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Council member raises concerns about Safe Passages program implementation
3:05:21
·
111 sec
Council Member Rita Joseph expresses concerns about the delayed implementation of the Safe Passages program in some schools, particularly those part of the Project Pivot initiative. DOE officials respond and commit to investigating the issue.
- Some schools reported Safe Passages program not starting until February
- DOE officials state that funding was made available to Project Pivot schools in September
- Chancellor Aviles-Ramos acknowledges the issue and commits to investigating specific cases of delayed implementation
Rita Joseph
3:05:21
Safe passages, as chair Brennan talked about, I had a school who reached out and said their safe passages didn't start until February, and they're part of that project pivot project.
3:05:32
So we want to know why does it take so long for it to start.
3:05:35
There was a school I spoke to, matter of fact they were having issues.
3:05:38
I went down to see the school and you know me Mark, I'm hands on.
3:05:41
Nobody's gonna come tell me, I'm gonna go see myself.
3:05:44
And, when I got there and I said what's happening?
3:05:46
We didn't start seeing safe passages until February knowing very well that school needed it from day one till June.
3:05:54
So, I I I would love to know what's the thought process behind starting safe passages in February when the school starts in September.
Mark Rampersant
3:06:02
So a %.
3:06:04
I would definitely like to know what that school is because we were intentional about making the dollars available to every one of these schools participating in the project pivot initiative in September.
3:06:14
So any school that started the safe passage program that was a part of project pivot
Rita Joseph
3:06:20
It is.
Mark Rampersant
3:06:20
That ownership is on the respective school as they chose their their respective providers.
3:06:25
So I'd love to talk to you more about that as we made the money available to those schools in September.
Rita Joseph
3:06:30
Because I know those schools were intentional.
3:06:32
Those were the schools with the highest violence around young people, and those were the intention.
3:06:37
But if we're starting in February, we're defeating the purpose.
3:06:40
Right?
Mark Rampersant
3:06:40
I agree a %.
3:06:41
But we should
Melissa Aviles-Ramos
3:06:43
to interject, but I think that's what what we're saying, chair, is that we strategically designed it so that wouldn't be the norm.
3:06:49
And so I think if we can get the exact DBN offline, there's something to investigate there as to what caused the school to have to start so late in the game.
3:06:59
And if there are other schools that are doing that, then we encourage the entire council to let us know, but that's not acceptable and that certainly is not something that it was designed to do.
Rita Joseph
3:07:12
Thank you.