Educators for Excellence-New York Teachers Demand Demilitarization of City Schools

June 25 (New York) — Educators for Excellence-New York (E4E-New York), a teacher-led organization, stands with the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality and white supremacy. E4E teachers demand New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) leaders take the following steps to create anti-racist, welcoming and excellent schools:

Remove all metal detectors from schools;
Retool School Resource Officers to be School Peace Officers positions that report to the NYCDOE and focus on restorative justice, de-escalation and mediation;
Elevate anti-bias training to sustained anti-racism training ; and
Ensure future cuts don’t disproportionately impact students and teachers of color.

“As an educator, my purpose is to close the achievement gap,” said E4E-New York member Chloe Davis, third-grade teacher at P.S 536 in the Bronx. “This is only possible in a school system that actively challenges white supremacy and its prevalence in public school education.”
 
“I am grateful for E4E teachers who have mobilized to demilitarize a school system steeped in white supremacy,” said Paula L. White, Executive Director of E4E-New York. “Meeting these educators’ demands is a necessary step to acknowledge and repair the damage of a system made in 1998 when Mayor Giuliani transferred the security functions of our public schools to the NYPD. Each day that this continues is another day that denies students of color the opportunities every child deserves.”

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