X.-1 20-1335 Adoption by the Board of Education of Resolution No. 1920-0260 - George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department
Speaking on my own behalf, not my organization, I am supportive of the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate OSPD. It is important that the entire OSPD be eliminated not just the sworn officers. Further, it is important that the community and professionals focused on anti-racism in educational settings be given authority to determine when an"emergency" exists requiring a call to OPD. The funds moved from OSPD must be invested in to support systems DIRECTLY for students who have previously been targeted and disproportionately impacted by OSPD intervention. Do not get confused by the breath of the issues facing OUSD students distract you from concrete steps and decisive action to fix one problem immediately. Do not get complacent in passing this legislation as it will not fix all of the issues facing OUSD students. Do not act with the complacency that has led you to be aware of these issues for a decade without taking decisive action. We will hold you accountable.
As a concerned Oakland resident, I strongly support this resolution. Police treat black and brown students like criminals rather than students. Students' mistakes should be treated with compassion, not criminalization. Can you imagine being arrested for getting into a fight in school? And then being entwined in the criminal "justice" system? We know that the police harass, brutalize, and threaten black and brown people in this country. They have no place in schools. We can divert the funding for police to positions that help students thrive, like counselors, restorative justice practitioners, and special education teachers. What's more: students, teachers, and community members have spoken about this for years. If you do not listen to them, you are ignoring the community you claim to serve. Please take this step against systemic racism and create a positive learning environment for our black and brown youth. Thank you.
As a pediatrician who works to support child health in Oakland every day, I strongly believe that adopting this resolution to eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department and removing the presence of police from Oakland schools will be beneficial to the health of Oakland students. Disciplinary actions in schools should be within the context of the school, and the presence of police only serves to escalate any disciplinary issues and unnecessarily and unjustly treat students like criminals. Funding for police officers should be diverted into other areas to support the health and wellbeing of Oakland students, such as integrated mental and social health services.
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over 4 years ago
I would like to add my voice to those already included here to support the Black Organizing Project and Oakland students in their proposal to remove police from Oakland schools. Students deserve a school environment that they can grow in, rather than one that reinforces trauma. The police do not contribute to an environment conducive to student growth and as such, should be removed from our schools. Our money should go to programs that support healing from this already existing trauma in the communities to allow them to live healthy futures.
I strongly stand in support of the George Floyd Resolution. The money currently allocated for the police in the OUSD schools should be used to support things such as counselors, therapists, librarians, and after school programs. We need to fund programs that help Oakland students grow, instead of policing them.
I support this legislation to eliminate the department of police services in all OUSD schools. Police do not keep our students safe. This funding needs to be reallocated to social workers, mental health workers, and nurses.
I support the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. The funding that currently is being spent criminalizing children should be redirected toward any number of educational programs and services that have been defunded over the years, including the sciences, libraries & librarians, school nurses, counselors, and the arts. You could also use the money staff and re-open the schools that have been needlessly closed. This city's youth deserve to be nurtured and supported, to have a robust and challenging education that prepares them to be confident, creative, and knowledgeable adults. They deserve talented and trained educators who are paid a living wage, they deserve school buildings in their neighborhoods that are beautiful and well-maintained, and they deserve to feel valued as cherished members of this community, not to be traumatized by unnecessary policing.
I am a law clerk at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of San Francisco. LCCR supports eliminating the Oakland Schools Police Department. The District spent $9.3 million on the force between 2013-18, despite research showing that exposure to police early in the lives of Black students undermines their access to opportunities. School policing has no positive impact on crime or delinquency. Exposure to police in schools disproportionately harms black youth, and students with disabilities, behavioral or mental health needs. Exposure to school-based law enforcement degrades educational opportunities for black and brown communities. Education is a human right. We cannot continue to harm the next generation’s ability to learn, particularly when these harmful consequences disproportionately fall on Black and Brown youth. LCCR urges the District to honor its mission of academic achievement serving the whole child and eliminating inequity by eliminating the OSPD.
I am a pediatrician practicing in Oakland. I support defunding police, ESPECIALLY in our schools. We need to increase funding for nurses, social workers, teachers, and therapists in schools--NOT police.
Strong support of the George Floyd resolution. We do not need police near or around our Black children. We need nurses, counselors, more teachers, smaller classrooms and resources! Not COPS. Get OPD out of OUSD.
I am writing in support of the Black Organizing Project's plan to remove Oakland Police from our schools. Years of research have shown that uniformed officers on campus are harmful to both the safety and educational achievement of students. That should have been enough to get them out of our schools last time. Luckily for them, you have another chance to get it right.
Others will say this more articulately than I, but a police force has no place in educational institutions like Oakland public schools. Resources must be given to other supportive services that address the structural barriers preventing students' and their families' success and well-being, not surveillance and violence.
I am a resident of Oakland. I support the George Floyd Resolution created by BOP (Black Organizing Project) to eliminate the policing of schools. Currently 6.5 million dollars is being spent on police in schools. This money should be spent on teachers, counselors, after school programs, arts, libraries, and other resources that support students. Police do not belong in schools, they contribute to the traumatization of our youth. Invest in restorative justice approaches to conflict.
