Call To Action:
On Monday, September 12th, the LWSD School Board will be discussing updates to the district’s School Resource Officer (SRO) program. SROs are armed police officers that are assigned to all elementary, middle, and high schools in the District.
Please write the Board by 12pm Monday to demand that they remove armed police from our schools. (see below for options)
National and local data show that SROs do not make schools safer, but they do create negative emotional and educational impacts for students, especially Black, disabled, LGBTQ+, and immigrant students.
The district is proposing an updated SRO model that they are calling a “community based model,” which has not been clearly defined. The SROs will now collectively float among schools instead of being assigned a specific school. But let’s be clear, this does not change that armed police will still be in schools.
Local Black students and families have repeatedly told the district and cities that they do not feel safe with regular police presence in schools. The teachers’ union has taken a strong stand against police in schools. It’s time for the district to listen to those who are most impacted.
Resources:
- John Oliver clip on SROs
- LWEA letter (Teachers’ union)
- Right To Breathe letter
- Right to Breathe is a Black-run organization on the Eastside that works to abolish anti-Blackness to ensure equal justice.
- What are Black Eastsiders saying about School Police?
- ACLU-WA report on SROs
- Students, Not Suspects – ACLU-WA Report from 2017
Writing the Board:
Please complete either option by 12pm on Monday, 9/12
- Option 1 – Write the Board directly at boardmembers@lwsd.org
- Option 2 – Have your comments added to the official Board packet (which will be publicly viewable) by using this online form.
Questions? Need more info? Feel free to contact info@ikwa.info