Scaling back police presence in schools is ESSENTIAL to protecting kids AND prioritizing safe education spaces, esp. for students of color & students with disabilities. Thank you Anita Bonds for ensuring the #DCBudget prioritizes student safety in the BSA!

Scaling back police presence in schools is ESSENTIAL to protecting kids AND prioritizing safe education spaces, esp. for students of color & students with disabilities. Thank you Councilmember_RobertWhite for ensuring the #DCBudget prioritizes student safety in the BSA!

Scaling back police presence in schools is ESSENTIAL to protecting kids AND prioritizing safe education spaces, esp. for students of color & students with disabilities. Thank you CM Silverman Office Elissa Silverman for ensuring the #DCBudget prioritizes student safety in the BSA!

Scaling back police presence in schools is ESSENTIAL to protecting kids AND prioritizing safe education spaces, esp. for students of color & students with disabilities. Thank you CM Janeese Lewis George for ensuring the #DCBudget prioritizes student safety in the BSA!

Scaling back police presence in schools is ESSENTIAL to protecting kids AND prioritizing safe education spaces, esp. for students of color & students with disabilities. Thank you CM McDuffie's Office for ensuring the #DCBudget prioritizes student safety in the BSA!

NEW: A letter from Brittney Griner was sent to the White House today, making a direct appeal to President Biden for her freedom. Representatives shared the following excerpts:

Sis said, “…Monday I’m overrated, Tuesday on my d*ck!” #Rennaissance

Student Debt Relief Update: Today, the U.S. Department of Education is previewing the student debt relief application form. Here’s the latest:

YALL🤦🏾‍♀️ Give it up already! The council had it right the first AND second time they decided to phase out SROs in schools. Reliance of policing for safety is simply ineffective, inefficient and poor policy making that ignores the root causes of violence in our communities.

Make it make sense. School leaders are requesting more support! Police can NOT be the default! 1. City leaders are cutting school budgets. 2. Students are without teachers in core classes. 3. Schools are without full-time librarians & nurses.

4. They are still lacking in mental health professionals. 5. Schools still don't have any violence interrupters or restorative justice practitioners. The phase-out of SROS is NOT the issue. Redirect this energy to truly INVESTING in our schools. That is what creates safety.

.Councilmember_RobertWhite Anita Bonds you had it right. Police respond to violence, they do not PREVENT it. FACT: Access to quality mental health professionals addresses the root causes of violence and prevents violence from happening. That is safety!

.CM Janeese Lewis George CM McDuffie's Office Brianne K. Nadeau you had it right. Police in schools does NOT equate to safety! FACT: Schools have been forced to rely on SROs to address students' responses to trauma, normal adolescent behaviors, or survival behaviors.

FACT: Schools are better positioned to address the above needs with policies & resources that approach violence as a public health concern, create healing spaces, expand the # of care-based adults who can build authentic relationships with youth, address teacher turnover....

.Christina Henderson Charles Allen you had it right. School is for learning & for the most marginalized youth the presence of police impede upon that. FACT: SROs in DC have counted on schools to serve warrants, make arrests and gain intel for non-school related events.

FACT: School police ARE police. Increasing their footprint also increases the likelihood particularly for Black and/or disabled youth to be arrested, emotionally or physically harmed.

.Councilmember Zachary Parker you had it right when you were on SBOE to declare that schools should divest from policing and invest in resources that create healthy, safe, more just learning environments!

.@MatthewFrumin you had it right when you attended our candidates forum with DCGirls'Coalition . "focus resources on the children who appear to be the most at risk of engaging in violent criminal activity through violence interrupters, mentoring and support programs" This is safety!

This Sat April 15th, there will be an orientation from 3pm-4pm. The orientation goes over the onboarding process, membership expectations, upcoming events and connects you to the person who will be leading your onboarding process. Sign up at tinyurl.com/415VBSAORI

Calling all adults and young people invested in Black youth's initiatives. We are hosting an Orientation. Join us and register here at tinyurl.com/Aug7BsaOri