a donation today to help us in the fight to reimagine public safety and prioritize our students over the status quo?

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In solidarity,

Team Dianne