Plan to replace SROs with restorative justice faces backlash at Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools unveiled a new safety plan aimed at replacing school resource officers (SROs) with restorative justice practices, but some question whether the move actually makes school safer.

The proposal, which will be reviewed at a board meeting Thursday, also calls for teachers and staff to undergo more training on alternative discipline practices and requires locking classroom doors. 

The proposal follows the Chicago Board of Education’s decision three months ago to remove SROs by the start of the next school year.  

Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez was tasked with developing a new safety strategy by June 27 that emphasizes restorative practices.  

Currently, 39 high schools still have on-campus police officers, while 57 other schools have already removed them, according to Chalkbeat Chicago.  

However, state lawmakers have introduced a bill that could potentially reverse the board’s decision, allowing Local School Councils to contract with the Chicago Police Department for SROs.  

According to Jadine Chou, CPS’s chief of safety and security, the plan covers “physical safety, emotional safety, and relational trust, which drives the development of a holistically safe environment.” 

The plan includes several key components: 

• All schools would be required to have an emergency management plan that’s updated annually. 

• All schools must implement “restorative” discipline practices. 
• Schools would include training on “climate, trauma-responsive, and social and emotional learning” in professional development plans. 
• All schools would be required to have behavioral health teams that are charged with supporting students who are in crisis, those who have experienced trauma or are in need of mental health assistance. 
• All interior and exterior doors must be locked at all times, except for bathroom doors. Staff would have keys. 

The plan has received mixed reactions, not least because of growing violence among students in the district. 

A report found that 106 children and teens have been shot within a tenth of a mile of Chicago schools on school days between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. within the last five years. 

Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, also disagreed with the board’s plan, stressing the importance of building positive relationships between students and officers. 

“We recognize that in some communities, there [are] strained relationships with law enforcement,” Canady said, according to Chalkbeat Chicago. “If we’re ever going to get that right, we’ve got to get it right with the next generation [and] the next generation just happens to be adolescents that are going to become our next adults in society.” 

Another concern is the cost of implementing a new plan. CPS already faces a $391 million budget deficit next fiscal year. 

The board is reportedly expected to vote Thursday to open a 30-day public comment period on the proposed plan before making a final decision.