Now hiring: NYC recruits recent high school grads as assistant school safety agents – Chalkbeat

Report on New York City’s Initiative to Recruit Assistant School Safety Agents

Introduction

In response to a significant decline in school safety personnel, New York City officials have initiated a recruitment drive targeting assistant school safety agents directly out of high school. This report examines the initiative with a focus on its alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

Background and Recruitment Strategy

1. The New York Police Department (NYPD) received authorization to hire 400 assistant school safety agents under the age of 21 to support existing staff in elementary schools.
2. The recruitment process, announced in 2023, has faced delays, with the first class expected to begin in July.
3. Assistant agents will perform duties including answering phones, greeting visitors, monitoring entry points, and identifying violations of school regulations.
4. These agents will wear uniforms but will not be armed, emphasizing a non-violent approach to school safety.

Training and Employment Conditions

• Candidates must have a high school diploma and will undergo eight weeks of training covering restorative justice techniques and crisis response for children.
• The position offers a starting salary of $37,399, which is approximately $3,000 above the minimum wage, aiming to provide decent work opportunities (SDG 8).
• Assistant agents are designated for elementary schools only, excluding middle and high schools.

Stakeholder Concerns and Advocacy

The recruitment of young adults into school safety roles has sparked debate among advocates and community groups. Key concerns include:

• Potential lack of emotional maturity and adequate training for high-stress roles, impacting the well-being of both agents and students (SDG 3).
• Arguments for reallocating resources from policing to student-centered supports such as mental health clinics, wellness centers, restorative justice coordinators, and social workers, aligning with SDG 3 and SDG 16.
• Advocacy groups including the Dignity in Schools Campaign, Advocates for Children, and the Alliance for Quality Education have formally requested the abandonment of this hiring strategy.

Current Challenges in School Safety Staffing

1. School safety agents have decreased by 28% over five years, now numbering approximately 3,600.
2. Factors contributing to the decline include high attrition during the COVID-19 pandemic, low wages, and policy decisions affecting staffing levels.
3. Principals report compromised safety due to insufficient personnel, particularly during critical times such as arrival and dismissal.
4. Operational challenges include inadequate patrols and long student wait times due to insufficient staff to manage security equipment.

Perspectives from School Leadership

School principals acknowledge the necessity of addressing staffing shortages but express reservations about employing fresh high school graduates in safety roles, citing concerns about emotional maturity and judgment in conflict situations.

Government and Union Responses

• City Hall emphasizes that the assistant school safety agent position is a response to community feedback and downplays opposition as a minority viewpoint.
• The NYPD and Education Department have not publicly commented on the initiative.
• The union representing school safety agents has declined to comment on the new role.

Political Context and Future Directions

• Mayoral candidates present differing approaches to school safety:
• Zohran Mamdani supports expanding mental health and restorative justice programs over increasing school safety agents.
• Andrew Cuomo advocates for increasing the number of school safety agents.
• Jim Walden proposes raising pay and rehiring agents affected by vaccine mandate compliance issues.
• Curtis Sliwa supports hiring more school safety agents.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Training in restorative justice and crisis response aims to promote mental health and well-being among students and staff.
• SDG 4 (Quality Education): Ensuring safe school environments is fundamental to providing quality education.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The assistant agent role offers employment opportunities with wages above minimum standards for young adults.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions): The initiative seeks to strengthen school safety institutions while balancing community concerns about policing in educational settings.

Conclusion

New York City’s recruitment of assistant school safety agents represents a strategic effort to address staffing shortages and enhance school safety. While the initiative aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals by promoting employment, education quality, and well-being, it also raises important concerns regarding the suitability of young recruits for sensitive roles and the broader approach to safety in schools. Ongoing dialogue among stakeholders and consideration of alternative support mechanisms remain critical to achieving sustainable and equitable outcomes.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Focus on mental health support, emotional crises response, and restorative justice techniques for students.
2. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Ensuring safe and supportive learning environments in schools.
   • Addressing school safety personnel shortages to maintain school safety.
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Creating employment opportunities for young people as assistant school safety agents.
   • Concerns about poverty wages and employment conditions in high-stress roles.
4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
   • Maintaining safe school environments and reducing violence.
   • Debates on policing in schools and promoting restorative justice approaches.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol (implied through focus on emotional crises and mental health).
2. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
   • Target 4.c: Increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries (implied through training of assistant agents in restorative justice and crisis response).
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including young people.
   • Target 8.8: Protect labor rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers.
4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels (implied through discussions on school safety staffing and policies).

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. SDG 3 Indicators
   • Proportion of schools with access to mental health and counseling services (implied through emphasis on mental health clinics and wellness centers).
   • Number of personnel trained in restorative justice and emotional crisis response.
2. SDG 4 Indicators
   • Number of school safety personnel per school or per student population (explicit mention of decline in school safety agents by 28%).
   • Incidence of violence or safety incidents reported in schools.
   • Availability of safe and inclusive school environments.
3. SDG 8 Indicators
   • Employment rate of young people in school safety roles.
   • Wage levels compared to minimum wage (article mentions assistant agents earn $37,399, about $3,000 above minimum wage).
   • Attrition rates among school safety agents.
4. SDG 16 Indicators
   • Number of violent incidents or conflicts in schools.
   • Community and stakeholder feedback on safety and policing in schools.
   • Implementation of restorative justice programs and their outcomes.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: chalkbeat.org