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
I strongly support the George Floyd Resolution to remove police from public schools. Let's have Oakland be a leader on this front to actual help students instead of criminalizing them. We need more support for counseling, mental health, special education, and after-school electives.
As a registered psychologist and Oakland resident, I strongly support the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. Having worked with children and adults who have been traumatized by OSPD, I can attest to the fact that having police within our schools only serves to create further intergenerational trauma and violence within our community. I strongly support defunding OSPD and having police free schools. I strongly support redirecting those funds to equitable programs designed to specifically address issues such as mental health, hunger, child abuse, sex trafficking, substance use, completing high school and (if so desired) moving onto college. Having police in our schools disproportionately harms Black, indigenous, and brown students. Having police in our our schools does nothing more than perpetuate the school to prison pipeline. Police make schools unsafe.
I am a former OUSD student and current parent of an OUSD middle school student. My son and every student in this district is worthy of a safe, nurturing and positive school climate free of anti-black racism, policing, criminalization, the potential for police brutality and being impacted by the school-to-prison pipeline. There is extensive research that details the negative impacts of police on campus and we know that police are not equipped to offer the restorative justice practices that Black and students of color need. Tonight and on June 24th, I hope you truly represent Oakland students, stand with students and families, remove police from our campuses, invest in programs/services and pass policies that will break down the structural racism that currently impacts Black and students of color in OUSD. WE MUST reimagine what our schools look like, feel like, sound like, redefine what safety truly means. It's time to move from being outraged by white supremacy to taking action.
I strongly support the Black Organizing Project resolution to eliminate the Oakland School Police Dept and redirect those funds to libraries, school counselors & nurses, RJ and other services that nurture and support students. You had an incredible opportunity tonight to listen to the community. Instead you prioritized bureaucratic protocols over engaging people and listening. We see you.
I want to thank Superintendent Johnson-Trammel for sharing her report outlining the board’s plan to reimagine and roll-out the dissolution of the Oakland school police force in favor of allocating resources to the emotional, mental, and physical welfare of students. Could the report be made available to the public? As well, I’m commenting in strong support of the George Floyd Resolution and respectfully urge the board members to vote in favor come June 24th.
As a current student in OUSD, I support the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. As students, we never needed and will never need the presence of police in our schools. School is supposed to be a safe haven for kids and yet they come to school in fear of police, fear that they would get targeted. Seeing all the officers with weapons never helped anyone. Instead of having police, we should instead redirect money and time into things that students especially need, like nurses, support programs, and counselors. Students suffer from anxiety, depression, and many more different issues. Yet they don’t have the support they need from schools. Let’s put students first and invest in things they truly need.
I strongly support this resolution. The OSPD does more harm than good. No child benefits from a constant police presence in school, and BIPOC students are subject to unjust persecution. Re-allocate these funds to help our most vulnerable students.
I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. There are groups of therapists committed to racial justice , ready to support the youth of OUSD. Fund counselors, fund mental health. Fund the people trained to deescalate. Bring in the people who went to school for 7 years to learn non-violent communication and who bring an intersectional, trauma informed lens to conflict resolution.
I am a resident of Oakland. I urge you to adopt this resolution, eliminate the Oakland School Police Force, and remove police from Oakland schools. Instead, I urge you to reallocate these funds to provide essential student services like counseling, mental health services, increased teacher salaries, libraries, lunch programs, after school programs, educational materials and technology, and other worthwhile programs.
As a current middle school teacher at UPA, I couldn't be more in support George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. NOW is the time. We must act. Our students deserve better...we can do better and this is one step in the right direction.
As a resident of the east Oakland foothills, I'm writing in support of the Resolution No. 1920-0260, the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. With the school district looking at potential budget cuts this year, I strongly urge all board members to approve this resolution to remove police from our schools. Instead, let's invest in new safety models that take the whole student into consideration, including more behavioral & mental health staff, special education staff, counselors, after school programs, art & music programs, libraries, and nutritious meals.
I am a product of Bay Area public schools and vehemently support Resolution No. 1920-0260. Students are safe when they have the resources they need to thrive, like school counselors, restorative justice resources, adequate nurses, and food security. It's past time to end Oakland's school to prison pipeline. I am in strong support of Black Organizing Project's proposal.
