When children make mistakes, they should get a chance to learn from those mistakes. But many schools have adopted “zero tolerance” policies that mandate suspension or even expulsion for minor infractions. And with the added presence of armed guards (School Resource Officers or School Safety Officers) on campus, the likelihood that children will be arrested for childlike behavior increases exponentially. Children who are arrested, expelled, or suspended from school aren’t going to classes. They’re not learning, they’re not completing their education. They’re “outside” society. They’re treated like criminals, and children have a way of living up (or down) to expectations. So these children who have been removed from schools – sometimes for minor infractions, sometimes for major ones – often find themselves in the grip of the criminal punishment system. Sadly, that’s where I meet them in my role as a public defender.
I’d much prefer to serve our students as a member of the TUSD School Board.
Why does it matter?
Schools should be a safe place for kids to learn, and thrive. This means they need safe places for kids to make mistakes. Instead, zero tolerance policies have resulted in suspensions, expulsions, and arrests for minor and major offenses alike. The criminalization of childhood behavior — the school-to-prison pipeline — disproportionately impacts black students and disabled students. This increases inequality in our society when we should be coming together to grow.
Meanwhile, school districts across America are launching attacks on transgender youth and transgender teachers. They’re banning any discussion of homosexuality in classrooms. And Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich wants to revive a long-dormant criminal statute that would put anyone involved in an abortion at risk of criminal prosecution. We need to take steps locally and at the State level to reduce the criminalization of our student population and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. We need restorative justice policies in Arizona, not Zero Tolerance punishment schemes that disproportionately impact social and demographic minorities. If we want to reduce crime, if we want to increase equality, and if we want an educated society, we need to dismantle this pipeline.
How will I dismantle it?
As a public defender I know a lot about what kids caught up in the criminal punishment system are going through. As I prepare sentencing memos for clients I talk to them about their life history, and I often learn that their trouble started at a young age. They acted out a little bit, and were removed from school. This punishment didn’t solve the problem, so they acted out more. So they were punished more. They went from suspension to expulsion and eventually to arrest. What we need is not harsh punishments. All too often, punishment doesn’t work.
Restorative Discipline
Putting children in an adversarial punishment system that mirrors our criminal system doesn’t do anyone any good. It teaches the kids that they are criminals, and they begin to act accordingly. In contrast, Restorative Justice approaches to discipline put the emphasis on relationship building and changing behavior. This approach is less about rules, and more about harm. It’s less about punishment and more about changing behavior going forward. If elected to the Board, I will propose, and help to build, a restorative discipline program at TUSD.
More Counselors,
Fewer Cops
It seems that every day we learn about a new story like those of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Kids see the news, too. They hear about what’s going on. And when a BIPOC child goes to school and sees armed law enforcement, they’re going to wonder whether today will be the day their wallet gets mistaken for a handgun. Kids don’t need this kind of stress added onto the already arduous demands of simply existing as a teenager. What they need are mental health professionals and social workers who can help identify when they’re having problems, and help look for solutions.
Why do we have armed guards (SROs or SSOs) on campuses? These programs saw a huge boost after the Columbine shooting back when I was in high-school. The idea is that they make kids safer. But they don’t. There were SROs present at Uvalde and Parkland, but they didn’t stop the shooters. So if they don’t make our kids safer, why are they there? Having law enforcement handy drastically increases the likelihood that a child acting out is going to be treated as a criminal rather than a kid.
So what should we do instead? We should stop school shootings before the shooter even decides to pick up a gun. We should help our children build up their emotional intelligence, and help them feel supported and safe at school, through the use of counselors and social workers. We should reduce or eliminate the number of armed police or security officers on school campuses.
Protect Privacy
Children should not have to worry that, when they go to school, they are in danger of being reported to law enforcement simply for living their lives. Nor, for that matter, should teachers and staff. With the Attorney General trying to ban all abortion, this is a geniune concern. It should be the policy of TUSD that student and employee reproductive health care is a private matter, and that no employee of TUSD at any level is permitted to share students’ reproductive health status with law enforcement. No student or employee should fear that they may face prison time for showing up to school pregnant one week and not pregnant the next. We should have similar policies surrounding gender and orientation issues, for much the same reasons.
There is precedence for this in the context of immigration. TUSD already has a policy stating that “With only one exception, Tucson Unified School District employees, vendors, School Resource Officers acting under a contract with TUSD, volunteers, and visitors at schools or school-sponsored events are prohibited from investigating and enforcing actions related to immigration status, and are not under any duty or obligation imposed by Federal or state law to enforce immigration law or policies.” This policy could serve as a model for a policy regarding reproductive health. The exception to the immigration policy is with regards to employment eligibility. There does not seem to be any need for such an exception in the case of reproductive health.
If I have the honor to serve on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board, I will work hard to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline by promoting restorative discipline, replacing SROs with counselors and mental health professionals, and protecting the privacy of our students, staff, and teachers.
Paid for by the William R. Soland for TUSD Campaign Committee. Authorized by William R. Soland