“Safety and Security” in Boston Schools: A History of Police and Repression, Part 3

When I started this series, it was before police shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back, before they tossed water to a white supremacist who had just murdered two protesters. That was only one week ago, but it already feels like forever-ago or, more accurately, feels like a version of this has been happening…

“Safety and Security” in Boston Schools: A History of Police and Repression, Part 2

In part 1, posted last week, Matt Kautz looked at the origins of school policing in Boston: as students peacefully protested conditions in the city’s segregated schools, their dissent was criminalized. That post details efforts by the Boston School Committee, led by Louise Day Hicks, to frame student protest as dangerous, leading to police presence…

“Safety and Security” in Boston Schools: A History of Police and Repression, Part 1

In the discussion about policing following George Floyd’s murder, we’ve learned (or been reminded) that contemporary policing has its roots in the slave patrols of the early 1800’s. It turns out there’s a sort of analogy with schools: instead of maintaining safety, school policing likewise began as an effort to criminalize people of color who…

SD Resources Roundup, Dec 2018: Equity Audit, Culturally Relevant Education & Boston Desegregation

It’s a busy time of year, so it felt like a good time for a short post about a few great resources that I’ve come across recently. I didn’t want these to get lost in the holiday and end-of-semester shuffle. And, if you happen to have time, check out the new resources page at the…