The Safer LBUSD Campaign advocated for the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) to reimagine its definition of school safety at a special meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
The campaign seeks to abolish current policing practices and weapons from district employees and partners by reimagining school safety, investing in programs that support students and staff and conducting surveys to spark these conversations.
Dr. Nooshin Valizadeh, equity and inclusion consultant, conducted research for the district and Safer LBUSD on implementing equity in education, especially concerning race and gender issues.
“More police presence means more police involvement in lower-level offenses,“ Valizadeh said, explaining that many interactions could be better addressed by mentors or teachers rather than police.
According to information obtained from LBUSD youth focus groups facilitated by Californians for Justice, students reported wanting:
- More supportive adults on campus
- More wellness centers
- More relationships and understanding
- Less security or police presence
Some of the main safety concerns raised by the focus groups are negative disciplinary interactions between teachers and students from marginalized groups such as Black students and students with disabilities. Bullying, fights and lockdowns on and off campus were also stated as factors discouraging students from attending school, according to focus group participants.
LBUSD works toward meeting some of these recommendations
As of the last school year, LBUSD has established wellness centers at most high school campuses to provide students with mental health support and resources as a way to foster a sense of belonging. The district is now working on expanding these centers to the middle school level.
According to deputy superintendent Tiffany Brown, the district has updated their discipline guidelines and procedures to include language around best practices as well as concepts related to restorative justice, conflict resolution and healing circles.
“Sometimes discipline guidelines read like manuals of what not to do. There is some of that present, but we’re really working to use language that promotes the behaviors that we want to see,” Brown said.
Brown also said that over the last year the district conducted a job study of all the positions within the School Safety branch to evaluate job descriptions and roles. The district also audited all school safety procedures to ensure they are up to date.
Moving forward
For Kim Tabari, LBUSD parent and organizational development director at the USC Equity Research Institute, next steps include “moving from a punitive policing model to a safety model that centers a holistic student and staff support.”
Tabari also called on the board to be more proactive in the process of reimagining school safety moving forward.
“All I’m asking is that you just meet us halfway,” Tabari said. “We want to know, what will you do tomorrow? How will you implement your own safety plans?”
“One thing that’s been missing through this entire process has been the engagement from the board,” Safer LBUSD Campaign organizer Jerlene Tatum said. “When we talk about next steps, one of the next steps is we’d like for you all to be engaged in the conversation outside of this room.”
Board member Erik Miller acknowledged the importance of strategies, but said he is looking for more concrete ways to move forward.
“I’m looking for more tangible, practical components to what we’ll do to support these efforts,” Miller said. “I think that when we’re talking about safety…we want to reevaluate it fairly often.”
Some of the June 2023 goals suggested by the Safer LBUSD Campaign include:
- Defunding and dismantling the School Safety branch—the district’s safety response team consisting of school safety officers who respond to calls to maintain order and discipline.
- Developing a School Climate Department to replace the School Safety branch
- Utilizing audit findings to create alternatives to punitive policies and practices
- Reinvesting in enrichment programs
“The significance of safety for me in schools takes on a significantly more impactful tone, particularly for those students that are struggling with issues of safety outside of school as well,” board member Juan Benitez said.
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