Wisconsin Republicans - Stop Putting Cops in Public Schools

Wisconsin Republicans are back at it again - this time, by holding shared revenue funds hostage at the expense of our students. In their newest plan, Robin Vos and Wisconsin Republicans are trying to undermine local school district control by mandating armed “Student Resource Officers” (aka cops) to be placed in our schools. 

Instead of threatening students with policing, we should foster and invest in the behavior and community we want to see. We know that placing armed officers in schools DOES NOT make students and staff safer; nor does it address the root cause of so-called “incidents” that occur in school settings. In reality, it leads to patterns of criminalizing youth and feeding the school-to-prison/deportation pipeline. 

According to data from the US Department of Education, Wisconsin students with disabilities, and students of color, bear the brunt of school policing, “in 2017-18 school year Wisconsin was more likely than any other state in the country to refer Native students to law enforcement, reporting a rate over three times higher than the rate of referral for their white peers - with referrals for Black students not far behind.” This plan undermines the authority of the elected school board officials and their constituents while also lacking the nuanced understanding that is needed to effectively address the challenges our schools face.

Enough is enough. Add your name and DEMAND that Wisconsin Republicans listen to their constituents to stop criminalizing our students, and start funding our future, not our failure.