National Day of Action on Senate Appropriations

Help Make Schools Safer: Ask Your Senator to Support Funding for Counselors, Not School Cops!

Join us today, July 15 to contact members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to urge them to support funding for counselors and positive approaches to discipline, not funding for more police in schools.

Click Here to Urge Your Senator to Support Funding for Counselors, Not School Cops!

The Committee is about to consider a bill that includes more money for school resource officers (SROs). We expect the bill to include funding for two grants: a) the President’s Comprehensive School Safety Program, which would “put up to 1,000 school resource officers and school counselors on the job,” and b) more traditional law enforcement hiring grants that can be used for SROs. We all view school safety as a top priority, and think these dollars are far better spent on the proven, preventative practices, like counseling, restorative justice and school wide positive behavior supports, that make schools safer without exposing students to unnecessary arrests and involvement in the juvenile justice system.

On July 16, members of the Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee will mark up the bill and on Thursday the full Appropriations Committee will review it.

Please Join Us and Contact Your Senator! Click Here to Take Action Now!

Help Us Spread The Word!

Please share the link http://bit.ly/18bEEmO to the action letter with co-workers, family, friends, and allies and encourage them to contact their Senators. Post it far and wide on your organization's website, your social media accounts, your e-mail updates, and newsletters. Follow the DSC on Facebook and Twitter to post and share updates and re-tweet!.

Suggestions for Promoting the Action Letter on Social Media

Facebook

Sample Facebook Posts:

• Join me today and tell your Senator to support funding for counselors and positive approaches to discipline, not funding for more police in schools. http://bit.ly/18bEEmO
• This week the Senate Appropriations Committee is about to consider a bill that includes more money for school resource officers (SROs). Join me today and tell your Senator that these dollars are far better spent on the positive practices like counseling, restorative justice and school wide positive behavior supports. Yes to Counselors, No to School Cops! http://bit.ly/18bEEmO

• A first-time arrest doubles the odds a student will drop out, a first court appearance quadruples them #school2prison #CounselorsNotCops http://bit.ly/18bEEmO
• 70% of students referred to law enforcement or arrested in school are students of color #CounselorsNotCops Tell the Senate at http://bit.ly/18bEEmO
• Tell the Senate to support funding for school counselors, not more school police http://bit.ly/18bEEmO #CounselorsNotCops
• Counselors, #RestorativeJustice, positive interventions = #SafeSchools not school police http://bit.ly/18bEEmO #CounselorsNotCops
• @SenatorBarb Make schools safer with counselors, not more cops http://bit.ly/1dnZ3FJ #CounselorsNotCops

DSC Sign-On Letter to Senate Appropriations
In addition to emailing your Senator using this action alert, your organization can also sign-on to the DSC letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Please contact Matt Cregor by 4pm TODAY if you would like to sign: [email protected]. *Organizational signatures only, please!