This case study analyzes UrbEd, a grassroots student organization in Philadelphia, in their fight to end the school to prison nexus in schools. UrbEd is a non-profit that advocates to create an equitable and safe school environment for all. In particular, they have a campaign to reimagine school safety by encouraging the defunding of the police movement in schools and removing police officers from schools. This is an important campaign because the nation as a whole has racial disparities in student arrest rates and disciplinary practices that take educational opportunities away from students of color at a higher rate than white students. Pennsylvania has a higher student arrest rate, especially among Latinx and Black students, than the national average. By targeting the issue in Philadelphia and implementing restorative practices to divert students from the prison nexus, it can be an example for the rest of the nation to follow suit and address racism in schools. This will be foundational in providing an environment where all students feel safe and supported, especially in urban areas, in order to address deep-rooted systematic racism in the US. UrbEd’s mission and organizing parallels abolitionist teaching and reality pedagogy of Bettina Love and Christopher Emdin, respectively. As a student from Pennsylvania, I was interested in studying organizing around an issue that is close to home. I acknowledge my privilege as a white female and the opportunities that were given to me in education just based off of my identity. I hope that this case study will highlight educational disparities and the need for education reform.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/company/urbedadvocates/