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Published April 29, 2024 • Last updated 2 hours ago • Reading time 3 minutes
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An Edmonton Police Service (EPS) school resource officer monitors the halls of St. Joseph High School (10830 109 Street) in Edmonton on Thursday, May 5, 2022. Photography: David Bloom/Postmedia
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Edmonton Public School Board trustees will discuss the return of school resource officers (SROs), also known as school police, on Tuesday. April 30.
This comes as Alberta's school administrators and teachers face increasingly difficult classroom conditions due to chronic underfunding of public education, which has worsened since 2019. As recent Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) documents show, the province's funding formula is not meeting projected enrollment numbers. 4,002 students are underfunded.
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Record inflation has reduced the spending power of school budgets. According to Statistics Canada, Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) President Jason Schilling notes the alarming fact that “Alberta ranks last in education funding per pupil.” It is clear that the austerity measures imposed by the Alberta government are taking a toll on students and families.
Add to this the COVID-19 pandemic, which has further exacerbated an environment of underfunding and created unprecedented challenges for students, families, and schools across Canada, including mental health and teacher burnout. In addition to reduced support, the December 2023 ATA Pulse Rapid Research Study identified key issues such as large class sizes, crowded classrooms, and the complexity of student needs. Educators are calling for more teachers, counselors, and educational assistants to address the biology of this problem.
In contrast, some media commentators have weaponized the ATA report to distract from educators' demands and the idea of ​​returning the School Resource Officer program to Edmonton public schools as a “band-aid.” was projected. These calls come in light of research that questions the effectiveness of police in promoting school safety, as well as evidence that police are worsening punitive discipline and criminalizing students based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, and class. reveals little understanding of the research that shows that
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Calls to bring police back into Edmonton's public schools have prompted groups like the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF), which released a report calling for “fully-funded academic, social, health and emotional support services” instead of police. It is also inconsistent with the requirements of This is also at odds with the removal of police from many schools in other parts of Canada.
The BCTF reflects what many parents, educators, researchers, and community activists have been saying. “Police cannot bridge the gap created by ruthless budget cuts that have increased the academic, emotional, and physical challenges that young people face.”
Importantly, despite calls for other assistance, a recent evaluation of Edmonton Catholic Church and Edmonton Public's SRO program found that their investigations were a “police or no police” choice. This means that the framework is such that This is intended to avoid a thorough examination of effective non-police solutions to building healthy and equitable schools.
School boards could fully consider the success of police-free schools policies. In a school district as diverse as Edmonton's, fruitful efforts to eliminate police and change the entire school culture through restorative practices are rarely talked about.
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As a parent and researcher who is active in dialogue with educators and administrators, I participated in the EPSB Engagement Session on Imagining Safe Schools. These guided sessions were attended by a diverse group of high school students, principals, assistant principals, and parents from schools across the city.
In the countless insightful conversations I have witnessed, there has never been any talk of returning police to schools, which young people have cited as a priority to meet their needs. At the top of the list was mental health support and time and space to build stronger relationships with each other. As parents, educators, and policy makers, we should listen to these insightful students. Unfortunately, participants in the EPSB consultation on school safety were not given the opportunity to see the final report.
As the EPSB Board prepares to vote this Tuesday on a motion to bring police back into public schools, many are wondering: Have we exhausted the range of available evidence-based options? ? Did the state government support the development of a comprehensive program that addresses the increasingly complex needs of students? Did the EPSB and school administrators develop alternatives to the SRO program during the three years it was suspended? Have you tried it on a trial basis?
Sadly, the answer is, “They didn't.” Nevertheless, we continue to promote policies that repair relationships in schools and promote safe and healthy working and learning environments. We should support students, families, and educators in demanding improvements from school district and state leaders.
EPSB should say no to reinstating the school resource officer program.
Alexandre Da Costa is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta.
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