We came to learn

Safety does not exist when Black and Brown young people are forced to interact with a system of policing that views them as a threat and not as students.

For many Black and Brown youth, the presence of police in schools disrupts learning environments. There is a culture clash that exists between law enforcement and the learning environment: police enforce criminal laws, while schools are supposed to nurture students.

We Came to Learn addresses the stark reality that police in schools is an issue of American racial disparity that requires deep structural change. We explore the question of why police are in schools at all and conclude that police are incongruent with the educational environment we envision for our children.

The over-policed school atmosphere can initiate, rather than mitigate, misbehavior by increasing anxiety, alienating students, creating a sense of mistrust between peers and forming adversarial relationships with school officials. Every dollar spent on police, metal detectors and surveillance cameras is a dollar that could instead be invested in teachers, guidance counselors, and health professionals that support, not criminalize children.

During the 2015-2016 school year, Black students made up only 15% of the school population, but 31% of students arrested or referred to law enforcement.

While constituting only 17% of public
school enrollment, Black girls represent
43% of girls arrested at school.

42% of high schools in the U.S.
have some sort of school police.