Teachers Unite with Student Safety Act

Student Safety Coalition works to end the New York City School to Prison Pipeline and its disproportionate impact on youth of color and youth with special needs. Made up of New York City advocacy, academic and community based organizations, the coalition uses a coordinated set of legislative, public education and organizing strategies. In addition to the promotion of positive rather than punitive school safety and school discipline measures, the coalition has as its main short-term goal the passage of the Student Safety Act by the New York City Council. 

What is the Student Safety Act? 

i.      Creates accountability and transparency over police behavior in our schools

ii.    Requires the Department of Education to report to City Council on the numbers of suspensions, expulsions, arrests and student-police altercations in schools.

iii.  Increases transparency at the NYPD School Safety Division and the Department of Education.

iv.   Expands the jurisdiction of the Civilian Complaint Review Board to include School Safety Agents.

What is the School to Prison Pipeline? 

Nationwide system of local,
 state and federal education and public safety policies that pushes students out of school and into the criminal justice system. This system disproportionately targets youth of color and youth with disabilities. Inequities in areas such as school discipline, policing practices, high-stakes testing and the prison industry contribute to the pipeline. [www.nyclu.org/schooltoprison]