#DOE officials urge city to remove school security from NYPD control

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Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza
William Farrington

Hundreds of educrats in the city Department of Education’s central office have signed a letter to Chancellor Richard Carranza urging schools to cut ties with the NYPD.

The letter urges the removal of unarmed school safety agents who guard students and staff from NYPD control, and retraining them as “School Peace Officers” to focus on “de-escalation, mediation, and restorative practices.”

The killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, by a white cop in Minneapolis has sparked debate about the role of police in schools. Minneapolis school officials have voted to sever a contract with the local police. Portland’s schools chief announced he will stop having police officers patrol the halls.

“We are proud of all we have accomplished, but the time has come for our actions to align with our words,” says the letter signed by city DOE administrators and supervisors.

“This is the moment to dissociate ourselves from institutional racism and to affirm that Black Lives Matter. We must sow the seeds of a truly anti-racist Department of Education, in service of all our students and families, but especially of our Black students and families, who have borne the brunt of unjust education policies for centuries.”

Their proposal would place the agents, currently NYPD employees, under the DOE’s Office of Safety and Youth Development, and “shift city funding from NYPD to fully fund education, youth, and community programming.”

The letter also calls for revisions of the discipline code, attendance and grading policies, and student rights “to address disproportionality and fully recognize the humanity and agency of our students.”

Carranza hailed the letter in a statement:

“I welcome this letter, and hear the voices of our staff unequivocally standing against racism and police brutality — seeking just, welcoming, anti-racist schools for our students. I share that vision, and the anguish you and so many are feeling across this city and country. I am listening, and I look forward to meeting with you.”