NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Megan Berger Attached please find testimony from the Coalition to Reform School Discipline supporting the resolution before the Prince George’s County Board of Education to REMOVE remove school resource officers from Prince George’s County Public Schools.

Thank you,

Megan Berger, J.D.

Staff Attorney Disability Rights Maryland, formerly Maryland Disability Law Center 1500 Union Ave., Suite 2000; Baltimore, MD 21211

443-692-2504 ATTACHMENT Comments to the Prince George’s County Board of Education

June 11, 2020

RE: Support for removal of school resource officers from Prince George’s County Public

Schools

The Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline (“CRSD”) brings together advocates, service providers, and concerned community members interested in transforming school discipline practices within Maryland’s public school systems. We are committed to making discipline responsive to students’ behavioral needs, fair, appropriate to the infraction, and designed to keep youth on track to graduate. CRSD supports the resolution before the Prince George’s County Board of Education to remove School Resource Officers (SROs) from schools. CRSD believes this resolution is necessary to protect against the funneling of students into the school-to-prison pipeline and to eliminate the disproportionate impact of exclusionary discipline practices and police contact on Black students and students with disabilities. Current school discipline and arrest data for PGCPS is alarming. PGCPS has the second highest number of student arrests by SROs in the state. For the 2017-2018 school year, PGCPS SROs arrested 350 students.1 While PGCPS is one of our state’s largest school districts, its arrest numbers are significantly higher than even the other large districts. Montgomery County Public Schools – the largest school district in Maryland – had 226 student arrests, and Baltimore City Public Schools had only 60 student arrests.2

Of the 350 PGCPS students that experienced a school-based arrest, 301 (86%) were Black and 98 (28%) were students with Individualized Education Plans (“IEPs”). PGCPS also consistently removes more students from school through suspension and expulsion than any other district in Maryland, and its disciplinary practices disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities.3 Although Black students do not misbehave more often than white students, Black students are more often disciplined and bear the brunt of harsh, exclusionary punishment.4

Maryland enrollment and discipline data for the 2018-2019 school year shows that while Black students accounted for only 57% of student enrollment in the 1 “Maryland Public Schools Arrest Data, School Year 2017-18,” p. 89, http://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/DSFSS/SSSP/StudentArrest/MarylandPublicSchoolsArrestData SY20172018.pdf. 2 Id. at p. 6. 3 “Suspensions, Expulsions, and Health Related Exclusions 2018-2019,” http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/DCAA/SSP/20182019Student/2019SuspensionsExpulsion sHRExc.pdf. 4 See Russell Skiba, Ph. D. & Natasha T. Williams, Are Black Kids Worse? Myths and Facts about Racial Iyalya Gilgeous DifferencesThis is the dumbest in Behavior—A idea yet. Summary We need of those the Literature, officers to Equityprotect Project our children. at Ind. What’sUniv. (Mar. to happen 2014), when there’s another active shooter in the schools? the students will KEEP just have to sit and wait to be slaughtered like sheep. http://www.indiana.edu/~atlantic/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/African American- Differential- Behavior_031214.pdf.At least with the SRO in place, they’ll have a chance at survival with the armed officer there to flush out the shooter(s). This is our new reality. school shootings occur. We must protect the children. They have the right to feel safe at home and school, period! 2 county, 77% of students experiencing out-of-school removal in PGCPS were Black students. Diana Konohia Similarly,Good Afternoon, students with IEPs accounted for only 11% of enrollment, but 23% of students KEEP removed. TheI am disproportionatesending this email and in highresponse rate of to student the proposal arrests that by theSROs Board in PGCPS is putting is harmfulforward to ourremove youth SRO's from Prince George's County Public Schools. I am vehemently andopposed directly to makingcontributes this toproposal the school to remove to prison the pipeline. SROs at The this mere time frompresence our schools. of SROs in schools dramatically increases the frequency with which students become involved with the criminal or juvenileMy son whojustice is asystem graduating for low-level senior of offenses Oxon Hill like High fighting School and was disorderly a sophomore conduct.5 when For a example:student was SHOT in the school's parking lot. We have had issues with a gang A study presence, of 13 schoolsand the schoolwith an has SRO had and to 15go schoolson lockdown without a fewone times found during that schools his tenure with due to crimes in the neighborhood surrounding the school building. The theSROs SRO presence had nearly assists five intimes protecting the number and ensuring of arrests the for safety disorderly of our conduct students as and schools improves response times in the event of an emergency. As a parent, their presence withouthas reassured an SRO.6 me that my son and all of the other students at Oxon Hill were safe. If you remove the SROs who will be responsible for the safety of our children? As it standsSchools now with there SROs is oftenmay alsonot enough be more of likely a police/SRO to report non-seriouspresence during violent our incidents after school to the activities. This school year our PTSA had to go to the local police policedepartment (e.g., tophysical ask them attack to put or fightsin roaming without patrols a weapon to keep and watch threat over of physical our school attack and students during the hours after school. We are always underfunded as it withoutpertains a to weapon) our school than security. schools lacking SROs.7 In New York City in 2012, 70% of arrests in public schools were for misdemeanors and 4%This for entire even proposal lesser violations.8 seems nothing more than a political show accompanied by a knee jerk reaction to gain political capital during a trying time in our country. Why Highernow? Have arrest you rates EVER in schools expressed with SROsa concern do not about indicate it before the today.need for As a Ipolice walk thepresence halls of in Oxon order Hill to as I frequently do, I have NEVER felt as though the students were ensureover policed. student This safety Board at school. needs toRather, take a they step reflect back andschool have districts’ further reliance discussions on SROs with communityto address members, teachers and experts to make sure that our children are routinesafe and behavior nurtured. issues The thattwo canarise coexist. in schools. As a result, SROs react and respond to students engaged in everyday behaviors that are consistent with adolescent development and that do not poseThis needs a safety to riskbe a to thoughtful themselves, process other that students, includes or schoolall interested personnel. persons Unsurprisingly, to make an theseinformed law decision with sweeping reform. What impact would this removal have enforcementon our children's interactions safety? Willwith we schoolchildren be in compliance are linked with theinextricably Maryland to Safe race, To as Learn “schools Act? with Are you ready for the backlash if something happens to one of our higherchildren? percentages I am requesting of [B]lack the andBoard [Latinx] table studentsthis conversation are more until likely a tocomprehensive employ school plan resource can be developed to deal with the concerns of EVERYONE that would be officers.”9affected by Students such a policy with disabilities change. Thank are also you at for risk your of increasedconsideration interactions and giving with me law a voiceenforcement to express my concerns. when police are present in schools. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education’s 2015-16 Civil Rights Data Collection, students with disabilities are 2.9% more likely to be arrested than students without disabilities when police are present in schools.10 The impacts of these interactions are far reaching and life altering. Research shows that even one instance of police contact increases the likelihood that a young person will have further involvement with the justice system, fall behind, and/or ultimately drop out of school.11 In

5 DIGNITY IN SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN, A RESOURCE GUIDE ON COUNSELORS NOT COPS (September 2016), http://www.dignityinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Resource_Guide-on-CNC-1.pdf. 6 Id. 7 Id. 8 Id. 9 Kristin Henning, Boys to Men: The Role of Policing in the Socialization of Black Boys, in POLICING THE BLACK MAN 67 (Angela J. Davis ed., 2017) (citation omitted). See U.S. DEP’T OF EDUCATION, OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS, 2013-2014 CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION: A FIRST LOOK 5 (2016) (greater percentage of high schools with “high [B]lack and [Latinx] student enrollment” have sworn law enforcement officers, including SROs, than other high schools), https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/2013-14-first-look.pdf. 10 ACLU, COPS AND NO COUNSELORS: HOW THE LACK OF MENTAL HEALTH STAFF IS HARMING STUDENTS 23 (March 2019), https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/030419-acluschooldisciplinereport.pdf. 11 Stephanie Ann Wiley, The Amplification of Deviance Following Police Contact: An Examination of Individual and Neighborhood Factors among a Sample of Youth, 35 (July 2, 2014).

3 addition, student contact with SROs shapes their outlook on law enforcement, laws, and rules, as they “perceive their oppressive interactions with SROs as representative of how all [police] officers will treat them.”12

Members of CRSD have seen first-hand the negative effect that SRO interactions have on the students we work with whose lives have been harmed and irreparably altered by arrests and police contact in PGCPS. Finally, to those concerned that the removal of SROs will make our schools unsafe, we challenge you to look more closely at PGCPS’s current investment in its security structure. In Fiscal Year 2021, PGCPS has chosen to invest $17 million in school security in over 200 security staff, $1 million of which will go towards thirteen new security staff in middle schools.13 While it would be more effective to direct that money towards proactive identification and reduction of safety issues through behavioral and mental health services, counselors, social workers, and other supports, schools can stay safe by working with law enforcement to have adequate local law enforcement coverage as required under the Maryland Safe to Learn Act of 2018, without having police officers in schools. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others have inspired nationwide protests and renewed longstanding demands for change, and moved us to re-think the systems in our society that perpetuate systemic oppression. At the same time, COVID-19 has forced us to re-think how we educate our students. As school districts plan to return to school following extended closures, PGCPS has a unique opportunity to adopt a forward-looking school police policy that draws on years of data and protects students from the threat of police violence by ending the armed presence of police in schools and decriminalizing the school environment. By adopting the resolution to remove SROs from schools, PGCPS would be taking a powerful step towards racial justice. It would also send a powerful message that during this time of crisis and uncertainty, PGCPS is prioritizing the social-emotional well-being of students and welcoming students back into their school communities with positive, rehabilitative supports in an environment devoid of the threat of police violence. We encourage PGCPS to focus other funding on behavioral and mental health services, counselors, social workers, and other social services that help children thrive.14 CRSD supports PGCPS students, parents and families in urging you to discontinue the presence of SROs in our schools. We encourage the Board to remain committed to investing in policies and strategies that ensure the future success of all PGCPS children and contribute to a positive school climate. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at [email protected], 443-692-2504 or [email protected], 410-625- 9409x272.

https://irl.umsl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1244&context=dis sertation. 12 Henning, supra note 9, at 66. 13 Prince George’s County Public Schools, Chief Executive Officer’s FY2021 Proposed Annual Operating Budget at 235-237. https://www1.pgcps.org/uploadedFiles/Offices/Business_Management_Services/Budget/FY_2021_Budget_Develop ment/FY21%20CEO%20PROPOSED%20FINALv2.pdf. 14 We recognize that SROs are funded by local law enforcement agencies, so their removal will not result in a surplus of funds for PGCPS.

4

Thank you,

Megan Berger Renuka Rege Attorney Attorney Disability Rights Maryland Public Justice Center Submitted on behalf of members of the Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline ACLU of Maryland Advocates for Children and Youth The Arc Maryland Disability Rights Maryland Family League of Baltimore Janna Parker Lydia Brown NARAL-Pro Choice Maryland Office of the Public Defender Positive Schools Center Project HEAL at Kennedy Krieger Institute Public Justice Center Restorative Response Baltimore Teachers’ Democracy Project Youth, Education and Justice Clinic, University of Maryland Carey School of Law NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Laureena Shah Good afternoon, KEEP

I am the parent of a freshman at Oxon Hill High School and I am speaking out against the removal of School Resource Officers from PGCPS.

I feel that this removal is being proposed in haste to take advantage of the Black Live Matter movement. In this day of racial profiling and growing distrust in police departments across the U.S., I see the SROs being great connectors with our youth. Many of the SRO’s are seen as a trusted resource by our youth. Students often build a bond and feel more comfortable discussing issues such as witnessed drug use, deals, or threats of violence with the SRO, whom they know will keep their names confidential, rather than speaking with a school administrator. The relationship that some of our students have with the SRO enables them to see that not all police officers are bad. Many officers truly are there to serve, protect, and help the community.

After the most recent school shootings that have happened at different schools across the country, I know that the visibility of the SROs has eased the anxiety that my sons have felt entering their school buildings the next days and weeks. I feel that for many students, the sight of an SRO is a sign of comfort and allows them to release their fears rather than being the cause of fear.

The SROs are also role models and help some of our non-college tracked students see that there are other opportunities to consider, such as a career in public service.

With no SRO on site, who will deal with some of our more unruly students? We have many students with special needs that cannot physically be handled by the school staff when they are having a meltdown. How will security be handled for the new “Friday Night Lights” football games that were implemented just this past fall? What about basketball games? I myself have witnessed officers escorting neighborhood attendees out of our basketball games for being “under the influence” and disturbed.

Last year, our PTSA brought to the school board’s attention the need for increase security for after school events. Many high school students are in the building until 8 PM for various events. There is typically no security present after hours, unless there is a game on site. I am an active parent in my son’s school and a member of the PTSA. I am often at the school for meetings, fundraisers, etc. We always leave in a group and do not allow individuals to walk out alone after dark. In February of 2018, we had a student shot in the school parking lot one evening after school. The injured student ran to the building for help and safety. An after-hours security officer would be welcomed.

I disagree with the idea that SROs have a negative impact on black students. As stated previously, many of our students build a relationship of trust with the SRO. I have only seen black officers at my son’s high school which has a 99% minority enrollment. As a contrast, I went to high school in northeastern Indiana in the 1980s. My high school was 74% white and 15% African American. We had SROs. Our SROs were white. I would say that most of our students, white or black, felt that the SROs were not there to negatively impact us. They were a reminder to my friends and I of law and order and the importance of making the right decisions daily.

I ask that you reconsider and DO NOT remove the SROs from PGCPS.

Julia Penn I am writing as a current PG county resident, born and raised in Maryland, and as a teacher for the past 9 years. I urge you to decide to remove police from PG REMOVE county schools. As a teacher, I feel incredibly strongly that having a police presence in a school changes the culture of the school, has a direct negative impact on students' well-being, and sends the wrong message to our students. Our schools are desperately under-funded and under-resourced, but police in schools is not the resource we need and reallocating those funds could have a powerful positive impact on students and our community.

I urge you to vote to remove the police presence from all PG County schools.

Ellen Chandler Royse As a teacher and a Hyattsville resident, I urge the school board to end the School Resource Officer program and other partnerships with local police agencies. Our REMOVE schools, young people and community would be better served by investing in restorative justice, PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports), hiring more counselors, trauma-informed teaching, and peer mediation as normative practices to create a safe learning environment in our schools.

We need to help young people address their basic needs, heal and learn. It is irresponsible and counterproductive to treat them like criminals instead.

Laura Holley-Poole I am not a parent. I do not have a child in the Prince George’s County Public School system. However, I am a resident, a taxpayer, and a concerned citizen. It’s time REMOVE to get the cops out of the classroom. End funding for School Resource Officers and provide $5 million in funding for mental health, counseling, social work, and other support services (including protecting children from school shooters).

I do not want the children of Prince George’s County to be arrested and subjected to the judicial system for “crimes” like being insubordinate to a teacher, cursing, or being disruptive in the classroom. We should not have police on standby to arrest children. It’s been demonstrated that the these policies disproportionately impact children who are black, latino, or other minorities. This is institutional racism! It needs to end NOW.

We should be supporting children with the mentoring and guidance and support that they need to succeed in school. Support that some children are not getting at home. School suspension, juvenile delinquency centers, endless probation, dropping out, getting arrested, ending up in prison - this is not the future we should build for the children of Prince George’s County. It fails to deliver an education, it fails to put children on the path to success. Worse, it puts them on the path to FAILURE and PRISON. It can even put them on the path to slavery or underpaid penal labor, thanks to the Thirteenth Amendment, which explicitly allows slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime.

Prince George’s County, Maryland has produced enough slaves. Please protect our children from the school-to-prison pipeline.

Sarah Batto Good evening, REMOVE

I am a white resident in Prince George's County. (I wish it didn't matter whether I specify my race, but unfortunately it does.) Please vote to remove the police from our schools. I do not support having police in our schools at all. I believe our resources would be better spent on mental health, counseling, and other positive role models that teach students how to solve their problems with healthy skills rather than violence, force, and fear. We need professionals who are trained to deal with kids' individual problems with care, support, and positivity rather than policing in our schools.

Although I do not have a child in the Prince George's school system, I believe one of our most important resources should be having excellent schools and resources for troubled kids. Teaching children to address their problems with people trained to arrest and detain people teaches children to use the same tactics to solve their problems, which does not help anyone. I am happy to pay more taxes or divert funding from other resources to make that happen. This is our future. I feel safer knowing that we have real resources for our students to figure out how to address their problems in healthy ways and use their skills in positive ways. Police have no business being in our schools; they are not trained to teach healthy development in our youth and model the use of force and power that makes everyone less safe. They do not make me feel safer.

Thank you for your consideration,

Kathryn Maddux Please remove police from schools. Please use the funding to support students in a more preventive, positive way. REMOVE

Nico Udu-gama Thank you for considering this important matter. REMOVE

I am writing to express my support for the removal of armed officers from PG County Public Schools.

I moved recently to Chillum with my partner and two-year old, and believe that all PG County kids have the right to quality education free from violence. I believe that diverting the money for armed officers in our school and instead, investing that in therapists, well-paid educators, extra-curricular activities (i'm happy to set up capoeira for kids afterschool in the Chillum area!), parks, and computer and science labs (in addition to defunding the police and investing in homes, food and public transport), would go much further to keep our children safe.

