Sign the petition: Schools can transform the way they approach discipline & decrease criminalization

Friend, every student deserves to learn in a setting free from fear. But when our education system is intertwined with the criminal legal system, students of color, LGBTQ+ students and disabled students are disproportionately criminalized for normal childhood behavior and are put on a pathway to confinement. Our kids deserve better. [Schools can transform the way they approach discipline and decrease the criminalization of students, especially students of color and disabled students. Urge your senators to cosponsor the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act (S. 2125).]( [SIGN AND SEND A PETITION]( Reintroduced in Congress by Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Chris Murphy, the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act ([S. 2125]() aims to help disrupt the school-to-prison-and-deportation pipeline, invest in safe and nurturing school climates that support all students, and end over-policing in K-12 schools. If passed, it will: - Shrink the power police have over Black, Indigenous, and Latinx, immigrant, disabled, and LGBTQ+ youth; - Support schools to invest in counselors, nurses, mental health professionals and trauma-informed staff; - Prohibit the use of federal funds for law enforcement in schools; - Create a $5 billion grant program to be used for support services and personnel. The ACLU [reports]( that counselors, social workers, psychologists and other trained professionals improve social and educational outcomes for students. In contrast, the involvement of police in schools increases the criminalization of young learners. When we put a police officer in a school, we’re sending a message that our children require surveillance. When we put a counselor in a school, we’re sending a message that our children deserve nurturing and support. [Let’s act now to decrease police presence and provide our schools with resources for counseling and mental health support students deserve. Petition your U.S. senator(s) to cosponsor the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act.]( [SIGN AND SEND A PETITION]( Keep fighting, Monique Teal, Daily Kos Daily Kos Relies on Readers Like You We don't have billionaire backers like some right-wing media outlets. Half our revenue comes from readers like you, meaning we literally couldn't do this work without you. Can you chip in $5 right now to help Daily Kos keep fighting? [Chip in $5]( If you wish to donate by mail instead, please send a check to Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Contributions to Daily Kos are not tax deductible. Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.