COFI and POWER-PAC IL parent leaders in Chicago are celebrating a remarkable shift in education and school safety!

At the end of July, the Chicago Board of Education approved an expanded Whole School Safety policy! This is a culminating moment in the 20-year history of POWER-PAC IL parents and guardians organizing and advocating to stop punitive discipline and criminalization of students of color in schools and instead pushing for investments in healing practices, restorative justice, and youth mental health. 

Northwest parent Letty Toribio has been a longtime parent leader in POWER-PAC IL and led the charge at her children’s high school to remove school resource officers (SROs) four years ago, even before the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Whole School Safety initiative began. She spoke at the CPS Board Meeting on July 25 about what this expanded policy means to her.

She told the Board that as a mother of four CPS students and POWER-PAC IL member, she knew kids who got in trouble or misbehaved were not inherently “bad.” Often, it’s a cry for help due to losing a family member, economic issues, or health problems.

“I realized mental health needs are necessary and that our students need more effective and complete support, such as Restorative Justice, counseling, and social workers. Our children need someone to listen to them,” she said. 

In 2020, Letty was the local school council president at her kids’ high school. When the pandemic started, and students were isolated and losing family to COVID-19, she began having conversations with other LSC members and explaining how trauma impacts kids. The council voted to remove their SROs and invest in services that supported emotional safety and healing.

“Little by little, the students looked happier, smiled more, and now students know who to go to when they need to have a positive or restorative conversation. They look more confident,” she said.

With the policy approved, the next big task for parents and their Whole School Safety Steering Committee partners – (VOYCE, Mikva Challenge, BUILD, and CPS) – will be to implement the policy with schools and communities.

“We will work over the next five years to make more parents aware of this model and take the lead in defining and supporting safety in their schools in a supportive and loving way from Kindergarten through 12th grade,” Letty said.

Watch Letty speak to the CPS Board of Education (starts at 2:44:53).

Photo credit: VOYCE and Embark