I am happy to provide oral testimony if needed, and make this happen. Thank you! NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Michelle Hall Please find attached the Maryland Office of the Public Defender's comment in Support of the Resolution to Remove SROs from PGCPS, which will be discussed at REMOVE the upcoming school board meeting on June 11. ATTACHMENT Comments to the Prince George’s County Board of Education –

June 11, 2020

RE: Removal of school resource officers from Prince George’s County Public Schools We write from the Prince George’s County Office of the Public Defender’s Juvenile Defense Division, and we stand in strong support of the resolution to remove School Resource Officers (SROs) from Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS). That is because we understand that police do not make us safe; instead, investment in counselors, restorative justice, and positive behavior interventions are what build capacity in children and our communities. In our work as juvenile public defenders, we work every day with children charged in juvenile and adult court, oftentimes for incidents that take place in school. Among the most populous jurisdictions in Maryland, Prince George’s County is an unfortunate leader in school based arrests. During the 2017-2018 school year, there were 350 school based arrests in Prince George’s County, compared to 226 in Montgomery County and only 60 school based arrests in Baltimore City.1

In PGCPS all of the arrests were made by SROs, and thirty-one percent of these

arrests were for non-violent offenses2

: theft, possession of controlled substances, and even disruption. It is not lost on us that Black students bear the burden of the over-policing of our schools: in a school district that is 55 percent black, 301 of the school based arrests in 2017-2018 school year, or 86 percent, were of Black students. One-third of those arrests were referred to the Department of Juvenile Services for prosecution.3

In the past year, our office has represented over 30 young people charged in juvenile and adult court for incidents in Prince George’s County Public Schools. As we see every day in our work, the presence of SROs directly impacts the school to prison pipeline, easily funneling Black students into the criminal legal system. Just like teachers, guidance counselors, and social workers, individuals who work as SROs can play a positive role in students’ lives through mentorship, coaching, and relationship building. But the reality we hear from our clients is that the mere presence of an armed, uniformed officer changes the learning setting and escalates simple disagreements, contributing to a culture of criminalization and antagonism in schools. Moreover, “the use of SROs is linked to increased rates of exclusionary discipline and the criminalization of relatively trivial student behavior. . . . SROs are not trained as educators, but as sworn law enforcement officers with the authority to arrest

1 Maryland State Department of Education, Maryland Public Schools Arrest Data: School Year 2017-2018 at 6. Available at http://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/DSFSS/SSSP/StudentArrest/MarylandPublicSchoolsArrestData SY20172018.pdf 2 Id. at 143. 3 Id. at 94.

2

people.” 4 Even when an arrest does not result in a court case the experience of being policed in school can fundamentally change how a young person views themselves and experiences in education going forward. The notion that SROs are mandatory to keep our schools safe is simply untrue. PGCPS has a robust school security apparatus in place, and the removal of armed police officers from our schools does not disrupt it. In Fiscal Year 2021, PGCPS has chosen to invest $17 million in Carmen Rivera schoolI'm writing security, in support separate of efforts and apart to remove from SROs,armed whichofficers are from funded PGCPS. by multiple police departments REMOVE themselves.5 I am a resident of Chillum, MD and mother of a toddler who will be attending PGPCS when she starts school in coming years. I am also a social worker and have Indedicated fact, PGCPS the better has chosenpart of theto invest last decade $1 million to providing of those trauma-informedfunds for thirteen mentalnew health services in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Both my personal schoolexperience security and staffprofessional in our middle training schools, have shownfor children me the as importanceyoung as eleven of supporting years old. children's These development by providing opportunities for them to learn and form securityrelationships staff rangein environments from security free assistants from violence. to investigative This includes counselors, the threat who of violencedo have theinherent power in the daily presence of armed police officers in their schools. to arrest students. To say that removal of armed SROs who are not placed at every school throughoutAs the nation our grapples district renders with the all profound schools pain unsafe and is rage quite caused simply by fear police mongering brutality, and especially flies in the targeting African Americans, who make up the majority of PGCPS facestudents, of the we broad in the security County apparatus have an opportunity that is presently to demonstrate in place. Under our commitment the Maryland to Saferacial to justice Learn and safety. Let's show our kids that we are listening and we care. Act of 2018, PGCPS can still ensure that there is “adequate local law enforcement coverage” ableThank to yourespond for your to a consideration, school in the case of an emergency, without having an armed officer in the school. Finally, we note that the movement to remove armed police officers from our schools comes at a time when we are questioning as a nation the outsized and dangerous role of police in every day life, after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of the police. The issues of police brutality are close to home as well: in January of this year, Prince George’s County Kathleen Enterline PoliceI am writing Officer to Michael express Owen my support shot and for thekilled resolution a handcuffed for the man removal in his ofpolice SROs car6 from PGCPS schools. I am in support of school security officers that are unarmed REMOVE ;available in the in schools (or even some armed to protect from school shootings) that cannot arrest students to keep our students safe, but I would also like to see more beginningresources ofallocated June, three for mental still unidentified health specialists, Prince George’s school nurses, County guidance police officers counselors were and conflict management specialists as a safer, healthier and more just suspendedalternative. after video surfaced of an officer kicking a handcuffed man.7 This is the same police department that selects and sends SROs to our schools. The notion that officers coming from this sameMany departmentthanks, are equipped to provide a safe and secure environment for students to thrive and learn is incompatible with public evidence of excessive force by the police department. 8 Kelly Seaton I am writing in response to the recent recommendation to remove the SRO’s from PG County Schools. KEEP I4 am Maryland a parent Commission of 3 children, on allthe three School-to-Prison in the PGCPS Pipeline system. and Restorative Practices, Final Report and Collaborative I have witnessed firsthand, as well as talking to my child and watching videos circulated on YouTube(I believe PGC has its own channel), the violence that can occur inAction our middle Plan, at and 26. high Available schools. at https://chaowu.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/md-school-to-prison-pipeline-doc- Removing2018.pdf trained officers from the schools is a terrible mistake, and something I consider a knee-jerk reaction to the current issues happening right now in this country. Seems5 Prince like George’s just yesterday, County Publiceveryone Schools, was demanding Chief Executive officers Officer’s sit in front FY2021 on the Proposed schools Annualto prevent Operating school shootings,Budget at now we want to do away with that? Can235-237. we take a moment and discuss a real solution? This is so transparent, and such a dangerous game to play with our children, and teachers who rely on protection.https://www1.pgcps.org/uploadedFiles/Offices/Business_Management_Services/Budget/FY_2021_Budget_Develop Whatment/FY21%20CEO%20PROPOSED%20FINALv2.pdf is going to happen the first time there is an incident that required an officer, and they are not available? I’m sorry but seeing the police at the school is something I find very comforting. Knowing that my children are safe from potential school shootings, or other incidents,6 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/28/maryland-police-officer-fatally-shoots-man-handcuffed- inside and outside of the building, that require trained professionals gives me some peace of mind. Allcruiser/4595519002/ of the SRO’s at my children’s school have always acted professionally, and the children all seem to have great relationships with them. Have there been issues between SRO and Students??? If so, it would be the first I heard of it. Perhaps7 instead of doing away with the SRO’s we should look at the real issue, OVERCROWDING. Maybe if our schools weren’t so overcrowded, administration and teachers would have better control. Let’shttps://wtop.com/prince-georges-county/2020/06/3-prince-georges-county-police-officers-suspended-following- fix the REAL issue, and not jump on board with everyone else. We are better than that. release-of-disturbing-video/

8 Police Shootings: A Washington Post Investigation, WASHINGTON POST, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpsrv/content/nation/investigative/policeshootings.html. Ruben Castaneda, Officer Liable in Student’s Killing, WASHINGTON POST, January 20, 2006, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/19/AR2006011902346.html.; See also, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me, Part II (2015); See Prince George Memorandum of Agreement, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2010/12/15/Prince George_memo_agree.pdf

3 We cannot wait for a catastrophe at the hands of an armed police officer in our schools to make a change. By removing SROs from our schools, this Board can take the first important step in dismantling the school security apparatus, and reimagine schools without police. Together, we can create the safe schools our students deserve. Signed,

PAUL DEWOLFE

Keith Lotridge District Public Defender, Prince George’s County Ian Augarten Juvenile Division Chief, Prince George’s County Maria Baldridge Hughes Mark Blaser Michael Chandler Michele Hall Brian Nettey Jennifer Park Kristen Shorrock Juvenile Defender Division, Prince George’s County NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Daniel Hopkins I am a PGCPS teacher working in a high school with an armed police presence. It is unacceptable, in the year 2020, to continue having armed police officers in REMOVE schools mostly made up of students of color. It puts our students at risk and makes our district a participant in the school to prison pipeline.

Our SRO is well-liked, has a good relationship with the students, and is a positive role model for them. We need more adults in the halls, talking to the students in this way. However, this need can no longer be filled by a dangerous and problematic institution like police departments. The district should increase funding for their own employees like counselors, social workers and administrators--people without guns, arrest powers, who we ourselves employ, train, and oversee.

Anthony Arrington Good day, KEEP

Let me first say I appriciate what the Board of Education is doing during this rough time with covid-19 to strive to continue to serve our students. I'm writing as an educator and athletic coach in PGCPS. I have mixed feelings about this issue and I will share my pros and cons about this and then give my final answer. Pros:

- More resources in schools to help our students beyond the classroom will help greatly.

- Less of a cop presence can give the look of an safer enviorment.

Cons:

- If community from where students are coming from don't get the resources they need, the community problems can trickle inside the building.

- Staff within PGCPS may decide to turn down offers to work at schools they feel are unsafe.

- After school activities/games no coverage could increase the chance of problems happening on school grounds.

- Staff may be forced to get involved in dangerous situations physically due to lack of presence of security staff.

- Every PG community have different needs and all schools may not be equip to handle a situation of no SRO's and PG cops. My thoughts is (NO) to removing PG Cops and SRO's from schools. I do agree better police training is needed. I do agree the school to prison pipeline is real. However, we have to look at everything like how SRO's and PG cops in schools with school security prevent a lot of things from happening. Also, in working in two school systems that use cops. I seen how the relationships between the two are good and they do grow. I believe that a "Community is represented inside a school". Which means the school with take on the personality of the community. If communties are thriving, the school typically thrives. If the community is facing issues like employment, food insecurties, economic stresses, etc, the school will reflect that as we have seen with Covid-19.

In closing, I see many schools as a coach and I know many staff and students I coach in summer leagues and they tell me the struggles of their school enviorment. For all they share one has never said "I want police officers out". If anything they say "I'm glad they were there or it could have been worse". We not talking about negative situations. We just talking about dismissial from school which I seen in that how much of a important role they are.

Best Regards,

Charoscar Coleman Good day, KEEP

Let me first say I appriciate what the Board of Education is doing during this rough time with covid-19 to strive to continue to serve our students. I'm writing as an educator and athletic coach in PGCPS. I have mixed feelings about this issue and I will share my pros and cons about this and then give my final answer. Pros:

- More resources in schools to help our students beyond the classroom will help greatly.

- Less of a cop presence can give the look of an safer enviorment.

Cons:

- If community from where students are coming from don't get the resources they need, the community problems can trickle inside the building.

- Staff within PGCPS may decide to turn down offers to work at schools they feel are unsafe.

- After school activities/games no coverage could increase the chance of problems happening on school grounds.

- Staff may be forced to get involved in dangerous situations physically due to lack of presence of security staff.

- Every PG community have different needs and all schools may not be equip to handle a situation of no SRO's and PG cops. My thoughts is (NO) to removing PG Cops and SRO's from schools. I do agree better police training is needed. I do agree the school to prison pipeline is real. However, we have to look at everything like how SRO's and PG cops in schools with school security prevent a lot of things from happening. Also, in working in two school systems that use cops. I seen how the relationships between the two are good and they do grow. I believe that a "Community is represented inside a school". Which means the school with take on the personality of the community. If communties are thriving, the school typically thrives. If the community is facing issues like employment, food insecurties, economic stresses, etc, the school will reflect that as we have seen with Covid-19.

In closing, I see many schools as a coach and I know many staff and students I coach in summer leagues and they tell me the struggles of their school enviorment. For all they share one has never said "I want police officers out". If anything they say "I'm glad they were there or it could have been worse". We not talking about negative situations. We just talking about dismissial from school which I seen in that how much of a important role they are.

Best Regards,

Stan Briscoe Wants Board to consider all evidence befoe making decision. X NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Doris Reed Dear Members of the Board of Education: The Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel (ASASP) is concerned by rumors of your intent to KEEP dismantle our relationship with the Prince George’s County Police Department. Further, we understand that you are also considering a reduction in the funding for our in-school security employees. Certainly, these are but unfounded rumors! No rational group of intelligent adults could possibly be advocating such a drastic and short-sighted reaction to public hysteria surrounding the unfortunate events of these last several months. The Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel (ASASP) is concerned by rumors of your intent to dismantle our relationship with the Prince George’s County Police Department. Further, we understand that you are also considering a reduction in the funding for our in-school security employees. Certainly, these are but unfounded rumors! No rational group of intelligent adults could possibly be advocating such a drastic and short-sighted reaction to public hysteria surrounding the unfortunate events of these last several months. ASASP believes that Members of a Board of Education must be proactive rather than reactive, especially when demonstrating to children how to resolve issues as complicated as those now facing the American public! If your proposed actions are carried out, the burden of total school security would then shift to our school Administrators. While these Administrators have always provided for safe school environments, the partnerships forged over these many years with our law enforcement officers have helped to decrease the number, and the severity, of schoolhouse offenses. There is no tangible reason for your actions, other than public appeasement...pure and simple! Please understand that your public is made up of mainly children! They are mandated observers to your histrionics! "Selectivity of anger, often leads to serious miscalculations and to serious faults of decision-making. Please do not base educational decisions on the pulse of public sentiment, and especially in those moments when anxiety and turmoil are running rampant, fueled by the human events of the day, and by the frightening aspects of an uncontrolled pandemic. Be more than this. Knee-jerk is an unacceptable strategy for any school board. Rise to the occasion, by thoughtful and by reasoned analysis of what is best for this school district. (NOTE: Original email contains an attachment which includes 13 testimonials from area principals against removing SROs from schools.) ATTACHMENTS: I’d be happy to share an example. A student physically attacked another and without the presence of the SRO we might have had a physically injured student and staff including myself. He is trusted as a member of our school team not only by me but by students and families. This would be an absolute loss. I have had multiple instances where I have had to engage with students in a dangerous situation that required the support of our school security and SRO. This past year was the most troubling. I had one student who refused to report to class and walked around the school building yelling and screaming and cursing (not SPED) Security asked him to stop as his parents had been notified and Gave permission for him to leave the building. After redirection from me, he would not stop. Ultimately, he had to be restrained and cuffed. While he was restrained and brought to the security office he was kicking and screaming and spitting. In another incident, a student had been suspected of having a large amount of drugs on him (this was reported by another student). When the student was asked to report to security and had to be searched it was the expertise of our school security and resource officer that enables us to find a very large amount of marijuana paraphernalia like scale and papers on the student. The student also had multiple bottles of medication not prescribed to him which we also learned he intended to sell to students. While these are just two specific incidents based in my own experience, on a regular basis I and the rest of the admin team need the support of our SRO and our school security. This is particularly important on the high school level where we are dealing with a larger number of More physically capable students in one place. I find it grossly disrespectful that the Board of Education believes that reducing the number of security support staff particularly on the high school level would be beneficial to anyone. Due to the changes in the discipline policy we are already at risk of keeping students in the building that cause ongoing disruption to our safe and orderly environment and now this. I am hopeful that bringing this information to them will encourage them to make a better and more supportive decision. I am not in support of the Board ""defunding"" the police. Police were put in place as a protection in our schools. So many incidents we have had across the nation and in OUR schools of shooters, fights, etc. That could have been and further could be detrimental to our students, family, community, school system, and employee families. We need to know that we have some professional protection and better trained law enforcement in the school from those types of random acts. Uniformed officers present a deterrent to violence, gang activity, vandalism, and theft. In my school, we can cite many examples as to where our resource officer has greatly assisted the school community in every aspect. One example is when two students took a picture in the school showing real guns in their waistbands and posted the pictures on social media. The police knew it was students from our school as the students took a picture with a bulletin board proudly showing our ""Puma Pride"" in the background. The students had then left school and robbed a local establishment. We were able to work District 8 Resident quickly with the police officer to identify these students so not to have violence in our building. Who REMOVE knows what could happen next with these students in possession of weapons. 2 I have never heard of any students or staff in the buildings where I have worked complaining about the school resource officers and the ""security"" they provide. The school resource officers are ""first line"" essential for our students that don't feel safe in their communities. We need to keep our resource officers!! The thought of removing security personnel from the schools is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Parent • We have had someone lurking outside our building with a ski mask on. Thank goodness for REMOVE security to investigate. Thankfully it was a formal student but he did have a rifle looking pellet gun. We did have to call the police. Security is the link to police. • When a student was out of control for extended time, security confined the student and assisted police. • When there are fights, security intervenes. Retired Teacher • When there are unruly parents, security intervenes. REMOVE • When parents are trespassing, security intervenes. • Through all the school shootings, bomb threats across the nation we should be amping up the security within our schools, not removing them. What is the rationale for this? I had a student who was upset because I had confiscated some food (from McDonalds) from her Beatrice Betworth group. She insisted upon following me around the building for quite a while, cursing at me and disrupting REMOVE the learning process. We only had one SA assigned to my building at the time and he unfortunately, on that day, was a training session in another building. The female 8th grade student continued to harass me without stopping. The counselors and mediators were unable to convince her to stop. In the end, I had to physically remove the student from an IEP meeting that I was scheduled to attend because she insisted upon continuing her tirade in the IEP meeting. To get rid of SROs is dangerous and reckless. Last year we had two parents that caused a major public Dawn Longenecker disturbance in our main hallway lobby at the Bowie HS annex. SRO Mullins was out of the building that REMOVE day. Bowie Police Ofc Simms was filling in her place that day and tensions were high between two parents that don’t like each other. Ofc Simms quickly deescalated the hostile parents attempting to attack each other. Both parents were very close to physically attacking each other and Ofc Simms had to call back up officers as well. Parents were banned from the building and other charges were pending stemming from disorderly conduct. If it wasn't for the police presence things could have gone far worse. Lillian Brown We need our SROs and I want my school to be safe from other threats. REMOVE As a high school Assistant Principal for 20 years, there are too many instances to lists (involving drugs, weapons, outsider problems, community issues etc...). I do want to say that I would not feel safe without a uniformed and armed police officer in the building. The experiences I have had are SRO's who have taken to learn and genuinely care for the students. I have witnessed them attending most sporting events without getting paid (as support for the students they had grown to like and protect). I have seen many families and students come to the school to talk to the SRO about situations because they trusted them. This helped to curtail many issues and kept numerous people safe. I can go on and on about the benefits of having an Allison Coleman 3 REMOVE SRO in the building, but I cannot come up with one benefit of not having one in a school building. I shudder at the thought of this as a reality. This email is to support retaining our SRO's in schools. In each of the three buildings I have worked in through PGCPS and even in other LEA's, they provide immense support. It goes far beyond the law enforcement aspect. Many of our SRO's including the wonderful one we have at Parkdale High School Erin Northrop provide mentoring and conflict resolution in the community. They even go as far as REMOVE providing information we wouldn't have from our communities we serve in. In most of the interactions with our students, very seldom does our SRO even have to use any sort of physical force with students. In our large school of close to 2,500 students, we have the issues most schools have in the nations, drug use by young adults. Many times our school resource officer has had to activate 911 or call from resources outside the school that would take us more time to locate. Jill Tolford We also have had issues more so with adults that come on campus as trespassers or become disruptive REMOVE and will not listen to the adult staff in the building where the SRO has to intervene and have to leave the building. Sometimes the officer being in uniform and their vehicle being on campus is a deterrent within itself. Our school-based security is essential as well. We ask that we continue to use our SBB along with other funds that have been allocated in the past to keep our schools safe and secure. Our parents and community along with teachers appreciate the support we receive from the PG County Police department and the other agencies. I am an administrator over the Transition Program where I work with students who are emotionally disturbed. I've had several instances where I've had students threaten or even pull a weapon on me when they're being disciplined or they're not allowed to get their way. Having an SRO on staff, gave me quick assistance with students who become grossly aggressive. Another time, some students from my program planned a massive group fight which required additional SROs to intervene. We wouldn't have gotten the response that we required if not for the SROs on site. We have over 2,300 students and at the time, the group fight for 10+ students got the attraction of over 1,500 students. It was definitely frightening moment in my career. This is only my second year working in high school and I must say, having a SRO on site makes me feel safe. Yes, I am in support of SRO in the school for our safety Situation #1: A parent came to the school and gained access to the Main Lobby by saying she was picking up her child after school. She was ready to attack a staff member and through the closest object into the showcase. We needed the closest Police Officer which was next door at a high school. We are an elementary school. Situation #2: A mental disturbed student had a meltdown and the Crisis Team tried to talk her through it to get her to calm down. The child got frustrated during a classwork assignment and there was no talking to her (even with the training we received on interacting with an Emotionally Disturbed child). The student (5th grade but approximately close to 200 pounds) began throwing chairs, objects etc. We were 4 dodging the objects. Her mother was in the room and trying to de-escalate her but that didn't even work. We had to call the closest Officer at the high school. Mom was upset about us calling but we had to protect the staff (and myself) as the Administrator. That is just two but I have been in the county for about 23 years. Cutting SRO's is not the answer - training them would be but I must say the ones I interacted with were trained very well in dealing with those individuals with mental illness. The idea of removing SRO's from schools is an unwise decision and jeopardizes the safety of students and staff for SRO's play a vital role in deterring potential threats on school grounds as well as keeping drugs out of our schools. For instance, in the situation below our school resource officer was able to intervene in a drug sale that prevented drugs from floating around our school environment in the hands of 11-14 year olds. Description of Incident: On Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. a female student was observed selling marijuana to a male subject on the exterior of the school building on school grounds for $50. After the exchange, the female student was observed running off school grounds towards the nearby Giant shopping plaza. She was apprehended by our School Resource Officer, Officer Boone, at the Giant who brought her back to school. As a school-based administrator for the last nine years, I cannot speak enough about the positive impact that our School Resource Officers and School Security have had on our students and school community. As school-administrators we are tasked with maintaining a safe and orderly school environment as well as being instructional leaders. This is not a task that we can complete alone. We need individuals like our SROs and School Security staff to assist us with this endeavor. Below are a few scenarios: • There have been several instances when a member of the community has tried to gain access to the school building and they have been redirected or escorted off of the property by school security. • There have been individuals who have broken into our school after hours and our school security staff has been able to review the school security cameras to provide the police with images of the individuals. • We have had students who have entered the building with drugs, weapons or drug paraphernalia. The school security staff has assisted us with performing an appropriate search of students to retrieve these dangerous items. • Our school is located in the middle of a residential community. There is nothing to prevent community members from entering the campus and walking toward our temporary classrooms. Our school security team members assist us with monitoring these areas. • We have had several instances where parents have become irate and become highly disrespectful toward school staff members. Our school security team has been able to deescalate the situation and escort those individuals out of the building. 5 • As Middle School, we have more students than some high schools. We had one security assistant to start the SY 19-20 school year for a building of 1250 + students. Administrators and support staff had to assume more of role with regard to school security which took time away from our ability to directly support and impact instruction I hope that this information is helpful and that the school board will reconsider their proposal." NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

