(TheConservativeTimes.org) – Police officers and SROs (school resource officers) are often seen in many different public school systems, but one school system in Chicago is trying to change this. This subject has bounced around many different school systems following the police brutality, George Floyd case, protests, and many other events that led to this.
The Chicago Board of Education is looking to hold a vote on whether or not they should renew their $10 million contract with police officers to keep them in their public schools. The decision could be made as soon as January 25 and it’s said that the school system has “already made its decision.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke about condemning police officers in school systems when he was running for Mayor saying, “…armed officers have no place in schools in communities already struggling with over-incarceration, criminalization, profiling and mistrust.”
With that being said, he is allowing Local School Councils to vote on whether or not they should be in schools.
Taft High School Principal said that their “main concern is safety” and others are fighting this decision on taking SROs out of schools.
On the other hand, the Illinois Policy Institute, which tracks policy changes in the state, says “Each school in CPS is different. Principals and other community members on Local School Councils understand the environment and needs of their schools. They are best equipped to determine the necessity of school resource officers,” essentially saying schools should make their own choice.
The Chicago Teachers Union pushed for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020 after what happened with George Floyd. They claimed that people have “experienced the brutality and are calling for police-free schools.”
They also stated that some people are just looking for the agreement “to be better used for restorative justice coordinators, social workers, nurses, trauma supports and other critical programs in schools.”
The Chicago Board of Education is set to vote officially on this matter in the summer to determine whether or not they will renew their contract with the Police Force.
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