The following blog is a call to action from the Student Immigrant Movement and unafraid educators:
For the past two years, the Student Immigrant Movement have been investigating the relationship between Boston School Police, to Boston Police Department and ICE. As a result of their investigations, they've developed a model policy that would ensure that Boston School Police do not endanger any young person or their families as a result of getting in trouble in their school building.
What does this mean?
On January 6, 2020, news broke that over 130 reports from Boston Public Schools have ended up with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This shows that even though BPS is a "safe space" where ICE agents cannot get inside, our students’ information can get OUTSIDE to ICE.
BPS continues to refuse taking a strong stance against the BPD over their jurisdiction of school disciplinary matters. SIM has created a policy hoping to change this. However, BPS has yet to take SIM and the Unafraid Educators seriously in this fight. The policy consists of four main pillars for the city to take part in:
➢ Clear Criteria: Define clear guidelines for what qualifies as a legitimate use of an incident report. Records of routine school disciplinary matters should NOT end up in the hands of an ICE agent.
➢ Transparency and Communication: Inform students and families BEFORE their information is shared with the BPD.
➢ Oversight: Require oversight at the school, district, and community level.
➢ Accountability and Training: Train all Boston School Police and school administrators on these new protocols. BPS has only incorporated training into their policy proposal.
So why am I seeking to inform you of this issue? Well one, because it's important to know what is happening, how to keep yourself safe and how to fight the good cause. But two, because I believe we need to fight with SIM. So, my ask:
Become Informed!
Sign up to a write a testimony! http://bit.ly/simtestimony4/15
Be apart of the February 5, 2020, Boston School Committee Meeting and Testimony sharing
Share with your friends and network this week and next!The more people fighting this fight, the more likely we can get something to change!
Sign the Petition!: bit.ly/noiceinbps
Work on testimonies for submission to the Boston School Committee April 15!
Join SIM’s watch party of the school committee Meeting April 15 at 6p.m. on their facebook page
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