No Name REMOVE

Jennifer Long REMOVE

Liz Parker, MOMS REMOVE

Aniya REMOVE

Mr. Bryant STRONGLY AGAINST REMOVING SRO's from schools KEEP

Mrs. Lavita Byant STRONGLY AGAINST REMOVING SRO's from schools KEEP

Stacia Sass Cautions Board to take its time to carefully review SRO's success/impact currently; impact of additional responsibilities on school administration X

No Name REMOVE

Doris Butler STRONGLY AGAINST REMOVING SRO's from schools KEEP

Natalie Pearson Would like to know if the School System has cut ties to the local police deptartment. Strongly in favor of the removal of SRO's REMOVE

No Name REMOVE

Phil Lee Hello Dr. Thornton, we hope this letter finds you safe and well. As the former president of the Kettering Civic Federation and the Executive Director of The Community Public Awareness Council (C-PAC), I have been asked to forward this letter of "community concerns to you". While this letter is addressed to the Prince George's County Chapter of the NAACP, we believe that the School Board members should be made aware of these concerns. The NAACP's Legal Defense Fund indicates that they have engaged in this matter on behalf of the Prince George's County School Board. It does not appear that the matter of the Boards intent to vote on removing the SRO's from our schools has been discussed with the communities of the County. Several communities at this time are seeking input from parents as well as residents to gain their opinions regarding this proposal. While we have been made aware that a petition has been circulating throughout the Student body, we think it is imperative to hear from the parents of the children who have elected the Board members and of course who have the most interest in their children's health, welfare and safety. I have asked the Directors of C-PAC to reach out to our Partners across the County to determine what position the residents and parents in their area may be. We will be convening "community involved" meetings in the upcoming weeks to hear from our Partners. We will then send you a letter with our findings. Dr. Thornton, C-PAC has worked very closely with our school administrators, the County and Municipal Police Departments as well as School Security, Department of Juvenile Services, Office of the States Attorney, Office of The Sheriff for many years to assist our youth. Frankly, C-PAC is concerned that we had no idea of the School Board members proposal to introduce such a resolution to remove the SRO's from the schools. The concern that we have is, the voice of the people is not being requested or heard. Further, the CEO (when appointed) asked for community partners and non-profits to work with her office and her agenda to move our school system forward, that request is being honored by several community groups. The question is, "is the School Board helping to further the agenda of the CEO"? Dr. Thornton we welcome any comments you may have and we ask that your members give the residents the same consideration. Thank you for your time and we do look forward to working with you and the Board. Phil Lee, Executive Director. NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Phil Lee June 23, 2020 NAACP Attn: Bob Ross, President

Dear Mr. Ross, On behalf of The Kettering Civic Federation (The Civic Federation), I hope this letter finds you in the best of health. While we all look for the ways and means of weathering this storm we are faced with, it is a time for all people of every community in Prince George’s County to learn and understand the ways of depending on each other. It has always been, and always will be, the mission of The Civic Federation to keep our 16,000+ residents and the various businesses that serve our community, informed of local, state and federal matters that may impact the lives of the families in Kettering. It is for this reason that I am sending this letter of concern to you, the President of the Prince George's County NAACP. Mr. Ross, to date, The Civic Federation has received several inquiries from parents regarding the Resolution put forth by the Prince George's County School Board to remove the Prince George's County Police Department School Resource Officers (SROs) from the County High Schools. To date, the Civic Federation has not had any formal dialog with Ms. Belinda Queen, the District 6 School Board member regarding this matter. However, I have reached out to our community based partner Organization, the Community Public Awareness Council (CPAC) to determine if this information is factual. I met with Mr. Phil Lee, CPAC Executive Director, who confirmed that such a resolution was presented to the School Board at their meeting on June 11, 2020. Mr. Lee shared with me the written resolution that was presented to the members of the School Board to remove the SROs from our schools. In addition, I have been advised that the NAACP is also aware of this proposal. Further, The Civic Federation has been advised that our Prince George's County Chapter of The NAACP is responsible for inviting the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc. into Prince George's County to further the efforts of the School Board to remove the SROs from our schools.

Mr. Bob Ross Page 2 of 3 Having done some research, I am aware of the good work that the Legal Defense Fund has done nationwide. I believe that the work and assistance they provide to Public Education is commendable and often needed. However, a proposal to remove or disband any public entity that services the residents of Prince George's County should be discussed with the residents who pay for such services. The Civic Federation is not sure if the County chapter of the NAACP is aware of this elected body of community representatives that represent Kettering, but Mr. Ross, you surely should be aware, since you are a Kettering resident. I also believe that you are very much aware of the time and attention that Kettering residents give to the issues that affect the quality of life in our community. I know this Mr. Ross because you have coffee at our local Starbucks with several of our residents each morning. I have reached out to those who sit with you each morning at our Starbucks Coffee Club to inquire if they knew of such a proposal to remove the SROs from our schools. Also, I have talked to our COPS Officer, Private Erik Marsh, and the retired school teachers who are often sitting with you, and they are not aware of this proposal to remove the Officers from our school. Mr. Lee, Executive Director of CPAC and former President of the Kettering Civic Federation informed me that he was not made aware of this proposal until the day of the School Board meeting. I was indeed surprised when Mr. Lee told me that he has had standing meetings with Ms. Belinda Queen, and he has had conversations with Mr. Edward Burroughs, Vice Chair of the School Board, on a routine basis as Mr. Burroughs works for the Office of the States’ Attorney in the Juvenile Division. Mr. Lee is very much involved since CPAC is responsible for the Office of the States’ Attorney's Youth Diversion Program. Mr. Ross, while you may not be aware of how The Civic Federation operates, it is my understanding that you are very much aware of CPAC's Youth mentoring and diversion program that has been in existence for the past eighteen years. This program has been instrumental in keeping our children out of the criminal justice system, and it also helps children be productive in school. In addition, this program assists communities throughout Prince George's County with maintaining quality of life matters. CPAC has been working with our schools for many years. That work continues with our present CEO, Dr. Monica Goldson who has been bringing about needed changes in Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), especially with reducing suspensions and arrests of the students. Mr. Lee also advised me that you have participated in various C-PAC meetings that were attended by representatives from the Office of the States’ Attorney, School Security, School Administrators, Mental Health Providers, Office of the Sheriff and several of the Municipal Police Departments. Mr. Ross, the Civic Federation's question is, "has the NAACP of Prince George's County made the NAACP Legal Defense Fund aware of the efforts of the community and all of those that are involved with the lives of our children?" The Kettering Civic Federation has a very important stake in any decision that may affect our community youth and our schools. The property value of Kettering residents, as well as with every other community in the county is predicated on the schools that educate our children. Residents have a right to know that every measure is taken by state and local government to ensure that property values are secure. It appears that the NAACP Legal Defense Fund is not fully aware or has not been informed of the value that these Officers provide to the residents of our community. It is not at all uncommon that the SROs are in our community during school hours. This is a service that School Security cannot provide. There are students who are

Mr. Bob Ross Page 3 of 3 encouraged by these SROs to be orderly and show respect in our communities. The SROs often have relationships with homeowners that can be most helpful in sustaining a peaceful environment in the communities. Mr. Ross, we have several young people who have gone on to become police officers because of the influence of the SRO at a very impressionable time in their lives. Often, the SRO is the only role model many of the children have. These Officers are not counter-productive to the effort of reducing the "school yard to prison yard pipe line;" in fact, they are instrumental in building bridges and closing the gaps between our youth and law enforcement. We realize that this is a School Board issue and that our elected officials will have to converse with us. However, it is The Prince George's County Chapter of the NAACP that invited the Legal Defense Fund into this community matter. Should we have a need for this group, we will reach out to you with such a request. At this time, we believe that the residents of Prince George's County and without a doubt, Kettering, are more than capable of managing our community matters. Again, I remind you, that as a resident of this community Mr. Ross, do you think you need an outside source to regulate your community? Mr. Ross, this letter is to request that you, as the President of the Prince George's County Kelsey Field ChapterGood afternoon, of the NAACP am writing insist inthat support the NAACP of agenda Legal item Defense 8.1 - the Fund, removal cease of and school desist resource their officers from Prince George's County Schools. It is our responsibility as a REMOVE involvementcommunity, andat this as time.taxpayers, The Kettering to ensure Civic that Federationour dollars hasare beingno intentions spent in of a puttingmanner you that in ensures an access to fair education, after school activities, and mental health awkwardresources, position, and not but for the communitypolicing of theof Kettering hallways. and While I have SROs not may been give told the that appearance any resident of ofproviding a safe learning environment, particularly when considering the Ketteringnumerous or school our surrounding shootings thiscommunity country Partnershas suffered have through, had any it dialogis clear with that our safety School is not Board guaranteed for the students of color. The impact that SROs have in memberincreasing (Ms. the Queen) number regarding of students this who matter. are arrested Since Ms. while Queen on school is the electedproperty member for infractions from this that previously would have been a matter between the principal and the District,parent has this ensured is a concern a school she toshould prison bring chain to inthose Maryland that elected that needs her. Weto be ask, immediately and insist, broken. that the It cannot be overlooked the bias in Maryland's justice system towards NAACPpeople of do color, what and it is thevery school well known board toneeds do and to examinewhat it was their established contributing to roledo: "letin that. As the a taxpayervoice of and a resident, I urge you to vote in favor of removing SROs from thePrince people George's be heard School by theDistricts, spokesperson and let the elected kids do by whatthe people.” they are supposed to do. Learn. Respectfully, Kelsey Field Mr. Ross, we hope that you understand the urgency of this matter. At this time, communities across the Country have bigger issues that we must all work to resolve. We are concentrating and working with our school officials on how we will get schools open in the Fall. We are working with Parents who must find a way to navigate this "new normal." This simply is not the time, nor is it logical, to impose such an issue on people who are already under great stress. The CEO must be allowed to give her full time and attention to ensuring that our school system is operational in the Fall. There are Teachers and bus drivers to hire, classes to restructure, and a new way of teaching to be structured, just to name a few of the reasons that we do not need the CEO to be distracted at this time. This is the message we are in the process of conveying to our elected School Board members. I'm sure you understand.

On behalf of the residents of Kettering and the Board of Directors of the Kettering Civic Federation, I thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Respectfully, Deborah Spencer President Cc: Kettering Board of Directors Prince George’s County Board of Education Community Public Awareness Council (C-PAC) Lake Arbor Community Assoc. Largo Community Assoc. NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Ellen Royse Dear Dr. Thornton -- My name is Ellen Royse. As a high school teacher and a Hyattsville resident, I was excited to hear that Price George's County was considering REMOVE removing police from schools throughout the county. I was subsequently very disappointed to see the Board push this conversation and decision down the road to September instead of taking decisive action now.I have reviewed the publicly available information from this Monday's meeting of the Board’s Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee, but it seems that no action was taken to 1) evaluate and assess the role of SROs in the school system and their alignment with PGCPS security services; (2) seek additional school administrator, staff, parent, student and community input regarding the use of SROs; or (3) work with the CEO to develop a report that will demonstrate how PGCPS budgets devoted to mental health, counselor, social services, special needs and related services are deployed strategically to achieved desired student development needs. In fact, the publicly available budget, "Building Pride: Students First," makes no mention of the amount that the county is paying for contracts with the police department and other security providers. Identifying and cutting these contracts could provide much needed dollars for preventative harm reduction within our schools. We have an opportunity as a county to show leadership on a national scale, following suit with school districts in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland, Milwaukee and Denver who have ended their partnerships and contracts with police departments in order to better serve their students. The incredible work of organizations like Dignity in Schools, The Advancement Project, End Zero Tolerance and Black Swan Academy lay out frameworks for how police-free schools are not only vital for student success but realistic and viable. The Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee has a mandate to assess the role of police in our schools, and I urge the committee to recommend ending contracts with the county police and SROs as part of their budgetary recommendation. The young people of Prince George's County deserve to be nurtured, protected and heard, not surveilled, harassed and criminalized . I urge you, the Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee and the rest of the Board to take decisive action to remove police officers and SROs from Prince George's County Schools. Sincerely, Ellen Royse Hyattsville, MD

Janna Paker Good Day, I am a resident of Prince George's county, a former educator and parent within thecounty. I am writing to you, as I did over a year ago in relation to SROs REMOVE and security within schools within PGPCS, to urge you again to ensure that PGCPS terminate its contract with the Prince George’s Police Department and Municipaltiies as well as remove any type of armed officers from our schools.As you are aware, this is a move I have supported for over a year in Prince George's county, before the murder of George Flyod, and in reagrads to how SROs play within their roles within the schools. There is a level of remarkable dissonance to acknowledge that there are national, state, and local issues with law enforcement in regards to brutality and use of force, but then say that we should keep those same officers as partrols within our schools. The only other place in where there are armed guards patrolling an area is prison or jail. The very presence of SROs sends a not so subtle message to our students as to how they are viewed. SROs also play a huge part in criminalizing childish juvenile behaviors and increasing the school to prison pipeline. There is NO data to show that the curb violence in schools as well as NO data to show that they are anything other than a reactionary measure instead of a preventive measure. Also, a workgroup on this subject when there is a mass of data already on the issue is not a productive use of the board or public's time as that we already know what the issue is and how it affects our students. Our schools are not created safer through the presence of police, rather they needlessly create an environment of suspicion, punishment, and harm that is detrimental to student health, especially for Black and Brown students who are disproportionately targeted by these officers. Their interaction with students also increases the students being funneled into the school to prison pipeline- we know this because of the data collected on school arrests submitted to MSDE from Prince George's county. I urge you to support Member David Murray’s Resolution and ensure that PGCPS divests from this police contract, and to instead invest in resources such as trauma-informed teaching, peer mediation training, and more counselors for our students. Thank you.

