Teachers Protest Police Presence In Schools

The Rochester Organization of Rank-and-File Educators and other local groups joined together in a demonstration to unite for school funding.

There is a fear that the financial suffering of the Rochester education system will continue or possibly get worse due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to demanding the $4 billion in Foundation Aid still owed by the state, the teachers are seeking to remove police from their schools, which could free up an additional $300 million for education.

Clair Labrosa, a teacher in the organization provided a statement:

“Our kids don’t want to be over-policed, they don’t want to go to school and be afraid of who’s there. They want to go to school and feel safe, and they want to go to school and receive a quality education. And the priorities in our state keep cutting education and funding other things. So, we’re trying to put that focus back on the students, make sure that their voices are heard and that they get the funding they need to be successful.”