YOUTH ADVOCACY HUB
SUMMARY
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Every school in Washington (Kindergarten through 12th grade) would be required to hire a full-time school security officer or school resource officer and would be provided the funding to do so.
POINTS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS BILL
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Funding SROs at this level would mean the state of Washington provides school funding for:
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More than 4x as many SROs as social workers
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More SROs than school nurses
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More than 10x as many SROs as psychologists
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More SROs than elementary school counselors
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Policing in schools disproportionately targets students of color and students with disabilities.
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Different student groups are policed at disproportionate rates, such as students of color who are arrested or referred to law enforcement at school at a significantly higher rate than white students. Moreover, students with disabilities are arrested or referred to law enforcement nearly 3x the rate as their non-disabled peers.
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See: "School Resource Officers: When the Cure is Worse than the Disease"
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More information:
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Steps to Get Started
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Learn where the bill is in the legislative process.
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If there is an upcoming hearing, decide how you would like to get your voice heard and take action.
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If there is not an upcoming hearing, or if you want to supplement your advocacy, call or write your legislators.
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Spread the word and get other people on board.
Participating in a Hearing
Sign in Pro, Con, or Other
This is when individuals, advocates, and organizations make their position on a particular bill known for the record. This is particularly powerful in large numbers. Many organizations will send out Action Alerts asking people to sign in Pro or Con on a bill.
Submit Written Testimony
Submitting written testimony is a great way not only to make your position known, to legislators but also to explain why in more detail. This is a good option if you don't want to speak in front of others. People also like to offer more nuance to their position by writing.
Testify Virtually
Since COVID, many legislators are allowing remote/virtual testimony for bill hearings, as it greatly expands access to the legislative process across the state. For this, individuals usually have between 1-2 minutes to state their opinion on a bill in front of the legislative committee on Zoom.
Testify In Person
To testify on a bill in person, you must travel to Olympia and join the real-time committee hearing on the Capitol campus. You will also get between 1-2 minutes to state your opinion. This is often a powerful way to make an impression on legislators in the room.
Using the WA Legislature Website
