fulanigirl has movedMay 24, 2023
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Yesterday, I shared some data on police in schools. Ordinarily today I would provide some examples of how people are creating new systems to cut their dependence on the police. Today’s examples however, show how difficult it is to build a different approach. They also highlight the intersectionality of issues that cause our neighborhoods to be unsafe. Distribution of municipal budgets can kill school reform. 1/9
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I highlighted the who gets to make decisions about spending budgets. I also cautioned about having reform expectations without taking into account how the any institutional system will adjust itself to negate reform and re-establish status quo. The criminal legal system repeatedly does that because it’s whole purpose for existing is to remove liberty. Let me know if you need some examples to refresh you on that. 2/9
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The school districts in St. Paul MN voted to terminate their contracts with school resource officers/police. They went to student friendly liaisons and studying violence reduction. They received a $1 million for the Feds to study root causes and were “projected” to get money to build up for the 2024 school year. 3/
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On the surface that sounds good right? But look at it. How were they going to adequately build a new system with necessary supports (guidance counselors, mental health workers, etc)?
https://www.startribune.com/st-paul-schools-safety-liaisons-school-resource-officers/600221359/ 4/
In third year without police in schools, St. Paul deepens new approaches to safety

As the number of school support liaisons has increased, the district has cut back on contract security guards.

Star Tribune
May 24, 2023 at 5:49pmWeb
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And then this year (remember we are in 2023 not 2024 when they “projected” better development) a student was killed in school. That’s the worse case scenario and parents students and administrators are reasonable to question the decision to remove SROs. Now, the St. Paul District is voting to bring back SROS. https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/02/15/st-paul-school-safety-harding-stabbing-police-officers 5/
St. Paul weighs new safety measures following fatal school stabbing

Bringing police officers back to schools could be part of the response.

Axios Twin Cities
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We see a repeat of this reaction in Oakland CA, Seattle, Chicago, and other places. In my opinion it shows the danger of moving for “reform” without a clear understanding of the root causes of problems in each LOCAL area and having a clear, purpose driven, and fully developed and FUNDED approach to solving those problems. 6/
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There’s no “magic” formula for creating safety, and it absolutely cannot be done without money. “Get the police” is a known response and feels reassuring, even though we know police respond to violence, they don’t prevent it. See e.g. every mass school shooting that has taken place in the last two years. 7/
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Here’s what we know: the police are against reduction of $ into their coffers. Municipal leaders are against alienating the police and sacrifice significant portions of their budgets to the police to keep relations smooth. Parents and students want safety. Can it be done without the police? If you watch the documentary PUSH OUT by Monique Morris you’ll see what is required. https://pushoutfilm.com/ 8/
Pushout - The criminalization of Black Girls in Schools

PUSHOUT is a feature length documentary which takes a close look at the educational, judicial and societal disparities facing Black Girls.

PUSHOUT | THE CRIMINALIZATION OF BLACK GIRLS IN SCHOOLS
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If you don’t have access to the documentary watch the two videos called Counter Pushout towards the bottom of the page. It is girl focused but the specialists talk about the issues that lead to conflict in schools and how the adults (who are not the police) can model de-escalation and talk to students in an age appropriate way. 9/
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It’s the kind of in-depth work a school system needs to do in order to stop relying on criminalization of children to address behavior problems in schools. Schools need money to do it. But even before that, school districts need to value the children and believe they are entitled to have a safe place where they can be nourished and grow. Do schools value our Black and Brown children? We can argue about that. 10/10