School Based Police: Evidence and Alternatives
An APA Division 15 Policy Brief
Police have become a taken-for-granted feature of American public schools. Too often, their presence goes unquestioned, leaving little room for engagement with the costs of their growing influence over the school lives of young people. Here, Baggett and Andrzejewski seek to center a dialogue about the consequences of police omnipresence in schools. First, they note the adverse outcomes of school-based policing in terms of student experiences, success, and life-long trajectories, especially for students of color. They also detail the financial and relational costs of blurring the lines between education and law enforcement. They advocate for a redirection of resources away from surveillance and punishment and towards supports for student wellness and growth. They conclude with recommendations for educators, policymakers, concerned community members, and researchers.
About the Authors
Dr. Hannah Carson Baggett, Auburn University
Dr. Hannah Baggett is an Associate Professor in the College of Education with specialization in educational research. Her research interests include critical theories, race and education, and educator beliefs. She also has particular interest in qualitative and participatory methods as they intersect with social justice issues.
A former high school French teacher, Dr. Baggett’s scholarship focuses on a pipeline of educational junctures, including work about World Language education, preservice and practicing teachers, and youth in alternative schools. Her work been published in journals such as the American Educational Research Journal, Teaching and Teacher Education, Qualitative Inquiry, and the Journal of Adolescent Research.
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Carey E. Andrzejewski, Auburn University
Carey Andrzejewski, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology at Auburn University. As a critical scholar of teaching, Dr. Andrzejewski explores and facilitates the work of educators toward more socially just schools. This commitment is evident in all the domains of her professional work: service, outreach, and teaching. As an award-winning teacher, she works to nurture aspiring teachers and researchers toward humanizing and equitable practices.
Broadly, her research explores the development of critical consciousness in pre-service and practicing educators: how do educators come to understand systems of privilege and oppression, and how does that understanding (re)shape their orientations toward students, schooling, and educational policy? Her current multi-method program of research, a collaboration with Dr. Hannah Baggett, explores the intersections among state and local policy, school discipline practice, and anti-Black racism in Alabama.
Email: [email protected]