Krystal Oriadha Members of the Prince George's County School Board, I am Krystal Oriadha , a resident of District 24 I am writing to you to urge that PGCPS terminate its contract REMOVE with the Prince George’s Police Department and remove armed officers from our schools. You have heard from many that our schools are not created safer through the presence of police, rather they needlessly create an environment of suspicion, punishment, and harm that is detrimental to student health, especially for Black and Brown students who are disproportionately targeted by these officers. The data is plentiful when it comes to disparities in discipline and youth premature engagement with law enforcement. I urge you to support Member David Murray’s Resolution and ensure that PGCPS divests from this police contract, and to instead invest in resources such as trauma-informed teaching, peer mediation training, and more counselors for our students. Thanks, Krystal Oriadha

William (Bill) Taylor Hello Dr. Goldson, Attached is CPSTS letter regarding being considered to serve on the School Resource Officer (SRO) Program Task Force. Your consideration will be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or need additional information, I can be reached at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

William Steen ThankDr. Thornton, You, KEEP BillI am aware that there is a meeting scheduled tonight to address the very important matter about police in the schools. I am hoping that you stand as one of the mature voices that discuss the facts. The knee jerk reaction that is being discussed on today's platform will not help in today's request for reform if it is only based on thoughts and not facts.

The School board has its own employees responsible for investigations and arrests. They are called SA' s and IC's. The Police officer, School Resource Officer, is only there to assist, so to attribute all of the arrests to the police is inaccurate. The IC's have always had the authority to charge students on a J1 and have done so for years.

The SRO (Police Officer) was a community-based position brought into the school system to serve as the last line of defense against the mass-shootings taking place across the county. In the initial phase, SRO worked with the Health Teachers to co-teach the chapter on drugs and smoking.

I am not even aware if the school board contributes any funding to the police department for that partnership. They didn't in the past.

So I implore you to please advocate on behalf of truth and share the countless positive interaction school officers had with the students. The students that called them a mentor, friend, mother/father, aunt/uncle. Your constituent, William Steen Oxon Hill, Md.

Emnet Dagnachew Dear Dr. Alvin Thornton: REMOVE

I write to you in the midst of our current national movement against police brutality to ask you to support the Prince George’s County Board of Education Resolution to Remove SROs from our schools. SROs aren't necessary because they promote violence in schools. Children should be able to be safe in their school building and not worry about the possibility of getting arrested for adolescent behavior. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others at the hands of police has once again highlighted the racial bias that plagues our system of policing. As the Maryland Commission on the School-to-Prison Pipeline and Restorative Practices said in its 2018 report, “SROs are not trained as educators, but as sworn law enforcement officers with the authority to arrest people.” As sworn law enforcement officers, SROs come from the same system of racially biased policing that we are currently fighting against. During the 2017-2018 school year, there were 350 school-based arrests in Prince George’s County, compared to 226 in Montgomery County and only 60 school-based arrests in Baltimore City. Black students in PGCPS are disproportionately impacted, comprising 86 percent of those arrests but only 55 percent of the student population.

I understand that some in our community believe we need SROs to keep our schools safe, but this is untrue. SROs are only a small part of the school security system. PGCPS employs over 200 school security personnel and will spend $17 million in the upcoming school year to support that system. By ensuring that there is adequate local law enforcement coverage as required by the Maryland Safe to Learn Act, our schools are safe without armed officers in our hallways.

I ask that PGCPS commit to making our schools safe in the following ways: The funding left over from the removal of SROs can be put in getting more social workers, or to purchase better, individualized learning materials to help the students attending absorb curriculum better. Mental health professionals are necessary for solving problems, while SROs just create more problems by promoting violence and punitive results for children's mistakes.

Thank you for supporting the resolution to remove SROs from Prince George’s County Schools. I know that with your support we can take the first brave step to build a truly safe and inclusive community.

Sincerely,

Emnet NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

David Moran Chair Thornton & Board Member Thomas: KEEP

Attached is correspondence signed by five Greenbelt City Council Members regarding the “Removal of School Resource Officers” item on this evening’s Board of Education agenda.

Thanks for your consideration.

David

David E. Moran

Assistant City Manager

Greenbelt, MD 20770

June 11,2020 CITY COUNCIL Dr. Alvin Thornton, Chair Prince George’s Board of Education 14201 School Lane Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 Dear Chair Thornton and Members of the Board: We, the undersigned members of the Greenbelt City Council, oppose the removal of School Resource Officers (SRO) from Prince George’s County schools. We strongly support increased funding for social workers, mental health professionals and counselors, as well as expanded restorative justice practices and hiring additional academic interventionists as proposed in the Board Resolution. These measures should be implemented immediately but not in lieu of the SRO program. Recent events have caused all of us to examine and re-evaluate police practices policies and training, and rightly so. However, we should not abandon community policing programs like SRO which have proven beneficial in the past. Greenbelt was one of the first jurisdictions in the State and County to implement a SRO program. The SRO program protects our youth, contributes to a better educational environment, fosters positive youth and police interaction, and is a partnership between the school system, police departments and the community which benefits everyone. The City supports efforts to end what has been called the “School to Prison Pipeline” where youth of color are more likely to be arrested and to receive harsher sentences than their white peers. We believe a well-functioning, appropriately-trained, SRO program keeps youth in school and out of the justice system. This would be a particularly inopportune time to eliminate a successfhl community relations outreach program. A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK (301) 474-8000 FAX: (301) 441-8248 www.greenbeltmd.gov THE CITY OF GREENBELT We urge you to maintain this essential program for our students! Sincerely, Emmett V. Jordan, Mayor Pro-Tem Judith F. Davis, City Council, Leta M. Mach, City Council, Silke I. Pope, City Council, Edward V.J. Putens, City Council cc: City Council The Honorable Todd Turner The Honorable Angela Alsobrooks The Honorable Paul Pinsky The Honorable Anne Healey The Honorable Alonzo Washington The Honorable Nicole Williams Four Cities Coalition Mayors Greenbelt Advisory Committee on Education Dr. Liz Park, Greenbelt CARES

Theresa Mitchell June 11, 2020 REMOVE Dudley Dr. Alvin Thornton, Chair PGCPS Board of Education 14201 School Lane Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 VIA EMAIL Due to SHUTDOWN Dr. Thornton; The Prince George’s County Educators’ Association is in support of the removal of armed police officers from our schools especially when they are used as a disciplinary means. Student arrests have gone down but the turning over our students to law enforcement is not the only option in many cases. The presence of police in schools has escalated dramatically in the last several decades, and the figures on arrests and referrals to law enforcement show disproportionate targeting of Black and Latino students. This is just one aspect of the school-to-prison pipeline, where some students are denied an opportunity to succeed, and instead are pushed out of school and into the juvenile or criminal justice system. While the complete emotional, social and financial impact of daily police presence in schools is not fully understood, it is clear that students and their families are criminalized, and that school-based arrests and referrals to law enforcement go up when police have a regular presence in schools. What we need is an expansion of Trauma Informed practices, Restorative practices, and a more reasonable Professional School Counselor to student ratios. Mental health counselors and a means to address behaviors that does not require arrests. Our children deserve to be treated as human beings not treated as criminals. We are here to assist in the development of a plan of action that does not give the general public the idea that discipline and appropriate behavior are no longer part of our school system. Black Lives Matter in Schools. In Solidarity, Theresa Mitchell Dudley PGCEA President NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Honorable Todd M. Dr. Thornton & Board Members - Turner Please find the my letter attached in response to the Board’s consideration this evening of the above matter. Please feel free to share with the full Board. Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Hon. Todd M. Turner Council Chair County Council Member – 4th District Prince George’s County Council

June 11, 2020

Dr. Alvin Thornton, Chair and Board Members Prince George’s County Board of Education 14201 School Lane Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

Dear Dr. Thornton & Members of the Board:

I write on my own behalf and as a parent of a Prince George’s County school student, with respect to the Board of Education’s consideration of a resolution in support of removing School Resource Officers (SROs) from Prince George’s County Schools. I also represent the two largest municipalities in the County - the cities of Bowie and Greenbelt – both of which provide SROs through municipal police departments to high schools. I concur with County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks comments today at her press conference.

While I understand the spirit of a current proposal by some Board of Education members who wish to end an agreement with the County Police Department by removing School Resource Officers (SROs) from the school system, and reallocating funding to support services in our schools, this plan merits much greater conversation with the community and other stakeholders, including parents, teachers, principals and students. Moreover, removing these officers and shifting funds without a plan in place to address school safety is deeply problematic.

The School Resource Officer program has been a long-standing addition to our repertoire of Community Policing and other public safety initiatives responding to school shootings and other safety issues. Whether they are recovering dangerous firearms and other weapons from school premises, or launching afterschool programs to help students in crisis, SROs are yielding immense benefits to our local school culture.

We, as government, have a fundamental responsibility to protect the safety and welfare of our children, staff and visitors in our Prince George’s County Schools, who also have a right to be treated fairly under the law. We must also balance the responsibility to align County budget priorities with the fundamental right to safety and protection, especially where our children enrolled in Prince George’s County Schools are concerned.

Prince George’s County Board of Education June 11, 2020 Page 2

We are all horrified by the targeting and killing of African-Americans and other people of color by those sworn to protect our communities across the country, which has risen to a national and international crescendo. Policing in Prince George’s County and across the country remains in need of reform, in every department, and at varying levels.

I encourage the Board of Education to engage parents, teachers, principals, and students in a thoughtful dialogue to address public safety in our schools. I look forward to working together with the Board of Education, Prince George’s County Schools and the community to use the current momentum to achieve practical and enduring change for our school system and the entire community.

I am sincerely,

Hon. Todd M. Turner Council Member, 4th District

cc: Board of Education Members City of Bowie City of Greenbelt

Katie Pugliese Dear Dr. Thorton,

I'm writing to urge you to remove SRO's from our schools. The argument that police make children safer and more secure is not true. Police in schools have proven to cause harm to Black and Brown students. We need to stop criminalizing teenagehood.

Instead, spend more money on counselors, school psychologists, and others who are trained in working with children and youth to resolve conflicts.

Thank You,

Katie Pugliese Greenbelt, MD

Robin McNair NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Daniella Bienstock Dear Members of the PGCPS School Board and PGCPS District Leadership: REMOVE

As a school counseling intern in Prince George's County Public Schools, I am writing to urge PGCPS to end their contract with the Prince George's County Police Department. We have witnessed time and again the excessive use of force by local officers targeting young Black, Indigenous, and people of color. We have seen countless acts of violence perpetrated by police officers against the Black community, including the recent murders of George Floyd, David McAtee, Breonna Taylor, and many others. We have watched the police respond to peaceful protests with tear-gas, flash bombs, and rubber bullets. These assaults are not mere reactions to maintain civil order; they are rooted in a vicious cycle of violence, enacted through the police, directed at Black and Brown bodies.

PGPD has no place in our schools. The persistent use of excessive force by police officers, both in and outside of school, is traumatizing for our students. Additionally, School Resource Officers have not been proven to increase safety at schools. In fact, the Justice Policy Institute (2011) reported that the presence of law enforcement on school grounds increases the chances of students being arrested by police, rather than disciplined by school officials. SRO policing contributes to a culture of fear, disengagement, and stress in schools, and funnels students into the school-to-prison pipeline. Our students—particularly our Black, Indigenous, and students of color—continually express feeling unsafe in our school environment when police are present. In fact, with PGPD present at school, evidence tells us that our students are less safe, period.

How can students build meaningful learning partnerships and relationships with teachers and peers while they are being traumatized at school? Contracting with PGPD is antithetical to our district’s mission “to provide a great education that empowers all students and contributes to thriving communities.” I believe that it is imperative to the wellbeing of our students, staff, and families for PGCPS to completely dissolve its contract with PGPD. After this contract is dissolved, I propose that PGCPS invest in hiring more mental health professionals, social workers, restorative justice coordinators, and nurses in our schools. These steps would actually address our students' needs for support from compassionate adults and access to medical and mental healthcare.

In solidarity with our students,

Daniella Bienstock

Paula Edoja Good Afternoon, REMOVE

Due to the lack of safety the police provide for our community especially with the black community it is imperative that you terminate PGCPS contract with the Pg police department. We need to protect our youth. The termination of this contract and refunding into our schools and community is the best choice here. Think about the future of our youth.

You can do this.

Thank you, Paula Edoja

Lauren Rumford Good evening, REMOVE

In light of recent news but ongoing police brutality againat the black community, please consider terminating the PGCPS contract with the PG police department and refunding back into the schools and community.

Respectfully, Lauren R.

Hanna Amanuel Good afternoon, REMOVE

With a spike in recent events, there is an alarming amount of uncomfortability surrounding the policing institution, especially around our community's children. It is imperative that you terminate all contracts involving the Prince George's county police department and PGCPS. Upon eradicating this policing relationship, we demand that you then allocate those funds into providing these schools with proper counseling and educational efforts. I ask that you consider the safety of the children, especially the African American community. The children deserve to feel comfortable in their schools, and quite frankly, the police department pose a great threat to their safety, rather than comfort. This is a joint effort and I hope that you all will make the best decision for the community at large. - Best Regards,

Hanna Amanuel, B.S

Hazim A. Hello, REMOVE I am a resident of Hyattsville and I am working in support of what is being reported as new discussions for removing armed officers in pg county schools. My full support is with this effort and all efforts to divest from policing and invest in REAL education and care. The Minneapolis City council and activists across the country have shown that the tide is shifting and now is the time to remove cops from our schools. Thank you

Ida Yohannes Good Afternoon, REMOVE

Please consider terminating the PSCPS contract with the Police Department and reinvest that money back into the classrooms.

Do the right thing!

Thank you, Ida Yohannes

Olivia Delaplaine Hello, REMOVE

My name is Olivia Delaplaine and I am a resident of District 2. I am writing to you to urge that PGCPS terminate its contract with the Prince George’s Police Department and remove armed officers from our schools.

Our schools are not created safer through the presence of police, rather they needlessly create an environment of suspicion, punishment, and harm that is detrimental to student health, especially for Black and Brown students who are disproportionately targeted by these officers. I urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that PGCPS divests from this police contract and invests in systems of care and accountability for our teachers and students. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Olivia Delaplaine 4811 Osage St College Park, MD 20740 NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Megan Weems Hello, KEEP

I saw on the news, that the school board was considering removing school resource officers from PGCPS school. I would like to share my thoughts as a PGCPS high school teacher.

This is a truly bad idea. School resource officers keep our students safe. So many local districts have had parents, students, and teachers begging for school resource officers in every school building. Some of them still don't, despite the recent school shooting in St. Mary's County or the guns that were brought into high schools in Charles County this year. I have always bragged that PGCPS had resource officers in every high school, that they cared about the safety of their students and staff to do that much. However, once we lose funding for school resource officers, we won't get it back. It'll be a struggle to find that money again. We know that the school shooting rates have been increasing in this country, why remove a protection? Especially since we still don't have metal detectors or sturdy doors on classrooms.

How can a county who just replaced locks on classroom doors this year (to a school shooting deadbolt style lock) then go and remove school resource officers? That makes no sense. That lock is not going to save our kids. It's on a cheap wooden door, right under a window. The resource officer is the only defense the kids have until the police can get there.

I understand that you want the kids to feel safer at the school, and that no one wants the school to feel like a prison. However, I don't think that image comes from having one armed officer walking around the building. I don't think eliminating the students only day to day interaction with a police officer will do that. If we want to improve relations and fight police brutality then people have to interact with each other.

I can tell you that I would not feel safer without a school resource officer.

Thank you for your time,

Megan Weems AP Psychology LSN Government Social Studies Department Chair Friendly High School

Nicholas Edward My name is Nicholas Galloway and I am a resident of District 4, and I am writing to you to urge that PGCPS terminate its contract with the Prince George’s Police REMOVE Galloway Department and remove armed officers from our schools. Our schools are not created safer through the presence of police, rather they needlessly create an environment of suspicion, punishment, and harm that is detrimental to student health, especially for Black and Brown students who are disproportionately targeted by these officers. I urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that PGCPS divests from this police contract and invests in systems of care and accountability for our teachers and students.

Thank you.

