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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Andrea Ortiz, Membership and Campaign Director of Dignity in Schools Campaign New York
8:29:03
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134 sec
Andrea Ortiz, representing Dignity in Schools Campaign New York, calls for expanding restorative justice, protecting immigrant students, and baselining funding for critical education programs. She criticizes Mayor Adams' policies and proposes redirecting funds from school policing to support mental health and community-based services.
- Advocates for $80 million expansion of restorative justice to 500 schools
- Urges protection of immigrant students and families, including passing Intro 1798 to eliminate NYPD gang database
- Suggests redirecting $90 million from school policing to community-based positions in schools
Andrea Ortiz
8:29:03
Hello.
8:29:04
My name is Andrea Ortiz.
8:29:05
I represent the Dignity in Schools New York, a coalition working to foster mutual care mutual respect, care, and problem solving in our public schools.
8:29:13
DSC calls on New York City to expand restorative justice by 80,000,000, create protections for immigrant students and families, and baseline mental health continuing at 5,000,000, restorative justice at 12,000,000, immigrant family communications and outreach at 4,000,000, and other critical education programs currently under threat of being cut.
8:29:30
This is all possible by redirecting money currently used for surveillance and policing towards the healing center responses and staff our community desperately needs.
8:29:37
Sadly, mayor Adams hyper austerity, brutal policing, and anti immigrant policies have been just some of the ways that this administration is failing BIPOC communities and especially youth.
8:29:48
Adams proposed cuts are unnecessary as demonstrated by the council's forecast which includes 3,000,000,000 in new revenues and under spending.
8:29:55
This allows for the full restoration of all critical education programs and even needed expansions for programs like school based restorative justice and the mental health continuum which have already been successfully piloted and now need to be expanded.
8:30:08
We joined with a coalition of equitable education funding and calling for the city to baseline funding for these programs so students, families, educators, and communities can continue relying on them without the fear of them randomly being taken away.
8:30:20
These programs are critical to ensure the dignity and safety of black, brown, immigrant, transgender, nonconforming, queer, low income, and students with disabilities.
8:30:29
We call on New York City Elected Officials to expand restorative justice and mental health services including investing 80,000,000 in hiring school based restorative justice coordinators in 500 schools, protecting protecting critical programs currently funded with expiring city dollars, redirecting money away from school policing.
8:30:46
Simply by not hiring any more school police, New York City could save up to 90,000,000 in one fiscal year and use those funds to hire more community based positions in schools.
8:30:54
And additionally, New York City must protect immigrant students and families from the president Trump's mass detention and deportation plan including strengthening immigration preparedness policies, offering comprehensive training for students, staff, and families, enhancing data privacy and security protections, and passing into 1798 to eliminate the New York City, New York Police gang database.
8:31:15
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.