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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Marilyn P., Student and Youth Leader for CAE PAC Activists
8:24:24
ยท
136 sec
Marilyn P., a student and youth activist, testified in support of fully funding restorative justice programs and diverting funds from school policing to mental health resources and academic support. She emphasized the importance of community building in schools and the need for more counselors and support services.
- Marilyn called for an $80 million investment to hire restorative justice coordinators in 500 schools
- She highlighted the current spending of nearly $400 million on school police that could be better allocated
- Marilyn stressed the importance of addressing root causes of issues to prevent trauma and emotional struggles among students
Marilyn P.
8:24:24
Good afternoon.
8:24:25
Hi.
8:24:25
My name is Marilyn Perez.
8:24:27
I go to an all girls school in Astoria, Queens.
8:24:29
And I am a youth leader for CAE PAC activists and a member of Dignities in Schools Campaign New York, a coalition of over 20 New York City organizations of students, parents, and educators who work to create positive school culture and safety that is based on mutual respect and problem solving.
8:24:46
As a student, I am here to support my peers and important work because we want the city to fully fund meaningful restorative justice programs and diverge from school police and surveillance.
8:24:58
I want to have public schools that recognize all the students that can offer them things that help them expand their knowledge and help them reach goals that they want to achieve.
8:25:07
Unfortunately, we're currently spending too much money on school police, close to 400,000,000, and that could be better spent on support and services.
8:25:16
And in my school, I'm uncertain of who I can reach out to and who I can trust because there hasn't been enough sense of community.
8:25:23
Restorative justice focused on community building because realistically, there cannot be justice without community and without the community coming together.
8:25:32
Need to fully refund restorative justice and mental mental health resources in our schools now.
8:25:38
I sometimes fear that something can happen in our schools with a student which can be avoided or prevented if there were more programs, restorative justice practices, and mental health resources in school.
8:25:49
The money we spent on policing in schools could be used to fund programs and academics.
8:25:54
If something were to happen, many people would be left with a memory and pain that could cause trauma and people to struggle mentally or emotionally.
8:26:03
So we have to get to the root of the problem.
8:26:05
Additionally, my school has three counselors, but as of right now, one of them is on maternity leave.
8:26:10
Knowing how much the school counselors have on their plate, adding more counselors will not only be a benefit for other students, but also take pressure off the counselors.
8:26:19
We're calling on the city council to expand school based restorative justice and social emotional support, including investing 80,000,000 in hiring school based restorative justice coordinators in 500 schools.
8:26:31
We can fund this expansion of mental health and academic resources in schools if we redirect money currently going to policing.
8:26:39
Thank you.