Jackie Letizia Dear Members of the PGCPS School Board and PGCPS District Leadership: REMOVE

I am writing to urge PGCPS to end their contract with the Prince George's County Police Department. We have witnessed time and again the excessive use of force by local officers targeting young Black, Indigenous, and people of color. We have seen countless acts of violence perpetrated by police officers against the Black community, including the recent murders of George Floyd, David McAtee, Breonna Taylor, and many others. We have watched the police respond to peaceful protests with tear-gas, flash bombs, and rubber bullets. These assaults are not mere reactions to maintain civil order; they are rooted in a vicious cycle of violence, enacted through the police, directed at Black and Brown bodies.

PGPD has no place in our schools. The persistent use of excessive force by police officers, both in and outside of school, is traumatizing for our students. Additionally, School Resource Officers have not been proven to increase safety at schools. In fact, the Justice Policy Institute (2011) reported that the presence of law enforcement on school grounds increases the chances of students being arrested by police, rather than disciplined by school officials. SRO policing contributes to a culture of fear, disengagement, and stress in schools, and funnels students into the school-to-prison pipeline. Our students—particularly our Black, Indigenous, and students of color—continually express feeling unsafe in our school environment when police are present. In fact, with PGPD present at school, evidence tells us that our students are less safe, period.

How can students build meaningful learning partnerships and relationships with teachers and peers while they are being traumatized at school? Contracting with Ellen Platts PGPDHello, is antithetical to our district’s mission “to provide a great education that empowers all students and contributes to thriving communities.” I believe that it is REMOVE imperative to the wellbeing of our students, staff, and families for PGCPS to completely dissolve its contract with PGPD. After this contract is dissolved, I propose that PGCPSMy name invest is Ellen, in hiring and I moream a mentalresident health of District professionals, 2 in Prince social George's workers, County. restorative justice coordinators, and nurses in our schools. These steps would actually address our students' needs for support from compassionate adults and access to medical and mental healthcare. I am writing to you to urge that PGCPS terminate its contract with the Prince George’s Police Department and remove armed officers from our schools. Our schools are not created safer through the presence of police, rather they needlessly create an environment of suspicion, punishment, and harm that is detrimental to student health, especially for Black and Brown students who are disproportionately targeted by these officers. I urge you to support Member David Murray’s Resolution and Inensure solidarity that PGCPSwith our divestsstudents, from this police contract, and to instead invest in resources such as trauma-informed teaching, peer mediation training, and more counselors for our students. Jacquelyn Letizia SchoolThank you Counseling very much, Student Ellen Platts College Park, MD

Adele Cerrelli Hello Prince Georges County School Board. KEEP

I'm a longtime resident of Prince Georges (PG) County. I attended PG public schools and later tutored in Suitland public schools for several years. I just read the 8 June 2020 WJLA article below describing the recent PG School Board meeting. I am concerned with the haste that the board may be making on the decision to end its relationship with the PG Co. Police Dept.

https://wjla.com/news/local/prince-georges-county-school-board-to-vote-to-defund-school-resource-officer-contract?utm_source=second- street&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ABC7+Newsletter+-+June+9%2c+2020

I totally understand that we need to take a close look and try making some major changes to how to deal with difficult situations in the PG schools. Some things I hope you'll consider:

Whatever mechanisms you put in place in each school, they need to provide students and staff with a sense of security that classes and activities can be carried out in peace and in an orderly fashion, and that chaos will be avoided. I am thinking of Board Member Valentine's recounting of what happened to his wife.

I know that some PG schools have big security issues. If you are going to make major changes to how issues are dealt with, as a retired software engineer, I strongly suggest you have a lengthy overlap of maintaining your old system as you phase your new procedures and protocols in. So, keep security officers in place as you add in the new mental health and other support systems, and really test and monitor how everything is going, then phase out what's not working or not needed any further. I would not recommend making an abrupt change to such an important issue.

On a side note, is there a single email address I could have used to send this message to the entire school board? If so, can you please post that on the school board webpage for the public to use? It would be good if you can make it easier for us, the publc, to send our opinions to the PG Co. School Board.

Sincerely, Adele Cerrelli College Park, MD NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Adele Cerrelli Thank you Dr. Thornton for your speedy response to my email. To clarify, I am not OPPOSED to terminating the schools' relationship with the PG Police Dept., but I am opposed to the Board and County acting in too much haste and making an abrupt change. I want the best for our students, teachers, and staff, as you all do.

Please proceed very carefully and thoughtfully with such an important matter, that is what I'm asking. Again, recalling big software projects I worked on at the US Census Bureau, we had to plan changeovers very carefully and have major overlaps as we phased out old and brought in new systems.

Sincerely, Adele Cerrelli

Alexander Zajac Dr. Thornton, REMOVE

I am attaching a copy of the letter that I am sending via mail today that encourages you to support, on Thursday, the proposal to end our school district's agreements with law enforcement. I know that you yourself have researched and written about structural issues that affect our black students in schools, and we have an excellent opportunity to begin undoing one of those structural issues: the school-to-prison pipeline.

Sincerely, Alexander Zajac, District 2 resident ATTACHMENT Dr. Alvin Thornton Board of Education, Chair 14201 School Ln Upper Marlborq l\ffi 20772 Dear Dr. Thornton: I am writing to you as a citizen of Prince George's Cotmty to encourage you to support, on Thursday, the proposal to end our school distict's 4greement with law enforcementto place officers inside our schools. ,See Rachel Pacellq "Prince George's County Board of Education to consider ending school resource officer agreemen!" Capital Gazette (June 8,2020), ovoilable at https:/lwww.capitalgazette.com/maryland/bowielac-cn-bb-board-sros-0609-20200609- i6ljy52y7rdm3ayh5jts3y32nu-story.htnl. The school-to-prison pipeline has endured far too long and stolen far too many lives to be allornred to continue. Growing up in Milwaukec, I attended a private school with no armed securiEr, no metal detectors, and so on. I didn't appreciate how conducive to learning such an environment could be until I taught at Dunbar High School in DC for a year. The students pass thro,rgh metal detectors staffed by armed and uniformed o{ficers every single morning. The armed offrcers are frequently called to adjudicate issues between students. It was really no mystery to me why many of the students did not view their high school as a bastion of learning. lVe had clearly sacrificed everything in the name of safety, and now the students were paying the price. Now I live in Prince George's county, and many of the same problems persist. I know that you are well-versed in the structural issues forblack students in America's schools. For examplg I knour you contibuted to the 1985 Black Male Achievement Report and to the 1999 Commissioa on Education Adequacy, Equity and Excellence. As you therefore know, oae of the most prominent sfuctural issues is the well-documented school-to-prison pipeline. See, e.g.,

"School-To-Prison Pipeline," ACLU QAZfi), available athwpstlwww.aclu.org/issue$uvenile- justicelschool-prison-pipeline. And, despite our great Siate's attempts at reform, many disparities

persist in Prince George's County for students of color. See, e.g.,Meredith Bouchein, Policy Brief Schaal*to-Prison Pipeline: A Cotnparison in Discipline Policy Between Maryland and Texss Public Schwls (2015), availcble at https://education.umd. edtlfi le/85 I Sidownload?token:b-3 - kszl&us5AovYaw2qq7cVvll*qcHmxYao2Ml5 (explainiilg that, "[i]n Maryland, the risk ratio for black students also increasd even though the state adopted progressive policy changes'). Indeed, Mark Schindler of the Justice Policy Insitute has explained that placing police officers in schools has brought both monetary costs to the taxpayers and increased rates of suspensions, expulsions, and arrests ofjuveniles, all without a shred of evidence showing that our schools are any safer as a result of these offrcers' presence. Cheryl Corley, "Do Police Officers In Schools

Really }itake Them Safer?" trtrR (Mar. 8, 2018), available at

https:l/www.npr.org/2018/03/0815917538841do-police-officssin-schools-reatrly-rnake-thern- safer. Schindler's lustice Policy Instit*e has used the data to convincingly argue against police

officers in schools since at least 2011. M*c*ion Unfur Arrest: The Case Againx Police in Schools (2011), ovoilable al http:l/wwwjusticepolicy.orglupload$usticepolicy/documents/ educationunderarrest*fu llreport" pdf. Please strpport the proposal on Thwsday; choose what is best for our students, and support our school distric*.

Sincerely=

P.S. I am also uploading a copy of this leuer to ycnr via email in case it does not reach you before Thursday's action on the proposal.

Prince George's County "We welcome a dialogue with the School Board regarding it’s concerns about School Resource Officers (SROs). These concerns have not been voiced previously. KEEP Police Department As part of that conversation, it’s important to note that we have a presence in our schools in accordance with Maryland law, the “Safe to Learn Act” enacted in 2018, but had been working with the schools prior to this and placed SRO’s in the schools before the state mandate regarding adequate law enforcement coverage.

The state mandate was enacted in response to a host of issues, to include school shootings. Every one of the Department’s SROs receives 40 hours of specialized School Resource Officer training.

The Prince George’s County Police Department funds the SROs in the schools at an annual cost of more than 4 million dollars to the Police Department’s budget. The school system does not reimburse the Department."

Karen Cager As an employee of PGCPS for over 22 years I am concerned about the announcement to fully terminate the Prince George's County Police Department Contract KEEP with our system in the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.

First understanding their primary role is seen as being one of surveillance, their presence is pivotal in curtailing and deescalating the craziness that sometimes occurs daily in our school house environment. Most importantly these officers become mentors who establish trust and a strong positive rapport with our students, staff and school visitors. With consistently having the same School Resource Officer assigned to schools learning and teaching takes place with and for all concerned from both perspectives, therefore making the officers presence more effective. Their mere presence is the representation of showing PGCPS priority of safety first. Their daily presence lends to everyone seeing them in a positive stance working in public service within the educational environment and are there to help and assist.

I do understand the difficult choices that must be made at times safeguarding our precious cargo....our students and the fact that policing alone cannot solve all our societal problems. I employ you to reconsider terminating this partnership in full but rather viewing it as a support transition program until the much needed clinical support staff is in place, ready and available to assist our student and parents clinical needs. Until we are fully able to support our students' needs with mental health professionals, counselors, therapists, psychologists, more partnership referral resources, etc. all of which is sorely needed to support our students educational success our partnership should remain partially in place at the very least.

Respectfully submitted, NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Nicole de la Torre Hello, REMOVE

I am Nicole de la Torre, a resident of Mount Rainier. I urge you to support the proposal recently advanced from the School Board’s Budget Committee to cancel the School Resource Officer (SRO) contract with the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) and municipal police departments, and to identify $5 million in additional funding for social workers and counselors. With budget cuts looming, this is an opportunity to support the staff who really keep our students staff and prove Black lives matter in our schools.

We all want our kids to be safe. SROs are not the right people for this job. Schools with SROs are more likely than similar schools without SROs to arrest children for minor offenses, beginning kids’ path on the school-to-prison pipeline. Because SROs, like any police officer and unlike professional educators, are better trained in use-of-force than de-escalation, normal issues of school discipline are more likely to turn violent when they are delegated to SROs. Unsurprisingly, SRO discipline is not meted out equally: Black students make up only 17% of the national student body but 31% of SRO arrests. Disabled students make up only 12% of the national study body but 75% of the students involuntarily restrained at schools. Just last year, the NAACP demanded PGCPS end its disciplinary practices that disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities.

If Black lives matter to PGCPS, we will cancel our contract with PGPD--as Minneapolis Public Schools have already done. We know that counselors, nurses, social workers, and teachers make our students safe. And we know that cuts are coming from Annapolis, where Larry Hogan has already vetoed the Kirwan Plan to adequately fund our schools (alongside long overdue enhanced funding for our HBCUs). Cancelling PGCPS’ SRO contract will not only make students safer, it will free up $3 million to fund the staff who help our students flourish.

I look forward to your response. Black lives matter.

Best,

Nicole

Kristina Harris Dear Members of the PGCPS School Board and PGCPS District Leadership: REMOVE

I am writing to urge PGCPS to end their contract with the Prince George's County Police Department. We have witnessed time and again the excessive use of force by local officers targeting young Black, Indigenous, and people of color. We have seen countless acts of violence perpetrated by police officers against the Black community, including the recent murders of George Floyd, David McAtee, Breonna Taylor, and many others. We have watched the police respond to peaceful protests with tear-gas, flash bombs, and rubber bullets. These assaults are not mere reactions to maintain civil order; they are rooted in a vicious cycle of violence, enacted through the police, directed at Black and Brown bodies.

PGPD has no place in our schools. The persistent use of excessive force by police officers, both in and outside of school, is traumatizing for our students. Additionally, School Resource Officers have not been proven to increase safety at schools. In fact, the Justice Policy Institute (2011) reported that the presence of law enforcement on school grounds increases the chances of students being arrested by police, rather than disciplined by school officials. SRO policing contributes to a culture of fear, disengagement, and stress in schools, and funnels students into the school-to-prison pipeline. Our students—particularly our Black, Indigenous, and students of color—continually express feeling unsafe in our school environment when police are present. In fact, with PGPD present at school, evidence tells us that our students are less safe, period.

How can students build meaningful learning partnerships and relationships with teachers and peers while they are being traumatized at school? Contracting with PGPD is antithetical to our district’s mission “to provide a great education that empowers all students and contributes to thriving communities.” I believe that it is imperative to the wellbeing of our students, staff, and families for PGCPS to completely dissolve its contract with PGPD. After this contract is dissolved, I propose that PGCPS invest in hiring more mental health professionals, social workers, restorative justice coordinators, and nurses in our schools. These steps would actually address our students' needs for support from compassionate adults and access to medical and mental healthcare.

In solidarity with our students,

Krissy Harris

Daniel Greene --Dr. Alvin Thornton, REMOVE Krissy Harris MFAMy name Candidate is Daniel in DanceGreene and I’m proud to live in Mount Rainier, with my wife—a nurse and PG resident going back four generations—and our daughter. I urge you Graduateto support Teaching the proposal Assistant recently advanced from the School Board’s Budget Committee to cancel the School Resource Officer (SRO) contract with the Prince George’ Universitys County Police of Maryland Department (PGPD) and municipal police departments, and to identify $5 million in additional funding for social workers and counselors. With budget Schoolcuts looming, of Theatre, this is Dance, an opportunity and Performance to support Studies the staff who really keep our students staff and to prove Black lives matter in our schools. pronouns: she/her/hers We all want our kids to be safe. SROs are not the right people for this job. Schools with SROs are more likely than similar schools without SROs to arrest children for minor offenses, beginning kids’ path on the school-to-prison pipeline. Because SROs, like any police officer and unlike professional educators, are better trained in use-of-force than de-escalation, normal issues of school discipline are more likely to turn violent when they are delegated to SROs. Unsurprisingly, SRO discipline is not meted out equally: Black students make up only 17% of the national student body but 31% of SRO arrests. Disabled students make up only 12% of the national study body but 75% of the students involuntarily restrained at schools. Just last year, the NAACP demanded PGCPS end its disciplinary practices that disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities.

If Black lives matter to PGCPS, we will cancel our contract with PGPD--as Minneapolis Public Schools have already done. We know that counselors, nurses, social workers, and teachers make our students safe. And we know that cuts are coming from Annapolis, where Larry Hogan has already vetoed the Kirwan Plan to adequately fund our schools (alongside long overdue enhanced funding for our HBCUs). Cancelling PGCPS’ SRO contract will not only make students safer, it will free up $3 million to fund the staff who help our students flourish.

I look forward to your response. Black lives matter.

Best, Daniel ----

Daniel Greene

Assistant Professor College of Information Studies University of Maryland, College Park NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Elizabeth England Dear Dr. Thornton, REMOVE

I am Elizabeth England, a resident of the Hollywood neighborhood of College Park. I urge you to support the proposal recently advanced from the School Board’s Budget Committee to cancel the School Resource Officer (SRO) contract with the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) and municipal police departments, and to identify $5 million in additional funding for social workers and counselors. With budget cuts looming, this is an opportunity to support the staff who really keep our students staff and prove Black lives matter in our schools.

We all want our kids to be safe. SROs are not the right people for this job. Schools with SROs are more likely than similar schools without SROs to arrest children for minor offenses, beginning kids’ path on the school-to-prison pipeline. Because SROs, like any police officer and unlike professional educators, are better trained in use-of-force than de-escalation, normal issues of school discipline are more likely to turn violent when they are delegated to SROs. Unsurprisingly, SRO discipline is not meted out equally: Black students make up only 17% of the national student body but 31% of SRO arrests. Disabled students make up only 12% of the national study body but 75% of the students involuntarily restrained at schools. Just last year, the NAACP demanded PGCPS end its disciplinary practices that disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities.

If Black lives matter to PGCPS, we will cancel our contract with PGPD--as Minneapolis Public Schools have already done. We know that counselors, nurses, social workers, and teachers make our students safe. And we know that cuts are coming from Annapolis, where Larry Hogan has already vetoed the Kirwan Plan to adequately fund our schools (alongside long overdue enhanced funding for our HBCUs). Cancelling PGCPS’ SRO contract will not only make students safer, it will free up $3 million to fund the staff who help our students flourish.

I look forward to your response. Black lives matter.

Best,

Elizabeth

Anne Richardson Dear Members of the PGCPS School Board and PGCPS District Leadership: REMOVE

I am writing to urge PGCPS to end their contract with the Prince George's County Police Department. We have witnessed time and again the excessive use of force by local officers targeting young Black, Indigenous, and people of color. We have seen countless acts of violence perpetrated by police officers against the Black community, including the recent murders of George Floyd, David McAtee, Breonna Taylor, and many others. We have watched the police respond to peaceful protests with tear-gas, flash bombs, and rubber bullets. These assaults are not mere reactions to maintain civil order; they are rooted in a vicious cycle of violence, enacted through the police, directed at Black and Brown bodies.