Vote Yes. A special hello to James, Jody, Gary and Aimee. We worked together on the Yes on Measure N campaign. So we have all been a part of running a campaign. It isn't easy, it usually takes people power, lots of money, or both. The Black Organizing Project doesn't have a lot of money, but they have put in the people power. BOP and its allies beyond being activists, are directly affected OUSD families. They have been leading this campaign to ELIMINATE police from Oakland Unified school for years now. This part of the OUSD family is directly impacted by the presence of police in schools, and has consistently called for police to be out of schools. So I ask you to listen to and support directly impacted voices in this matter. The Board is a representative body. I understand you represent some families that may think differently, but I ask you do the families of Black Organizing Project have as much socio-economic currency to protect their children as some of those other families?
As someone who interacts with both OUSD students and teachers on a daily basis, I believe that police in schools DO NOT protect students, but rather endanger them. Students need to be safe and comfortable in schools, and for many, especially for students of color, the presence of police promotes the opposite of safety and comfort. If students are not safe in schools, how can they learn? Students of color deserve schools that are a place of safety and growth. They deserve to learn without the threat of police violence. This act will not only protect students of color, but also improve their ability to learn. Thank you.
I am a teacher & Oakland resident. I urge the board to adopt the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. Our schools have a responsibility to keep all of our students safe and able to learn. A student is not able to learn or feel safe if their trauma from witnessing police violence in their communities is triggered by seeing a police officer at school. A student is not able to learn or feel safe if they are punitively removed from their classrooms. A student is not able to learn or feel safe if their rule-breaking is addressed by forcing them to be marked by a prison record, rather than receiving the care that they need to address root causes of their impulses to act out. A police presence in schools does nothing but prevent our Black & Brown students from accessing the safety and education they deserve. If you do not adopt this resolution, you are responsible for denying young people of their right to safety and a quality education.
I am an Oakland resident and am in support of police-free schools. Please divest from school policing by eliminating the Oakland School Police Department contract and and reinvest into hiring mental and behavioral health and special education for students! Thank you.
I strongly support the George Floyd Resolution to remove police from public schools. Let's have Oakland be a leader on this front to actual help students instead of criminalizing them. We need more support for counseling, mental health, special education, and after-school electives.
As a registered psychologist and Oakland resident, I strongly support the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. Having worked with children and adults who have been traumatized by OSPD, I can attest to the fact that having police within our schools only serves to create further intergenerational trauma and violence within our community. I strongly support defunding OSPD and having police free schools. I strongly support redirecting those funds to equitable programs designed to specifically address issues such as mental health, hunger, child abuse, sex trafficking, substance use, completing high school and (if so desired) moving onto college. Having police in our schools disproportionately harms Black, indigenous, and brown students. Having police in our our schools does nothing more than perpetuate the school to prison pipeline. Police make schools unsafe.
I am a former OUSD student and current parent of an OUSD middle school student. My son and every student in this district is worthy of a safe, nurturing and positive school climate free of anti-black racism, policing, criminalization, the potential for police brutality and being impacted by the school-to-prison pipeline. There is extensive research that details the negative impacts of police on campus and we know that police are not equipped to offer the restorative justice practices that Black and students of color need. Tonight and on June 24th, I hope you truly represent Oakland students, stand with students and families, remove police from our campuses, invest in programs/services and pass policies that will break down the structural racism that currently impacts Black and students of color in OUSD. WE MUST reimagine what our schools look like, feel like, sound like, redefine what safety truly means. It's time to move from being outraged by white supremacy to taking action.
I strongly support the Black Organizing Project resolution to eliminate the Oakland School Police Dept and redirect those funds to libraries, school counselors & nurses, RJ and other services that nurture and support students. You had an incredible opportunity tonight to listen to the community. Instead you prioritized bureaucratic protocols over engaging people and listening. We see you.
I want to thank Superintendent Johnson-Trammel for sharing her report outlining the board’s plan to reimagine and roll-out the dissolution of the Oakland school police force in favor of allocating resources to the emotional, mental, and physical welfare of students. Could the report be made available to the public? As well, I’m commenting in strong support of the George Floyd Resolution and respectfully urge the board members to vote in favor come June 24th.
