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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sandra Mitchell, Parent Leader from New Settlement Parent Action Committee
7:37:44
ยท
3 min
Sandra Mitchell, a parent leader and mental health counselor, advocates for reinvesting in New York City schools with a focus on social-emotional support, trauma-responsive care, and restorative justice practices instead of increased policing. She calls for funding to hire supportive staff and implement programs that nurture students' wellbeing and future.
- Demands $5 million investment in the mental health continuum and $80 million for restorative justice programming
- Emphasizes the need for culturally responsive, healing-centered practices in schools
- Argues for hiring more support staff like restorative justice coordinators, social workers, and guidance counselors, particularly from Black and Brown communities
Sandra Mitchell
7:37:44
Good afternoon everyone.
7:37:47
I am so honored to be in your presence once again.
7:37:51
The heart of the sea that's who you are.
7:37:54
Good afternoon.
7:37:55
My name is Chaplain Sandra Mitchell and I'm a parent leader with the New Settlement Parent Action Committee by profession.
7:38:01
I am a mental health behavior health and substance misuse counselor.
7:38:06
The Parent Action Committee PAC is a member organization with the New York Dignity and Schools Coalition where you see some of them are right here and the Healing Center Schools Working Group and the Coalition for Equitable Educational Funding.
7:38:21
We are a large conglomerate of people who appeal to you and are really really knowing that you could be our champion.
7:38:28
You are our champion.
7:38:30
As a Bronx parent living in The Bronx for fifty five years, a mental health advocate and counselor, it is clear that the city Of New York needs to reinvest in our schools and our families and reinvest in social emotional support for students and families, not increasing funding for policing.
7:38:49
A student in crisis doesn't need policing, they need counseling and support.
7:38:54
Our students and family need trauma responsive care and culturally responsive healing centered practices, not surveillance and cops.
7:39:04
Our school staff needs to be provided with the support and guidance to develop trauma responsive and healing centered schools for all schools.
7:39:13
It is time for New York City to reinvest in the highest quality education that respects the dignity of all students and pursues restorative approaches to conflict and harm, reinvestment in supportive staff positions and continuous professional development.
7:39:29
We're calling for funding to hire black and brown New Yorkers for jobs that support young people's social, emotional, and mental health.
7:39:37
We need to hire necessary personnel such as restorative justice coordinators, paraprofessionals, community outreach staff, nurses, social workers, and guidance counselors.
7:39:49
Reinvesting in our public schools is the right thing to do.
7:39:52
We must protect, empower, inspire, and nurture the genius in our New York City Students.
7:39:58
This is how we should be reinvesting in our children and city's future.
7:40:03
And the city, the mayor, and city council should no longer be invested in metal detectors and the policing of our youth.
7:40:12
Our youth are not criminals.
7:40:13
We should be investing in in our future and not furthering the cradle to prison pipeline.
7:40:19
It is our demand that the city council invest 5,000,000 in the mental health continuum, 80,000,000 to fully fund restorative justice programming, and enough funding for supports for students in temporary housing.
7:40:32
Our most recent immigrants, community schools three k and pre k, immigrant family communication and outreach, preschool, and students with special needs.
7:40:42
I'm a student with a special need.
7:40:43
I'm going back to school.
7:40:45
We demand full equity and sustained funding for top notch education.
7:40:50
A city budget is a moral document.
7:40:52
It reflects our cities and our leaders priorities.
7:40:55
We demand that New York City invest in the future of our children who are the future of New York City and the strength of the United States of America.
7:41:04
Thank you for your listening ear and you've already done some of that work already.
7:41:09
Amen.
Rita Joseph
7:41:09
Thank you chaplain.