The Resolution Passed, Now What? A Superintendent’s Commitment to Racial and Social Justice and the Complexities of a Police-Free Schools’ Resolution

Abstract

Following a wave of racial justice activism during the summer of 2020, nearly 40 school districts passed resolutions ending the use of law enforcement in schools. In such districts, school superintendents then faced the challenge of implementing these “police-free schools’ resolutions,” while sometimes encountering strong resistance, from White parents and community members in particular. This case explores the challenges of implementing a police-free schools’ resolution through the perspective of a White superintendent committed to anti-racism and social justice in a fictitious district called Union Public Schools. Informed by real events, the authors invite education leaders to articulate their stance and strategy as it relates to anti-racist leadership, law enforcement in schools, and White resistance to equity-oriented policy change.