PGPD has no place in our schools. The persistent use of excessive force by police officers, both in and outside of school, is traumatizing for our students. Additionally, School Resource Officers have not been proven to increase safety at schools. In fact, the Justice Policy Institute (2011) reported that the presence of law enforcement on school grounds increases the chances of students being arrested by police, rather than disciplined by school officials. SRO policing contributes to a culture of fear, disengagement, and stress in schools, and funnels students into the school-to-prison pipeline. Our students—particularly our Black, Indigenous, and students of color—continually express feeling unsafe in our school environment when police are present. In fact, with PGPD present at school, evidence tells us that our students are less safe, period.

How can students build meaningful learning partnerships and relationships with teachers and peers while they are being traumatized at school? Contracting with PGPD is antithetical to our district’s mission “to provide a great education that empowers all students and contributes to thriving communities.” I believe that it is imperative to the wellbeing of our students, staff, and families for PGCPS to completely dissolve its contract with PGPD. After this contract is dissolved, I propose that PGCPS invest in hiring more mental health professionals, social workers, restorative justice coordinators, and nurses in our schools. These steps would actually address our students' needs for support from compassionate adults and access to medical and mental healthcare.

In solidarity with our students,

Anne Richardson M.Ed. in School Counseling Candidate at the University of Maryland

Liam Monahan Dear Members of the PG Board of Education, REMOVE

I am Liam Monahan, a resident of Mt. Rainier. I urge you to support the proposal recently advanced from the School Board’s Budget Committee to cancel the School Resource Officer (SRO) contract with the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) and municipal police departments, and to identify $5 million in additional funding for social workers and counselors. With budget cuts looming, this is an opportunity to support the staff who really keep our students staff and prove Black lives matter in our schools.

We all want our kids to be safe. SROs are not the right people for this job. Schools with SROs are more likely than similar schools without SROs to arrest children for minor offenses, beginning kids’ path on the school-to-prison pipeline. Because SROs, like any police officer and unlike professional educators, are better trained in use-of-force than de-escalation, normal issues of school discipline are more likely to turn violent when they are delegated to SROs. Unsurprisingly, SRO discipline is not meted out equally: Black students make up only 17% of the national student body but 31% of SRO arrests. Disabled students make up only 12% of the national study body but 75% of the students involuntarily restrained at schools. Just last year, the NAACP demanded PGCPS end its disciplinary practices that disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities.

If Black lives matter to PGCPS, we will cancel our contract with PGPD--as Minneapolis Public Schools have already done. We know that counselors, nurses, social workers, and teachers make our students safe. And we know that cuts are coming from Annapolis, where Larry Hogan has already vetoed the Kirwan Plan to adequately fund our schools (alongside long overdue enhanced funding for our HBCUs). Cancelling PGCPS’ SRO contract will not only make students safer, it will free up $3 million to fund the staff who help our students flourish.

I look forward to your response. Black lives matter.

Best,

-- Liam Monahan 4404 32nd St. Mount Rainier, MD 20712 NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Amy Wickner Dear Dr. Thornton, KEEP

I am Amy Wickner, a resident of Hyattsville. I urge you to support the proposal recently advanced from the School Board’s Budget Committee to cancel the School Resource Officer (SRO) contract with the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) and municipal police departments, and to identify $5 million in additional funding for social workers and counselors. With budget cuts looming, this is an opportunity to support the staff who really keep our students staff and prove Black lives matter in our schools.

We all want our kids to be safe. SROs are not the right people for this job. Schools with SROs are more likely than similar schools without SROs to arrest children for minor offenses, beginning kids’ path on the school-to-prison pipeline. Because SROs, like any police officer and unlike professional educators, are better trained in use-of-force than de-escalation, normal issues of school discipline are more likely to turn violent when they are delegated to SROs. Unsurprisingly, SRO discipline is not meted out equally: Black students make up only 17% of the national student body but 31% of SRO arrests. Disabled students make up only 12% of the national study body but 75% of the students involuntarily restrained at schools. Just last year, the NAACP demanded PGCPS end its disciplinary practices that disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities.

If Black lives matter to PGCPS, we will cancel our contract with PGPD--as Minneapolis Public Schools have already done. We know that counselors, nurses, social workers, and teachers make our students safe. And we know that cuts are coming from Annapolis, where Larry Hogan has already vetoed the Kirwan Plan to adequately fund our schools (alongside long overdue enhanced funding for our HBCUs). Cancelling PGCPS’ SRO contract will not only make students safer, it will free up $3 million to fund the staff who help our students flourish.

I look forward to your response. Black lives matter.

Charles Woodruff Dr. Thornton, KEEP

As that parent of a current DuVal HS student and one graduate of the school, I urge you to vote against removal of the SROs from our schools. Both of my children have had only positive interactions with the SRO and my daughter says she would not feel as safe without him there. I think that this is a knee jerk reaction to recent events and was not well thought out.

Thank you,

Charles Woodruff

Kady Ruth Ashcraft Dear Mr. Alvin Thornton, REMOVE

I am Kady Ashcraft and I grew up in University Park, Maryland and went to school at Eleanor Roosevelt in their Science and Tech program. I urge you to support the proposal recently advanced from the School Board’s Budget Committee to cancel the School Resource Officer (SRO) contract with the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) and municipal police departments, and to identify $5 million in additional funding for social workers and counselors. With budget cuts looming, this is an opportunity to support the staff who really keep our students staff and prove Black lives matter in our schools.

We all want our kids to be safe. SROs are not the right people for this job. Schools with SROs are more likely than similar schools without SROs to arrest children for minor offenses, beginning kids’ path on the school-to-prison pipeline. Because SROs, like any police officer and unlike professional educators, are better trained in use-of-force than de-escalation, normal issues of school discipline are more likely to turn violent when they are delegated to SROs. Unsurprisingly, SRO discipline is not meted out equally: Black students make up only 17% of the national student body but 31% of SRO arrests. Disabled students make up only 12% of the national study body but 75% of the students involuntarily restrained at schools. Just last year, the NAACP demanded PGCPS end its disciplinary practices that disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities.

If Black lives matter to PGCPS, we will cancel our contract with PGPD--as Minneapolis Public Schools have already done. We know that counselors, nurses, social workers, and teachers make our students safe. And we know that cuts are coming from Annapolis, where Larry Hogan has already vetoed the Kirwan Plan to adequately fund our schools (alongside long overdue enhanced funding for our HBCUs). Cancelling PGCPS’ SRO contract will not only make students safer, it will free up $3 million to fund the staff who help our students flourish.

I look forward to your response. Black lives matter.

Best,

Kady Ashcraft NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Association of Dear Members of the Board of Education: Supervisory & Administrative School Personnel - Doris Reed The Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel (ASASP) is concerned by rumors of your intent to dismantle our relationship with the Prince George’s County Police Department. Further, we understand that you are also considering a reduction in the funding for our in-school security employees. Certainly, these are but unfounded rumors! No rational group of intelligent adults could possibly be advocating such a drastic and short-sighted reaction to public hysteria surrounding the unfortunate events of these last several months.

We are perplexed that you did not even consider our participation, in the discussion, as your interest in public safety unfolded. Especially since school Administrators are the ones whose lives are endangered daily by students, parents and others who trespass in our buildings. Since you did not ask, we are including statements from some school-based Administrators in the hope this will educate you on the reality of life in our schools.

You, as representatives, of the citizens of this County, are charged with making decisions which redound to the best interests of those citizens; especially those citizens who are under your direct authority as students and as employees. ASASP will find you to be derelict in your duties, if you choose to place in harm’s way, the lives of those who must enter into the hundreds of facilities under your charge. Thousands of individuals engaged in the business of education should not now have to be burdened with being left, or exposed to untested schemes and un-researched devices surrounding daily school security!

ASASP believes that Members of a Board of Education must be proactive rather than reactive, especially when demonstrating to children how to resolve issues as complicated as those now facing the American public! If your proposed actions are carried out, the burden of total school security would then shift to our school Administrators. While these Administrators have always provided for safe school environments, the partnerships forged over these many years with our law enforcement officers have helped to decrease the number, and the severity, of schoolhouse offenses. There is no tangible reason for your actions, other than public appeasement...pure and simple! Please understand that your public is made up of mainly children! They are mandated observers to your histrionics!

Selectivity of anger, often leads to serious miscalculations and to serious faults of decision-making. Please do not base educational decisions on the pulse of public sentiment, and especially in those moments when anxiety and turmoil are running rampant, fueled by the human events of the day, and by the frightening aspects of an uncontrolled pandemic. Be more than this. Knee-jerk is an unacceptable strategy for any school board. Rise to the occasion, by thoughtful and by reasoned analysis of what is best for this school district.

Respectfully,

Doris Reed

ASASP Executive Director

Marcia Saunders To: The Prince George’s County School Board KEEP Robinson From: Pastors James and Marcia Robinson

Tree of Life Christian Ministries

Clinton, Maryland 20735

Re: School Resource Officers

Over the last two days, we have seen news media reports and received numerous phone calls in response to news media reports that Prince George’s County Public School Board is exploring the idea of no longer having School Resource Officers in our schools.

We totally disagree with removing School Resource Officers from our schools for the following reasons:

1. Within the last year, not only in Prince George’s County but nationwide, there has been a publicly voiced need for School Resource Officers in schools in light of the growing incidents of mass school shootings. School Resource Officers are the first line of defense for our children and a necessary protection.

2. The timing for this news release could not have come at a worse time. Parents, children and the public are already under enormous stress from the shelter-in- place orders which have changed the home environments to work places and classrooms for virtual homeschooling. As parents and children try to understand and deal with an invisible life or death threat, there is now the consideration of when school opens will children not only be safe from the virus but also safe from physical harm. Removing School Resource Officers who are there to protect our children in this new environment is utterly ridiculous. The presence of School Resource Officers provides a sense of protection when all things seem out of control and/or threatening. It is totally baffling as to why our School Board members' concentration is not more attuned to working with School Superintendent Monica Goldson to figure out how to safely begin the school year in August during the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, the structure of classrooms, teaching formats and just overall what will returning to school in August look like.

3. Our School Resource Officers could be a part of the current solution between minorities and the police. If our children see School Resource Officers as an adult that respects and protects them, they will in turn respect the School Resource Officers. This could help the view and relationship between children and police outside of the school.

Instead, we have School Board members jumping on the current bandwagon towards the police. The next time there is a mass shooting, theses same School Board members will jump to another bandwagon to have more protection in our schools. The proper course would be to provide protection from a mass shooting even occurring.

We believe we are electing responsible School Board members to oversee the school system, not individuals who will jump on the current bandwagon without fully assessing the bigger picture -- the safety of our children. It is highly irresponsible to relay such a stance of removing School Resource Officers to the news media without holding in-depth meetings with Board members and parents to weigh the consequences of such an action and the impact it will have on the public they were elected to serve and the children they are to protect.

We believe there should be a protocol established to determine when School Board members can communicate or relay information to the news media on behalf of the School Board and what can actually be shared publicly. In addition, we believe that within the protocol there should be set guidelines concerning at what point the public is informed of proposed School Board matters. There should be one School Board member appointed to speak on behalf of the School Board to the news media. Too often, a Prince George’s School Board member relays an individual, personal representation, not the representation of the entire Board. This should not be and cannot continue. The Prince George's School Board should act as a unified body whose actions are geared towards what is best for our children!

Regards,

James J. Robinson, Pastor

Dr. Marcia Robinson, Assistant Pastor NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Beza Dagnachew Dear Dr. Alvin Thornton: REMOVE I write to you in the midst of our current national movement against police brutality to ask you to support the Prince George’s County Board of Education Resolution to Remove SROs from our schools. My siblings and I have all attended PGCPS schools at one point or another. My experience had no police officers, but my siblings on the other hand who attended Friendly and DuVal were surrounded by police. Starting from pre-kindergarten in PG county should not begin your journey in the pipeline to prison. Our children are not dangerous and they should not be treated like criminals before they are even able to have coherent/rational thoughts. Allow our children to be children. Allow them to make mistakes without fearing punitive outcomes. Engage in fixing the problems instead of meeting them with violence. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others at the hands of police has once again highlighted the racial bias that plagues our system of policing. As the Maryland Commission on the School-to-Prison Pipeline and Restorative Practices said in its 2018 report, “SROs are not trained as educators, but as sworn law enforcement officers with the authority to arrest people.” As sworn law enforcement officers, SROs come from the same system of racially biased policing that we are currently fighting against. During the the 2017-2018 school year, there were 350 school based arrests in Prince George’s County, compared to 226 in Montgomery County and only 60 school based arrests in Baltimore City. Black students in PGCPS are disproportionately impacted, comprising 86 percent of those arrests but only 55 percent of the student population.

I understand that some in our community believe we need SROs to keep our schools safe, but this is untrue. SROs are only a small part of the school security system. PGCPS employs over 200 school security personnel, and will spend $17 million in the upcoming school year to support that system. By ensuring that there is adequate local law enforcement coverage as required by the Maryland Safe to Learn Act, our schools are safe without armed officers in our hallways.

I ask that PGCPS commit to make our schools safe in the following ways: increase funding for mental health services (counseling/psychologists.therapists) and other restorative practices that do not emphasize punitive responses from those meant to protect our children. There is no reason why our children should go to school in militarized settings.

Thank you for supporting the resolution to remove SROs from Prince George’s County Schools. I know that with your support we can take the first brave step to build Rachel Delehant aHi truly I am safe reaching and inclusive out to a fewcommunity. of you board members, as a parent. KEEP

I am a local mom, whose child goes to Duvall. I am very very concerned that the Board is considering removing officers from schools. I think that just because there Sincerely,are a few police officers in our history that have been part of police brutality, and given the recent Floyd situation, we should not rush to make hasty decisions. Please keep safety as is. Beza Dagnachew Our children'safety comes first. Have you talked to members , our moms and dads of the local community before this sad and terrible George Floyd incident happened, many parents in my community, my neighbors and friends, of different races, have put their children in private schools like Elizabeth Setton ,and Demathis, way before this situation. They were concerned about the reputation and safety of the schools in our county. I was too, but felt at ease seeing police presence and officers there. Duval seems very disciplined in thier security procedures. I was told by a former staff person's daughter that it used to have a terrible reputation of violence.

I feel safe for my child now that she has completed the first year, Just because there are a few bad apples in the police force, one cannot punish the entire police force. Just like any other situation. I ask decisions to be rational.

Have you had a honest conversation with the community parents, about why the kids are not being placed in Prince Georges schools. Many are worried about safety . I can tell you where the kids are going, except for Roosevelt.

I saw Mr. Burroughs on TV stating research shows mental health of students is an issue with dropouts, and the focus should be on it. I agree, but mental health can create instability in behavior and crime while we work through it.

Please ensure our physical safety of the children while they are on school premises form outsiders as well as other students. Please do not abruptly make decisions because of a few bad apples. It is obvious that you are considering it because of this national tragedy of racial discrimination but I ask you to please think of our children first.

Thank you, God bless and be safe

Rachel Delehant-mom

Madlilyn Magno Dear school board members, KEEP

I am writing to share a student voice and thoughts about your upcoming vote about defunding school resource officers in favor of investing in mental health, counseling, and nurses. While I am very much in support of funding those types of roles in our school (in middle school we went without a nurse for quite some time.), I think that funding them in replacement of school resource officers is shortsighted and reactionary. School resource officers play a unique role in our schools and it would be a shame to lose them. I went to middle school at Martin Luther King Jr. middle school, and the resource officer there is Mr. Hughes. He was always happy to see everyone and would give you a high five or a wave. Mr. Hughes was also a coach on the baseball team. Mr. Hughes was always nice and welcoming to me and everyone else at the school. At my current school, Eleanor Roosevelt HS, we have several resource officers that I have not interacted with very much, but the interactions I have had with them have been nice. We have been on lockdown and gotten letters home several times throughout the time we were in the buildings this year due to activities in the apartments across the street. Especially because of the amount of mass shootings and other outside people trying to harm students, it is more important than ever to have people protecting our schools. I really think that to keep schools safe from real threats like mass shootings, we need a healthy mix of resource officers and mental health awareness. Another thing I want to bring to your attention is that most of the resource officers I know are black people of color. Defunding and firing these resource officers would be taking away jobs for black people and harming them when this legislation would be trying to help people of color. Resource officers are part of school ecosystems and their presence in schools is important. Thank you all for listening and be safe. Sincerely, Madilyn Magno -- Madilyn Magno PGCPS Student Class of 2023 [email protected]

Suchitra Balachandran Dear D-2 Member Joshua Thomas, and At-Large Members Alvin Thornton, Paul Monteiro, Sandra Shephard and Curtis Valentine, REMOVE

As you may know, Maryland State law requires every school in Maryland to either have a School Resource Officer (SRO) or to demonstrate that the school has adequate local law enforcement coverage.

Today, the PGCPS School Board will be considering a resolution introduced by Board Member Raaheela Ahmed that will instruct the school system's CEO to NOT renew contracts with county and local law enforcement agencies that result in the allocation of SROs. Having an armed officer in a school is not something students should see each day they come into school, nor is it the person who should be called first to resolve or defuse any situation. Schools should have adequate counselors and other trained personnel to handle juvenile issues and to bring about restorative justice, not punitive actions.

Please support the resolution and work towards a more holistic approach to educating young people of color, not terrorizing, threatening and imprisoning them. I am encouraged by the very positive response to these issues at the last Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting on June 8th and am hopeful that the full board will support this resolution.