As a current student in OUSD, I support the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. As students, we never needed and will never need the presence of police in our schools. School is supposed to be a safe haven for kids and yet they come to school in fear of police, fear that they would get targeted. Seeing all the officers with weapons never helped anyone. Instead of having police, we should instead redirect money and time into things that students especially need, like nurses, support programs, and counselors. Students suffer from anxiety, depression, and many more different issues. Yet they don’t have the support they need from schools. Let’s put students first and invest in things they truly need.
Please do SOMETHING
I strongly support this resolution. The OSPD does more harm than good. No child benefits from a constant police presence in school, and BIPOC students are subject to unjust persecution. Re-allocate these funds to help our most vulnerable students.
I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. There are groups of therapists committed to racial justice , ready to support the youth of OUSD. Fund counselors, fund mental health. Fund the people trained to deescalate. Bring in the people who went to school for 7 years to learn non-violent communication and who bring an intersectional, trauma informed lens to conflict resolution.
I am a resident of Oakland. I urge you to adopt this resolution, eliminate the Oakland School Police Force, and remove police from Oakland schools. Instead, I urge you to reallocate these funds to provide essential student services like counseling, mental health services, increased teacher salaries, libraries, lunch programs, after school programs, educational materials and technology, and other worthwhile programs.
I support the George Floyd resolution to remove police from OUSD. I strongly advocate that OUSD invests in restorative justice.
As a current middle school teacher at UPA, I couldn't be more in support George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. NOW is the time. We must act. Our students deserve better...we can do better and this is one step in the right direction.
As a resident of the east Oakland foothills, I'm writing in support of the Resolution No. 1920-0260, the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. With the school district looking at potential budget cuts this year, I strongly urge all board members to approve this resolution to remove police from our schools. Instead, let's invest in new safety models that take the whole student into consideration, including more behavioral & mental health staff, special education staff, counselors, after school programs, art & music programs, libraries, and nutritious meals.
I am a product of Bay Area public schools and vehemently support Resolution No. 1920-0260. Students are safe when they have the resources they need to thrive, like school counselors, restorative justice resources, adequate nurses, and food security. It's past time to end Oakland's school to prison pipeline. I am in strong support of Black Organizing Project's proposal.
Vote Yes. A special hello to James, Jody, Gary and Aimee. We worked together on the Yes on Measure N campaign. So we have all been a part of running a campaign. It isn't easy, it usually takes people power, lots of money, or both. The Black Organizing Project doesn't have a lot of money, but they have put in the people power. BOP and its allies beyond being activists, are directly affected OUSD families. They have been leading this campaign to ELIMINATE police from Oakland Unified school for years now. This part of the OUSD family is directly impacted by the presence of police in schools, and has consistently called for police to be out of schools. So I ask you to listen to and support directly impacted voices in this matter. The Board is a representative body. I understand you represent some families that may think differently, but I ask you do the families of Black Organizing Project have as much socio-economic currency to protect their children as some of those other families?
As a lifelong east bay and 25year Oakland resident, I support the removal of police from Oakland schools in favor of increased student services.
As someone who interacts with both OUSD students and teachers on a daily basis, I believe that police in schools DO NOT protect students, but rather endanger them. Students need to be safe and comfortable in schools, and for many, especially for students of color, the presence of police promotes the opposite of safety and comfort. If students are not safe in schools, how can they learn? Students of color deserve schools that are a place of safety and growth. They deserve to learn without the threat of police violence. This act will not only protect students of color, but also improve their ability to learn. Thank you.
Police have no place in our schools and classrooms. Fund counselors, librarians, restorative justice and teachers!!!
I am a teacher & Oakland resident. I urge the board to adopt the George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. Our schools have a responsibility to keep all of our students safe and able to learn. A student is not able to learn or feel safe if their trauma from witnessing police violence in their communities is triggered by seeing a police officer at school. A student is not able to learn or feel safe if they are punitively removed from their classrooms. A student is not able to learn or feel safe if their rule-breaking is addressed by forcing them to be marked by a prison record, rather than receiving the care that they need to address root causes of their impulses to act out. A police presence in schools does nothing but prevent our Black & Brown students from accessing the safety and education they deserve. If you do not adopt this resolution, you are responsible for denying young people of their right to safety and a quality education.
I am an Oakland resident and am in support of police-free schools. Please divest from school policing by eliminating the Oakland School Police Department contract and and reinvest into hiring mental and behavioral health and special education for students! Thank you.