FY22 Budget Testimony: MPD
Children’s Law Center Policy Attorney Danielle Robinette testified before the DC Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety about the need to reimagine school security by divesting local dollars from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) School Safety Division and investing those funds into programs that create and reinforce safety in our schools. We urge the Council to follow school safety recommendations issued in the DC Police Reform Commission’s report, particularly the removal of School Resource Officers (SROs) from all public schools in DC. Creating a safe and supportive school climate is imperative if we expect students returning to in-person learning to recover from ongoing learning loss and trauma. It’s why we urge the Council to instead invest in the expansion of the School-Based Mental Health program, alternative discipline practices, professional development and training for DC teachers and other school staff, increased restorative justice programming and school- and community-based violence interrupter programs.
Our Impact: Education
We work with parents and schools to get a child’s education back on track – from ensuring testing for learning disabilities at a young age to making sure students with disabilities have an appropriate plan that meets their learning needs. Learn more about our work with DC students.