Advance Illinois Statement on the Practice of Police Ticketing Illinois Students for Misbehavior in School
Contact:
Advance Illinois Communications
communications@advanceillinois.org
CHICAGO, IL (April 29, 2022) - We want to bring to your attention a serious issue that was recently profiled in an investigative article by ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune as well as by a response from Dr. Carmen Ayala/ISBE. The article and letter outlined the practice of police ticketing students for misbehavior ranging from truancy to vaping to fighting. While state law prohibits schools from imposing fines for misbehavior, it does not explicitly prohibit schools from alerting the police, who in turn issue tickets. It turns out that many districts have reverted to this practice. In addition to the hefty fees involved, this process brings students and families to court or administrative hearings (resulting in missed school and work) and creates legal records which cannot be expunged.
Many schools are reporting increasingly disruptive student behavior in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we appreciate the efforts educators are making to respond to challenging circumstances at a time when everyone’s mental health and well-being are frayed. That said, we urge you to read the ProPublica/Chicago Tribune article, as well as the letter from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen Ayala. In particular, we hope parents and school personnel will consider the alternatives and resources listed in the letter that the state is making available to strengthen schools’ ability to respond to disruptive behavior by addressing underlying issues in a way that leads to longer-term peace, increased student belonging, and well-being.
This is a trying time for everyone. It is critical that we focus on and address the issues underlying student behavior in a way that supports healthy child development, that we give schools as many tools and resources as possible to do so, and that we share successful examples of local efforts to provide services that address the root causes of students’ disruptive behavior and lead to improvements in how students interact with others.
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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. To learn more, visit advanceillinois.org.