I am a Bay Area educator and have grown up here. The constant presence of police officers is a deeply uncomfortable environment for our students. Like other commenters have suggested, invest those funds initially routed to supporting a school-specific police presence in resources which serve students directly in a way that isn't so disciplinarian (social workers, restorative justice programs, etc.). Please pass the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Speaking on my own behalf, not my organization, I am supportive of the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate OSPD. It is important that the entire OSPD be eliminated not just the sworn officers. Further, it is important that the community and professionals focused on anti-racism in educational settings be given authority to determine when an"emergency" exists requiring a call to OPD. The funds moved from OSPD must be invested in to support systems DIRECTLY for students who have previously been targeted and disproportionately impacted by OSPD intervention. Do not get confused by the breath of the issues facing OUSD students distract you from concrete steps and decisive action to fix one problem immediately. Do not get complacent in passing this legislation as it will not fix all of the issues facing OUSD students. Do not act with the complacency that has led you to be aware of these issues for a decade without taking decisive action. We will hold you accountable.
I support Black Organizing Project's George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. Act now!
I am fully in support of this resolution. Please remove police from Oakland schools.
As a concerned Oakland resident, I strongly support this resolution. Police treat black and brown students like criminals rather than students. Students' mistakes should be treated with compassion, not criminalization. Can you imagine being arrested for getting into a fight in school? And then being entwined in the criminal "justice" system? We know that the police harass, brutalize, and threaten black and brown people in this country. They have no place in schools. We can divert the funding for police to positions that help students thrive, like counselors, restorative justice practitioners, and special education teachers. What's more: students, teachers, and community members have spoken about this for years. If you do not listen to them, you are ignoring the community you claim to serve. Please take this step against systemic racism and create a positive learning environment for our black and brown youth. Thank you.
As a pediatrician who works to support child health in Oakland every day, I strongly believe that adopting this resolution to eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department and removing the presence of police from Oakland schools will be beneficial to the health of Oakland students. Disciplinary actions in schools should be within the context of the school, and the presence of police only serves to escalate any disciplinary issues and unnecessarily and unjustly treat students like criminals. Funding for police officers should be diverted into other areas to support the health and wellbeing of Oakland students, such as integrated mental and social health services.
I would like to add my voice to those already included here to support the Black Organizing Project and Oakland students in their proposal to remove police from Oakland schools. Students deserve a school environment that they can grow in, rather than one that reinforces trauma. The police do not contribute to an environment conducive to student growth and as such, should be removed from our schools. Our money should go to programs that support healing from this already existing trauma in the communities to allow them to live healthy futures.
I strongly stand in support of the George Floyd Resolution. The money currently allocated for the police in the OUSD schools should be used to support things such as counselors, therapists, librarians, and after school programs. We need to fund programs that help Oakland students grow, instead of policing them.
I support this legislation to eliminate the department of police services in all OUSD schools. Police do not keep our students safe. This funding needs to be reallocated to social workers, mental health workers, and nurses.
I support the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. The funding that currently is being spent criminalizing children should be redirected toward any number of educational programs and services that have been defunded over the years, including the sciences, libraries & librarians, school nurses, counselors, and the arts. You could also use the money staff and re-open the schools that have been needlessly closed. This city's youth deserve to be nurtured and supported, to have a robust and challenging education that prepares them to be confident, creative, and knowledgeable adults. They deserve talented and trained educators who are paid a living wage, they deserve school buildings in their neighborhoods that are beautiful and well-maintained, and they deserve to feel valued as cherished members of this community, not to be traumatized by unnecessary policing.
Eliminate the police!!!!!
I’m in support of removing a police presence in ousd. There shouldn’t be police in our schools.
I support this bc money should go to the students, teachers & counselors.
I am a law clerk at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of San Francisco. LCCR supports eliminating the Oakland Schools Police Department. The District spent $9.3 million on the force between 2013-18, despite research showing that exposure to police early in the lives of Black students undermines their access to opportunities. School policing has no positive impact on crime or delinquency. Exposure to police in schools disproportionately harms black youth, and students with disabilities, behavioral or mental health needs. Exposure to school-based law enforcement degrades educational opportunities for black and brown communities. Education is a human right. We cannot continue to harm the next generation’s ability to learn, particularly when these harmful consequences disproportionately fall on Black and Brown youth. LCCR urges the District to honor its mission of academic achievement serving the whole child and eliminating inequity by eliminating the OSPD.
I am a pediatrician practicing in Oakland. I support defunding police, ESPECIALLY in our schools. We need to increase funding for nurses, social workers, teachers, and therapists in schools--NOT police.
We do not need police in schools. I stand with the Black Organizing Project’s BOSS campaign in removing the police from all OUSD schools.
Strong support of the George Floyd resolution. We do not need police near or around our Black children. We need nurses, counselors, more teachers, smaller classrooms and resources! Not COPS. Get OPD out of OUSD.
I am writing in support of the Black Organizing Project's plan to remove Oakland Police from our schools. Years of research have shown that uniformed officers on campus are harmful to both the safety and educational achievement of students. That should have been enough to get them out of our schools last time. Luckily for them, you have another chance to get it right.
Others will say this more articulately than I, but a police force has no place in educational institutions like Oakland public schools. Resources must be given to other supportive services that address the structural barriers preventing students' and their families' success and well-being, not surveillance and violence.
I am a resident of Oakland. I support the George Floyd Resolution created by BOP (Black Organizing Project) to eliminate the policing of schools. Currently 6.5 million dollars is being spent on police in schools. This money should be spent on teachers, counselors, after school programs, arts, libraries, and other resources that support students. Police do not belong in schools, they contribute to the traumatization of our youth. Invest in restorative justice approaches to conflict.
I am a Bay Area educator and have grown up here. The constant presence of police officers is a deeply uncomfortable environment for our students. Like other commenters have suggested, invest those funds initially routed to supporting a school-specific police presence in resources which serve students directly in a way that isn't so disciplinarian (social workers, restorative justice programs, etc.). Please pass the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. Thank you for your time and consideration.