On Tuesday, the Police Free LAUSD Coalition released a report — “From Criminalization to Education: A Community Vision for Safe Schools in LAUSD” — developed through participation from over 200 students, parents, educators, and community activists.

The report includes concrete investments the district can make to ensure school safety without the presence of police on campus and to support students’ mental health and academic achievement including:

  • Hiring enough support staff at every school to address the social-emotional needs of the student body — full-time nurses, counselors, PSWs, restorative justice coordinators, school climate coaches, and more
  • Hiring more college counselors and implementing more college and career-ready programs geared toward Black student achievement
  • Hiring and retaining more Black educators, school staff, and administrators
  • Expanding Community Schools and providing connections to wraparound support services

”The Black Student Achievement Plan has helped me since I’ve been a part of it. They don’t miss a chance to make it known that we can achieve greatness. I hope that not only for Black students, but any students of color to be able to be part of something so amazing for themselves. One thing I would change to make BSAP better is more mentorship. When you can talk to someone you relate to and can make you feel important, that is really important.” — Malcom Clayborn, Mann UCLA Community School Student

“Today we call on LAUSD to to prioritize education and the needs of the whole child instead of criminalization. This is an opportunity to dream bigger and show all other districts how we can actually foster in safety and give our students the mental health supports that they need and deserve. We must fully invest in programs like Black Student Achievement because it’s good for everyone. We have to put the resources into the schools. We are a collective and we can do this collectively, and we will.” — Cecily Myart-Cruz, UTLA President

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Safe School Climate