Thank you Suchitra Balachandran College Park NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Emnet Dagnachew Dear Dr. Alvin Thornton: REMOVE

I write to you in the midst of our current national movement against police brutality to ask you to support the Prince George’s County Board of Education Resolution to Remove SROs from our schools. SROs aren't necessary because they promote violence in schools. Children should be able to be safe in their school building and not worry about the possibility of getting arrested for adolescent behavior. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others at the hands of police has once again highlighted the racial bias that plagues our system of policing. As the Maryland Commission on the School-to-Prison Pipeline and Restorative Practices said in its 2018 report, “SROs are not trained as educators, but as sworn law enforcement officers with the authority to arrest people.” As sworn law enforcement officers, SROs come from the same system of racially biased policing that we are currently fighting against. During the 2017-2018 school year, there were 350 school-based arrests in Prince George’s County, compared to 226 in Montgomery County and only 60 school-based arrests in Baltimore City. Black students in PGCPS are disproportionately impacted, comprising 86 percent of those arrests but only 55 percent of the student population. I understand that some in our community believe we need SROs to keep our schools safe, but this is untrue. SROs are only a small part of the school security system. PGCPS employs over 200 school security personnel and will spend $17 million in the upcoming school year to support that system. By ensuring that there is adequate local law enforcement coverage as required by the Maryland Safe to Learn Act, our schools are safe without armed officers in our hallways. I ask that PGCPS commit to making our schools safe in the following ways: The funding left over from the removal of SROs can be put in getting more social workers, or to purchase better, individualized learning materials to help the students attending absorb curriculum better. Mental health professionals are necessary for solving problems, while SROs just create more problems by promoting violence and punitive results for children's mistakes. Thank you for supporting the resolution to remove SROs from Prince George’s County Schools. I know that with your support we can take the first brave step to build a truly safe and inclusive community.

Sincerely,

Emnet

Maeeva Mason Good Evening, my name is Maeeva A. Mason. I am an uprising 10th grader at Suiltand High School Creative Visual Performing Arts. I am emailing you all in regards to the Police Removal plan that has been announced. I have read the article on Fox5dc.com and they've mentioned that the first step has been passed and approved. As I've read and researched further I've been enlightened on the plan to remove police out of schools and replace them with more social and mental health workers. I feel as though from what I've observed and have personally dealt with previously we need better staffing and teachers to replace the ones we have. I feel this way because I have been told that I have a great deal of potential but have not had the best guidance and education to activate that potential. For example, I have not been provided with the proper math education. I have not had a math teacher since the 5th grade. Very soon I will be taking the accuplacer and the PSAT. Although I am a part of College Track at the Durant Center (a non-profit organization that helps us students to get on the right track to not only graduate highschool but also get into the best college and graduate with little to no debt.) who provide me alongside of many other students with the most information they can I still do not feel as prepared as I should be. I also believe that developing more opportunities for students is a valuable part of our school and education career. Fundraising is beneficial but not enough. Many trips I've participated in at my schools during my school career have felt like a financial strain on my school. I believe if we altogether take more time to look in depth at the students daily lives it will help to provide students with the fitting key to unlock their potential and help educate more of the minority.

Thank you for your time -Maeeva Mason

Robin McNair Good Afternoon,

My name is Robin McNair and I am writing this email as a Prince George's County resident of District 7.

As a restorative justice practitioner, I understand the implications of having police in our schools with children. Too often children are placed in handcuffs or even arrested for normal childhood behavior leading to perpetuating the school to prison pipeline. At the same token, police in schools can act as a visual trigger for some students who do not view police as someone who is there to 'protect and serve' but as someone who has arrested, shot, or killed a family member.

Having been on both sides of this issue, I understand the concerns most educators have as well as parents and community members about removing them. While there is no evidence, that I have seen anyway, that police in schools make schools safer, I feel we must be strategic when pushing to remove police in our schools.

After conferring with several school districts who have undergone similar policy changes, I wanted to offer a possible discussion point.

An urban school district in Minnesota removed individual police in schools and assigned them to districts. There are 5 districts and one 'school liaison' officer is spread between the schools in that district as needed. Many of these officers are trained in restorative justice and know they are in this role to serve as a support, not as a policing agent. While I do not support having police in schools with our young people, I believe there needs to be a well thought out plan in how the removal is done here.

Dialogue between students and police (something being done in Baltimore City) is essential to helping remove the stigma each side has of the other. Has any conversation taken place with students?

We must work toward bridging the gap and combating implicit and racial bias.

Thank you. -- Restoratively Yours,

Ms. Robin L. McNair, M.Ed Restorative Practitioner/Trainer/Coach Pronouns: She, Her, Them

Erin Nortrup To At-Large Board Member/Chair Dr. Alvin Thornton, REMOVE

My name is Erin Nortrup and I am a resident of District 3. I am writing to you to urge that Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) terminate its contract with the Prince George’s Police Department (PGPD) and remove armed officers from our schools.

Our schools are not made safer through the constant presence of police; rather, numerous studies identify School Resource Officers (SRO) programs as the initial step in many students’ paths along the school-to-prison pipeline. Unlike professional educators, SROs are primarily trained in use-of-force rather than de-escalation techniques, meaning that situations involving crisis management and school discipline are more likely to turn violent. Not surprisingly, increased policing in schools is shown to create a tense learning environment characterized by intimidation, suspicion, and punishment, where students not only feel unsafe but are criminalized at a significantly higher rate. This is especially detrimental to the health of Black and Brown students, who are disproportionately targeted by SROs.

I support Board of Education Members David Murray’s and Raaheela Ahmed’s resolutions, which propose that PGCPS divest from its SROs contract with the PGPD. Instead, we can invest in resources such as trauma-informed teaching and peer mediation training, as well as employ more counselors and social workers. Given the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on students’ schooling and social lives, this extra support will be urgently needed upon return to face-to-face instruction. With further budget cuts looming, a redirecting of funding is crucial to support our professional educators and staff who know best how to keep our students safe. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Erin Nortrup NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Judy Walsh-Mellett Dear Dr. Thornton, REMOVE

My name is Judy Walsh-Mellett and I am a resident of District 3. I am writing to you to urge that Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) terminate its contract with the Prince George’s Police Department (PGPD) and remove armed officers from our schools. Our schools are not made safer through the constant presence of police; rather, numerous studies identify School Resource Officers (SRO) programs as the initial step in many students’ paths along the school-to-prison pipeline. Unlike professional educators, SROs are primarily trained in use-of-force rather than de-escalation techniques, meaning that situations involving crisis management and school discipline are more likely to turn violent. Not surprisingly, increased policing in schools is shown to create a tense learning environment characterized by intimidation, suspicion, and punishment, where students not only feel unsafe but are criminalized at a significantly higher rate. This is especially detrimental to the health of Black and Brown students, who are disproportionately targeted by SROs.

My own son graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in 2013 and while he never had direct engagement with security officers there, he felt that their presence was completely unhelpful. He observed them to be "bullies". Personnel specifically trained to work with children and adolescents will do much more to create safe learning environments.

I support Board of Education Members David Murray’s and Raaheela Ahmed’s resolutions, which propose that PGCPS divest from its SROs contract with the PGPD. Instead, we can invest in resources such as trauma-informed teaching and peer mediation training, as well as employ more counselors and social workers. Given the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on students’ schooling and social lives, this extra support will be urgently needed upon return to face-to-face instruction. With further budget cuts looming, a redirecting of funding is crucial to support our professional educators and staff who know best how to keep our students safe. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Judy Walsh-Mellett

Mt. Rainier, MD

Aleja Hertzler-McCain Dear Dr. Thornton, REMOVE

My name is Aleja Hertzler-McCain, and I am a resident of District 3. I am writing to you to urge that Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) terminate its contract with the Prince George’s Police Department (PGPD) and remove armed officers from our schools.

Our schools are not made safer through the constant presence of police; rather, numerous studies identify School Resource Officers (SRO) programs as the initial step in many students’ paths along the school-to-prison pipeline. Unlike professional educators, SROs are primarily trained in use-of-force rather than de-escalation techniques, meaning that situations involving crisis management and school discipline are more likely to turn violent. Not surprisingly, increased policing in schools is shown to create a tense learning environment characterized by intimidation, suspicion, and punishment, where students not only feel unsafe but are criminalized at a significantly higher rate. This is especially detrimental to the health of Black and Brown students, who are disproportionately targeted by SROs.

I support Board of Education Members David Murray’s and Raaheela Ahmed’s resolutions, which propose that PGCPS divest from its SROs contract with the PGPD. Instead, we can invest in resources such as trauma-informed teaching and peer mediation training, as well as employ more counselors and social workers. Given the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on students’ schooling and social lives, this extra support will be urgently needed upon return to face-to-face instruction. With further budget cuts looming, a redirecting of funding is crucial to support our professional educators and staff who know best how to keep our students safe. Thank you.

Best,

Aleja

Claudia Jones Dear Prince George's County Board of Education Members: KEEP > > My name is Claudia Jones and I'm native Prince Georgian and live in Greenbelt. > > The reason why I'm writing to you is because I'm concerned of the School Resources Officer at Eleanor Roosevelt (ERHS) in Greenbelt. > > This position is a law enforcement position, of which is a Greenbelt Police Officer. This position is funded by the County School Board and the funding of $80,000 is in the City of Greenbelt Police Department, account 310. > > There is some discussion that the County School Board is going to eliminate this position and replace it with a counselor at ERHS. > > I went through the P.G. County School system as well as my son, and I'm against this position being eliminated and defunded at ERHS. > > I spoke to Mr. Reginald McNeill, Principal at ERHS on Wednesday, August 19, and asked him if this position is needed. He said that there is a partnership with the Greenbelt Police Department and ERHS, and that this partnership is positive and has worked well and most importantly needed at ERHS. > > As I graduated from ERHS, as well as my son, I'm urging you to not eliminate this position and replace it with a counselor. ERHS has counselors at the school and does not need another counselor. Instead, this school needs a School Resource Officer who is a police officer. > > Thank you for considering my plea. I hope that the school board does not eliminate this position for FY 2021. > > Sincerely, > > Claudia Jones > 7-D Laurel Hill Road > Greenbelt, MD 20770 > cell: 443-766-2585 NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Shirley Latern Dupont Village Neighborhood Watch KEEP

To: Prince George’s County School Board August 13, 2020 Reference: Removal of SROs from Schools Topic: Disagree with the Decision From: Dupont Village Neighborhood Watch of Suitland, MD 20746

We found it disturbing to hear that there is a question on the table to remove Police Officers from Prince George’s County Schools. We feel that removing the School Resource Officers (SRO) from any school is a BIG mistake. We are telling you this because one of our members experienced firsthand the benefits of having Officers in the school. Her daughter was a Junior at Suitland High School when there was a shooting behind the Annex Building where she was picking up her Godson. When she realized that something was happening, the school became in full lockdown mode. What if there was no Officer and the shooter came in the building? What would happen to the students, teachers and administrative staff? Are you willing to take on the responsibility of calling parents of the students, the loved ones of the teachers and administrative staff to tell them that their loved ones are gone? What we are trying to do is to paint a gruesome picture so that you will take into consideration what the outcome would be if we didn’t have the Officers. The blood of each person whose life was taken will be on your hands! One more point: there have been massive fights at Suitland High School and her daughter was afraid to attempt to come home. She was threatened by a group of young ladies who decided to come on the street where she lives, to fight. Because of the Officers, the individuals couldn’t stay on school grounds to fight. The actual fight was so intense that the Officers followed the crowd to the 7-11 on the corner of Silver Hill Road and Porter Avenue. Some individuals were arrested after a young man was beaten to the point of having convulsions on the ground. The Officers sprayed pepper spray in the air to break up the crowd. After that, the customers in the 7-11 felt safe to come out of the store. We know that Suitland High School is “NOT” the only school that is experiencing this type of behavior from some of their students. We are pleading with you and the members of the board to please hear the cry of the people and keep the Officers in place at the schools in Prince George’s County. The officers can provide services that the teachers can’t. They are there to serve and protect the citizens and students of this county. Of their many responsibilities while at the school is to support the school security officers – if an incident

should escalates then the SRO would be the persons to intervene at that time and deal with any off school grounds incidents.

And being that they are support systems then that means the School Administrator division must hire legitimate school security workers that has the proper background of dealing with students. This will decrease the amount of backup the SRO has to do and would serve their purpose of decreasing escalated incidents. SROs are in place to do the following: Bridge the gap between the Police and the students Help to create good attitude or view between the students and the law Teach them to respect themselves, fellow students, teachers and as well as others property Reduce juvenile delinquency Provide a safe environment Lend a listening ear when needed Teach them ways to deal with bullying Teach them how to avoid getting mixed up with gangs And finally listed below are more reasons for keeping the SRO in schools along with some recommendations to improve their service to the students, from residents and school workers. Some are present teachers, substitute teachers, cafeteria workers and parents along with Neighborhood Watch members who work with the SROs and COPS at events with the students. 1. I think resource officer that are thoroughly trained in child development and de-escalation techniques are needed in schools. SROs should be abreast of up to date techniques and info regarding the students they are serving that may have unique circumstances in the school communities. If SROs do not stay in compliance with training protocol they should not be able to serve in school communities. 2. My vote is yes for SROs to remain in County Schools. I work part-time in PG County Public Schools, and I have seen the critical need for SROs help and presence in high middle schools especially 3. I vote yes. For SRO's in schools. If anything hopefully the students will feel safe 4. Need to keep the SRO in schools (safety of the students, cafeteria staff, custodians and teachers is needed for if they are not there anyone can walk freely through our buildings). Remember the teachers want to go home at the end of the day too 5. Need to hire school counselors and mental health workers to be in the schools along with the SRO to respond jointly with SRO when trouble breaks out at the schools. Finally, just look at the responsibilities listed for a SRO on the internet and it reads: A SRO has a diverse role in the school and community and has many duties and responsibilities. We have defined a School Resource Officer as a sworn officer assigned to a school on a long-term basis trained to perform three major roles: law enforcement officer, law-related counselor, and law-related educator. So instead of removing them from the schools just give them more training along with the school security officers so all persons who enter that building feels and is made to be safe with everyone working together. Sincerely, Shirley Lathern Chair Sharon Pearson-Ford Co-Chair NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Daniel Daughtry-Weiss Mr. Swann and at-large school board representatives, As a resident of District 4 and a parent of two students (Roosevelt and TBD), I am writing to you to urge that REMOVE Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) terminate its current contract with the Prince George’s Police Department (PGPD) and redirect funding from armed officers.

Restorative justice approaches to school discipline are being implemented in districts across the country. Our district should redirect funding to a more equitable and effective approach to safety and discipline that improves the school climate, that trains and provides resources for both students, teachers, and administrators in building safe and accountable communities. Here is a recent research review of restorative justice initiatives: https://www.wested.org/wp- content/uploads/2019/04/resource-restorative-justice-in-u-s-schools-an-updated-research-review.pdf. This report describes the various ways restorative justice principles are being implemented and the outcomes that have been demonstrated to date.

Unlike a contract to the police department, restorative justice approaches are not "plug a d play" -- they entail much-needed culture changes at each school over a period of 3-4 years. As a result restorative justice approaches should be fully resourced and expanded through pilot programs, where success (and learning through setbacks) can be expanded from school to school and different approaches tested to ensure success. You do not need to go far to talk to practitioners about it. DCPS has been implementing RJ with dedicated partners in many schools.

Restorative DC, a project of SchoolTalk, supports around over 60 DCPS and public charter schools in whole-school implementation of Restorative Justice practices and culture change. It does so through intensive, trauma-informed, collaborative, customized, onsite, and locally-based technical support in order to lower incidents of conflict and harm, reduce the use of suspensions and expulsions, increase school performance, and center the school community around relationships, inclusivity, and accountability. http://www.restorativedc.org/#:~:text=Restorative%20DC%2C%20a%20project%20of,Justice%20practices%20and%20culture%20change.

While it is adopted at the school level, DCPS is promoting restorative justice at the district level even as school buildings are closed: https://osse.dc. gov/page/restorative-justice-trainings-and-resources. While some SROs may be effective and beneficial in certain locations to help redefine relationships with law enforcement, they do not transmit the skills and outcomes we need here in Prince George's County.

I support Board of Education Members David Murray’s and Raaheela Ahmed’s resolutions, which propose that PGCPS divest from its SROs contract with the PGPD. Instead, we can invest in resources such as trauma-informed teaching and peer mediation training, as well as employ more counselors and social workers. Given the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on students’ schooling and social lives, this extra support will be urgently needed upon return to face-to-face instruction. With further budget cuts looming, a redirecting of funding is crucial to support our professional educators and staff who know best how to keep our students safe.

Sincerely,

Daniel Daughtry-Weiss

cc:

District 4: Bryan Swann [email protected] Daniel Daughtry-Weiss At-LargePART TWO (Chair): Dr. Alvin ThorntonThank you [email protected] Mr. Swann and Mr. Thornton. Our concern relates to the cost--both financial and social cost--of using law enforcement to At-Large:obtain a safe Dr. Paullearning Monteiro environment. Jr. [email protected] I've read this from PGCPS regarding safety measures. Can you tell me what proportion of SRO enforcement actions involve At-Large:students and Sandra how Shephardmuch to external [email protected] security threats? Which one are principles and teachers most concerned about? At-Large: Curtis Valentine [email protected] DistrictIf the primary 5: Raaheela concern Ahmed is student [email protected] threats to security, SROs are NOT the answer. If, as I suspect, students are the security concern of principles, students and Districtteachers, 1: theDavid PGCPS Murray school [email protected] board should be leading the call for approaches that have proven both more effective and equitable for students of color. Given my understanding of the research on this issue (graduate of Maryland School of Public Policy), we should not be investing in--from whatever county budget--armed enforcement. Please read about this public policy research, published by the Brookings Institute, to assess the school safety impact of SROs in the wake of increased funding for SROs in the State of North Carolina, . The author concludes:

When comparing schools within districts that received additional funding for SROs to schools within districts that did not, I found no relationships between additional dollars received and reductions in the 16 disciplinary acts that must be reported to the state. Some of the 16 disciplinary outcomes include various forms of assault, homicide, bomb threats, possession and use of alcohol and drugs, possession of weapons, and more... Legislators often focus on protections from gun violence, which is indeed important, but as shown by the 16 mandatory discipline acts, school safety extends beyond gun violence. Given evidence that increasing funding for SROs does not have an effect on school safety, as measured by reported disciplinary acts, SRO philosophies should be re-evaluated. I went to a public middle school and a private high school. The public school had its share of student fights--I was involved in a few myself! I understand that you can't change the behavior of thousands of stakeholders or school environment overnight through divestment. HOWEVER, given the problems we have seen with authoritarian, punishment-oriented enforcement, we must follow those making progress using alternatives such as those outlined in the report I cited regarding restorative justice in schools: https://www.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/resource-restorative-justice-in-u-s-schools-an-updated-research-review.pdf

Thank you for the clarification regarding funding, given that the June 8th resolution was reported to come from the Budget Committee. Regardless, you must show leadership. That is why we elected you! I will be writing the County Executive and Board and state representatives as well, but PGCPS and board must lead the way in this matter.

