Educators Rally for Police-Free Schools

Equity & Diversity Photos

Educators Rally for Police-Free Schools

By Bridget Fetsko — June 26, 2020 1 min read

Save to favorites
Print

Email Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

Copy URL

As protests against police brutality continue, parents, students and teachers from across the country are speaking out against the presence of police in schools. This week, educators in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles rallied to demand that funding be put toward additional services – including counselors, nurses, and classroom supplies for their students.

Chicago

Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters rally in Federal Plaza in the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. — Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters rally in Federal Plaza in the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on June 24, 2020. — Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on June 24, 2020.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Youth activists stage a teach-in outside Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle’s home in Belmont Cragin to demand an end to police presence in schools on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. The Chicago Board of Education is set to decide whether to end Chicago Public Schools’ $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department and pull police officers out of schools. — Youth activists stage a teach-in outside Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle’s home in Belmont Cragin to demand an end to police presence in schools on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. The Chicago Board of Education is set to decide whether to end Chicago Public Schools’ $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department and pull police officers out of schools.
Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. — Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Stacy Davis Gates, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, speaks during a rally in Federal Plaza in the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. — Stacy Davis Gates, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, speaks during a rally in Federal Plaza in the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. — Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. — Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

From left, Stacy Davis Gates, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, and activist Eric Russell and Laurentio Howard, whose daughter was shoved and dragged by a Chicago Police officer stationed at Marshall Metropolitan High School, lead hundreds of supporters in a march through the Loop on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. — From left, Stacy Davis Gates, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, and activist Eric Russell and Laurentio Howard, whose daughter was shoved and dragged by a Chicago Police officer stationed at Marshall Metropolitan High School, lead hundreds of supporters in a march through the Loop on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. — Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Pittsburgh

Edoukou Aka-Ezoua holds a flag that reads “police free schools” as she listens to a speaker during the “Cops OUT of PGH Schools” rally to demand that police are removed from Pittsburgh public schools on Monday, June 22, 2020, outside the Pittsburgh Board of Education building. The rally occurred at the same time the school board was holding its meeting virtually. — Edoukou Aka-Ezoua holds a flag that reads “police free schools” as she listens to a speaker during the “Cops OUT of PGH Schools” rally to demand that police are removed from Pittsburgh public schools on Monday, June 22, 2020, outside the Pittsburgh Board of Education building. The rally occurred at the same time the school board was holding its meeting virtually.
Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP

Protesters hold signs and wear masks as they listen to a speaker during the “Cops OUT of PGH Schools” rally to demand that police are removed from Pittsburgh public schools on Monday, June 22, 2020, outside the Pittsburgh Board of Education building in Pittsburgh. — Protesters hold signs and wear masks as they listen to a speaker during the “Cops OUT of PGH Schools” rally to demand that police are removed from Pittsburgh public schools on Monday, June 22, 2020, outside the Pittsburgh Board of Education building in Pittsburgh.
Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP

Los Angeles

A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles. — A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Edward Tillman wears a mask which reads “I can’t breathe” during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles. — Edward Tillman wears a mask which reads “I can’t breathe” during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

A demonstrator holds a sign in front of the downtown skyline during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles. — A demonstrator holds a sign in front of the downtown skyline during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Demonstrators holds signs during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles. — Demonstrators holds signs during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles. — A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Demonstrators raise their fists during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles. — Demonstrators raise their fists during a protest to demand the defunding of the Los Angeles School District police outside of the school board headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Los Angeles.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Bridget Fetsko

Visuals Intern, Education Week

Bridget Fetsko is a former visuals intern for Education Week.

A version of this article first appeared in the Full Frame blog.

Sign up for EdWeek Update

Get the latest K-12 news & opinion every weekday morning.

See More Events

Create Your Own Job Search

module image 9