The New York City Council - File #: Res 0514-2018

• File #: Res 0514-2018
• Version: *
• Name: DOE to provide one full-time guidance counselor and social worker for every 250 students and to ensure that all schools have at least one full-time guidance counselor and social worker.
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Laid Over in Committee
• File created: 9/12/2018
• In control: Committee on Education
• On agenda: 9/12/2018
• Title: Resolution calling upon the Department of Education to provide one full-time guidance counselor and social worker for every 250 students and to ensure that all schools have at least one full-time guidance counselor and social worker.
• Sponsors: Mark Treyger, Margaret S. Chin, Costa G. Constantinides, Alicka Ampry-Samuel , Antonio Reynoso, Donovan J. Richards, Andy L. King

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
9/20/2018	*	Committee on Public Safety	Laid Over by Committee
9/20/2018	*	Committee on Public Safety	Hearing Held by Committee
9/20/2018	*	Committee on Education	Hearing Held by Committee
9/20/2018	*	Committee on Education	Laid Over by Committee
9/12/2018	*	City Council	Referred to Comm by Council
9/12/2018	*	City Council	Introduced by Council

Res. No. 514

Title
Resolution calling upon the Department of Education to provide one full-time guidance counselor and social worker for every 250 students and to ensure that all schools have at least one full-time guidance counselor and social worker.
Body

By Council Members Treyger, Chin, Constantinides, Ampry-Samuel, Reynoso, Richards and King

Whereas, Pursuant to the requirements of Local Law 56 of 2014, in February 2018, the Department of Education (DOE) reported that there are 4,173 guidance counselors and social workers combined across all DOE schools, and yet, as reported by the New York Police Department (NYPD), there are currently more than 5,000 School Safety Agents (SSAs) in DOE schools; and
Whereas, The American Civil Liberties Union reported that the presence of police officers in schools, lead to students feeling criminalized for conduct that should be addressed by school staff; and
Whereas, While SSAs are not police officers, as indicated by the Center for Public Integrity, SSAs are employed by the NYPD, wear a police uniform and a shield, and have handcuffs on their belts; and
Whereas, As stated in a 2018 report released by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, during school year (SY) 2016-17, SSAs and NYPD officers issued more than 2,000 summonses or arrests in DOE schools, and suspensions in DOE schools increased by more than 20 percent during the first half of SY 2017-18 in comparison to the first half of the year prior; and
Whereas, The Comptroller also reported that during SY 2017-18 students were handcuffed in more than 1,800 incidents, including students as young as age five; and
Whereas, According to New York University, students with disabilities and students of color are disproportionately removed from their classes; and
Whereas, Numerous advocates, such as the Urban Youth Collaborative, argue that many DOE schools perpetuate the "school-to-prison-pipeline," by which students are p...