Funding for mental health may be, as you say, a separate issue. You do, however, have a school safety budget. Here is a table of studies regarding outcomes from studies of restorative justice implementation from the report above. Keep in mind that implementation varies widely. Hopefully this will encourage you to seek more information and obtain support for a restorative justice initiative in our county's schools for the safety and well being of ALL students.

Ellen Chandler Royse Dear Mr. Burroughs -- Remove

My name is Ellen Royse. As a high school teacher and a Hyattsville resident, I was excited to hear that Price George's County was considering removing police from schools throughout the county. I was subsequently very disappointed to see the Board push this conversation and decision down the road to September instead of taking decisive action now.

I have reviewed the publicly available information from this Monday's meeting of the Board’s Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee, but it seems that no action was taken to 1) evaluate and assess the role of SROs in the school system and their alignment with PGCPS security services; (2) seek additional school administrator, staff, parent, student and community input regarding the use of SROs; or (3) work with the CEO to develop a report that will demonstrate how PGCPS budgets devoted to mental health, counselor, social services, special needs and related services are deployed strategically to achieved desired student development needs.

In fact, the publicly available budget, "Building Pride: Students First," makes no mention of the amount that the county is paying for contracts with the police department and other security providers. Identifying and cutting these contracts could provide much needed dollars for preventative harm reduction within our schools.

We have an opportunity as a county to show leadership on a national scale, following suit with school districts in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland, Milwaukee and Denver who have ended their partnerships and contracts with police departments in order to better serve their students. The incredible work of organizations like Dignity in Schools, The Advancement Project, End Zero Tolerance and Black Swan Academy lay out frameworks for how police-free schools are not only vital for student success but realistic and viable.

While I applaud the contents of letter you wrote to Dr. Goldson and the Academic Achievement Committee to examine and improve the Black and Brown History offered throughout the PGCPS curriculum, suggesting actions to another committee is not sufficient action. The Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee has a mandate to assess the role of police in our schools, and I urge the committee to recommend ending contracts with the county police and SROs as part of their budgetary recommendation.

The young people of Prince George's County deserve to be nurtured, protected and heard, not surveilled, harassed and criminalized . I urge you, the Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee and the rest of the Board to take decisive action to remove police officers and SROs from Prince George's County Schools.

Sincerely, Ellen Royse Hyattsville, MD NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Renee Monica Thu, Jun 11, 5:39 PM Keep to ceo, sonya3.williams, Edward3.Burroughs

To whom this may concern; I am writing in regards to the sudden topic of removing school resource officers from the schools. I am shocked and concerned regarding that the drastic measures that are being considered without regards to the stakeholders that would be heavily impacted. My concern comes from the angle(not sure if angle is best, maybe the lens. Not sure on that one) of being a black woman, a mother of PG County students, a product of PG County Schools, a current educator, and a victim of racial profiling from police. As an alum of Friendly High School and a current educator in DC, I have years of experience with School Resource Officers as a student and a school based employee.

While change is needed with policies and procedures in the Police Departments across the nation, I do not believe that the drastic action of removing school resource officers here in Prince Georges countyfrom school buildings is a good ideawarranted. This move doesn’t produce an effective plan to ensure students’ safety. The presence of SROs have been positive from my account in 2 districts (if any negative accounts, they should be handled on an individual base). Removal of the SROs do not solve the systemica problem of police brutality or root issues of what students encounter. Furthermore, this subject should not be wrapped in addressing social or mental health issues of students.

I believe there is a great need for resource officers and wrap around services to address safety and mental health of our children. We have a casino that was promised to give money to the school system and the local area, a portion of that money should be allocated for these mental health issues. It is also think is irresponsible to make such a haste decision that will have a lasting impact. Furthermore, I am unwilling to put my children in the position that could be harmful.

I believe this motion should not move forward at all or at the very least without the following:

Input from parents

Input from the Administration and Staff whom these SROs work with

A viable plan presented to the stakeholders.

And recognition of student voices will be impacted by this motion. ?

I hope that you will take the contents of this letter into heavy consideration when making your decision.

Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S9, an AT&T 5G Evolution capable smartphone

William Steen Thu, Jun 11, 3:16 PM to me

Mr. Burrougs, I am aware that there is a meeting scheduled tonight to address the very important matter about police in the schools. I am hoping that you stand as one of the mature voices that discuss the facts. The knee jerk reaction that is being discussed on today's platform will not help in today's request for reform if it is only based on thoughts and not facts.

The School board has its own employees responsible for investigations and arrests. They are called SA' s and IC's. The Police officer, School Resource Officer, is only there to assist, so to attribute all of the arrests to the police is inaccurate. The IC's have always had the authority to charge students on a J1 and have done so for years.

The SRO (Police Officer) was a community-based position brought into the school system to serve as the last line of defense against the mass-shootings taking place across the county. In the initial phase, SRO worked with the Health Teachers to co-teach the chapter on drugs and smoking.

I am not even aware if the school board contributes any funding to the police department for that partnership. They didn't in the past.

So I implore you to please advocate on behalf of truth and share the countless positive interaction school officers had with the students. The students that called them a mentor, friend, mother/father, aunt/uncle. Your constituent, William Steen Oxon Hill, Md.

Januari McKay Jun 11, 2020, 1:55 PM Remove to me Dear Edward Burroughs:

I write to you in the midst of our current national movement against police brutality to ask you to support the Prince George’s County Board of Education Resolution to Remove SROs from our schools. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others at the hands of police has once again highlighted the racial bias that plagues our system of policing. As the Maryland Commission on the School-to-Prison Pipeline and Restorative Practices said in its 2018 report, “SROs are not trained as educators, but as sworn law enforcement officers with the authority to arrest people.” As sworn law enforcement officers, SROs come from the same system of racially biased policing that we are currently fighting against. During the the 2017-2018 school year, there were 350 school based arrests in Prince George’ s County, compared to 226 in Montgomery County and only 60 school based arrests in Baltimore City. Black students in PGCPS are disproportionately impacted, comprising 86 percent of those arrests but only 55 percent of the student population.

I understand that some in our community believe we need SROs to keep our schools safe, but this is untrue. SROs are only a small part of the school security system. PGCPS employs over 200 school security personnel, and will spend $17 million in the upcoming school year to support that system. By ensuring that there is adequate local law enforcement coverage as required by the Maryland Safe to Learn Act, our schools are safe without armed officers in our hallways.

I ask that PGCPS commit to make our schools safe in the following ways: increasing funding for mental health professionals including school psychologists, therapists, counselors, and restorative justice practitioners; positive behavioral interventions; and removing funding from security personnel already in schools.

Thank you for supporting the resolution to remove SROs from Prince George’s County Schools. I know that with your support we can take the first brave step to build a truly safe and inclusive community.

Sincerely,

Januari McKay NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Raiye Dagnachew Thu, Jun 11, 1:25 PM Remove to bcc: me

Dear council member,

I write to you in the midst of our current national movement against police brutality to ask you to support the Prince George’s County Board of Education Resolution to Remove SROs from our schools. I have attended PGCPS schools all my life and I have seen how the police presence in public schools has been harmful to the school environment. I was 15 when I saw a police officer that was placed in my highschool try to de-escalate a situation by placing their hands around one of my classmate's neck, a black girl like myself. She ended up going to therapy because she had PTSD from this event and it affected her sleep. Instead of just talking to the students and de-escalating the situation, which I feel would have worked, they decided to put their hands on a student which is something that could be extremely harmful to a student's mental health. They will never forget that it happened. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others at the hands of police has once again highlighted the racial bias that plagues our system of policing. As the Maryland Commission on the School-to-Prison Pipeline and Restorative Practices said in its 2018 report, “SROs are not trained as educators, but as sworn law enforcement officers with the authority to arrest people.” As sworn law enforcement officers, SROs come from the same system of racially biased policing that we are currently fighting against. During the 2017-2018 school year, there were 350 school based arrests in Prince George’s County, compared to 226 in Montgomery County and only 60 school based arrests in Baltimore City. Black students in PGCPS are disproportionately impacted, comprising 86 percent of those arrests but only 55 percent of the student population.

I understand that some in our community believe we need SROs to keep our schools safe, but this is untrue. SROs are only a small part of the school security system. PGCPS employs over 200 school security personnel, and will spend $17 million in the upcoming school year to support that system. By ensuring that there is adequate local law enforcement coverage as required by the Maryland Safe to Learn Act, our schools are safe without armed officers in our hallways.

I ask that PGCPS commit to make our schools safe in the following ways: I would like to see trained professionals who are trained to de-escalate the situations instead of the cops who have been proven to use access force on children. PBSI is an intervention plan that would be amazing to implement in PGCPS schools. PBSI will help students with social skills especially with students with emotional disorders. The schools should also have professionals who are trained in behavior interventions like mindfulness detention where this is where the students will learn mindful techniques like self-regulation, deep breathing, and de-escalation. Police are not trained to deal with children with emotional and social disorders.

Thank you for supporting the resolution to remove SROs from Prince George’s County Schools. I know that with your support we can take the first brave step to build a truly safe and inclusive community.

Sincerely,

Raiye Dagnachew

MC Parent expressed concerns about how would students remain safe from possible active shooters or any other dangers that may happen during the school day that Keep other professional personnell are not trained to address.

Melayiah Powell Regarding The Defunding of SRO’s and School Security Keep Inbox x

Tue, Jun 9, 2:16 PM to Edward

Hello Mr.Burroughs,

I am Melayiah Powell.And I work alongside our Student Government Association at Potomac High School. I’ve reached out to you regarding the events that are taking place currently about defunding SRO’s and downsizing school security. Speaking on behalf of the students, we don't think that is in the best interest for our schools in Prince George's County. I understand that we need funding, but I don't think that we should sacrifice the safety of the students by removing police. In this generation we have to be prepared for anything and everything. Also,SRO’s are trained for things that regular school security aren’t and school security is trained for something completely different but their system is what keeps us safe. At my school our SRO is the best.We KNOW that we can trust him.Never had to question his loyalty and/or intentions. Whereas, the southern schools of the county aren't given the same resources and opportunities as the northern schools of the county. Our SRO’s and school security is the last best thing that we have left. They help coach in extracurricular activities, volunteer their time to in season games and clubs. And people underestimate and don’t understand how much they do in schools... IN MY SCHOOL! And I will continue to fight for them.

I hope you understand from a student’s perspective where we stand in this and understand that we want to be the voice for the people that bring great change in our schools and community.

Sincerely,

Melayiah Powell NAME CONCERN KEEP or REMOVE OTHER

Jacquelyn Letizia Standing with our Students Remove

Jun 9, 2020, 10:38 AM

to bcc: me Dear Members of the PGCPS School Board and PGCPS District Leadership:

I am writing to urge PGCPS to end their contract with the Prince George's County Police Department. We have witnessed time and again the excessive use of force by local officers targeting young Black, Indigenous, and people of color. We have seen countless acts of violence perpetrated by police officers against the Black community, including the recent murders of George Floyd, David McAtee, Breonna Taylor, and many others. We have watched the police respond to peaceful protests with tear-gas, flash bombs, and rubber bullets. These assaults are not mere reactions to maintain civil order; they are rooted in a vicious cycle of violence, enacted through the police, directed at Black and Brown bodies.

PGPD has no place in our schools. The persistent use of excessive force by police officers, both in and outside of school, is traumatizing for our students. Additionally, School Resource Officers have not been proven to increase safety at schools. In fact, the Justice Policy Institute (2011) reported that the presence of law enforcement on school grounds increases the chances of students being arrested by police, rather than disciplined by school officials. SRO policing contributes to a culture of fear, disengagement, and stress in schools, and funnels students into the school-to-prison pipeline. Our students—particularly our Black, Indigenous, and students of color—continually express feeling unsafe in our school environment when police are present. In fact, with PGPD present at school, evidence tells us that our students are less safe, period.

How can students build meaningful learning partnerships and relationships with teachers and peers while they are being traumatized at school? Contracting with PGPD is antithetical to our district’s mission “to provide a great education that empowers all students and contributes to thriving communities.” I believe that it is imperative to the wellbeing of our students, staff, and families for PGCPS to completely dissolve its contract with PGPD. After this contract is dissolved, I propose that PGCPS invest in hiring more mental health professionals, social workers, restorative justice coordinators, and nurses in our schools. These steps would actually address our students' needs for support from compassionate adults and access to medical and mental healthcare.

In solidarity with our students, Jacquelyn LetiziaSchool Counseling Student

-- Jacquelyn Letizia

August 31, 2020 REMOVE

Ms. Pamela Boozer-Strother Prince George’s County School Board District 3

Dear Ms. Boozer-Strother,

I am writing to encourage you to vote for one of the resolutions that would remove armed police officers from the schools in Prince George’s County. We have had a couple of brief exchanges online but I have not had the opportunity to detail my concerns and experiences. I have lived in Mount Rainier since 1979 and my three girls have all attended Prince George’s County Schools which have included Thomas Stone Elementary, Rogers Heights Elementary (French Immersion), Hyattsville Middle School, Greenbelt Middle School, Northwestern High School and Eleanor Roosevelt High School. My family has been committed to the public school system andReplyForward tried to improve opportunities at all levels. I want to cover three major points: Linda D. Green My family’s experiences with SROs. My husband’s experience as a teacher at Bladensburg HS for 14 years My experience in public health and criminal justice

I have reviewed the role of School Resource Officers with my adult children and husband. At Eleanor Roosevelt they viewed the SROs as unnecessary. They did little with the students and mostly checked the parking lot for students eating lunch outside the building. At Northwestern the experience was similar: riding around on a Segway and surveying the parking lot. However the assigned SRO did harass students who protested peacefully about army recruiters in the school and tried to get them to return when they walked out against the Iraq war while he followed them to the subway station. My husband found them “useless” at Bladensburg HS. Students could easily plan confrontations and activity in the large high school building away from the SRO who was viewed as lazy and sitting around with the security officers.

At Bladensburg HS my husband (Neal Conner) and another teacher (Elias Vlanton) spent a decade working directly with students who had an interest in and potential to attend colleges and universities. Over this time they volunteered countless hours outside of teaching social studies, AP classes and SAT prep. They encouraged students to apply, helped with essays and applications, met with college admission officers at St. Mary’s and Middlebury and others, and followed their progress. Students returned to Bladensburg to share their experiences in assemblies. 69 students were admitted with full scholarships to St. Mary’s and 68 graduated. Several have gone on to graduate programs. An additional few students attended Middlebury, Dartmouth, and Stanford. Two undocumented Hispanic students were in the latter group. Such support for our students should not depend on rare highly committed and capable teachers but should be built into increasing the numbers and the role of counselors and college advisers. This is just one example of how the funds allocated to SROs could benefit our students. Neal also tried to identify students who needed extra help and referred them to the administration and counselors. He never saw any evidence of problem solving for the students he had hoped could be helped. Clearly more support staff is needed.

In my career in medicine I tried to help individual patients navigate a difficult and underfunded system. But public health has a broader role and for 35+ years I have been a member of the Medical Care Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Our focus has been on anti-racist struggles in health care including access and discrimination in treatment. More recently we have identified police violence as a public health issue and after three years of discussion and debate APHA now has a strong resolution that argues for less involvement of police in communities, particularly communities of color. A more specific resolution is proposed this year on police in schools and the overarching issues involved in the school to prison or deportation pipeline. The APHA website lists its policies and the law enforcement violence resolution can also be found at www.endingpoliceviolence.com.

At the same time I retired and started volunteering around criminal justice issues in Prince George’s County through work with court watch and court support under Life After Release. In this role I have seen the tragedy of the incarceration of so many young black men and women. Public defenders in the juvenile justice arena have provided guidance in exploring the pathways to incarceration. School arrests are among the events that start young people on continued interaction with the courts and the systems of parole, probation and incarceration. The future for these young people means difficulty with education, employment and housing. Schools need to have the counselors and mental health support to manage behavior without incarceration. SROs contribute to the arrests and criminal records that follow young people throughout life. In addition incarceration is another stressor that can lead to PTSD and aggravate depression and anger issues. Again, funding for alternatives to punishment is critical to building a more just society and giving young people a chance to thrive.

In summary there seems to be no benefit to having armed police in the schools and every reason to look at better ways to spend our tax dollars and improve education. Thus I hope you will take a stand to remove SROs from our schools. Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Linda D. Green MD Wallace Neal Conner 3113 Varnum Street Mount Rainier, Maryland

We agree with our mother’s letter: Patricia Susan Conner Cheryl Karyn Conner Katherine Renee Conner