Less than two weeks after Mather High School pupil and activist Caleb Reed was once gunned down in West Rogers Park, the Local School Council at Mather voted to take away the law enforcement officials stationed on the North Side college.
Reed, a junior at Mather, was once a pupil chief at Voices Of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE) and a distinguished voice within the push to take away Chicago law enforcement officials from Chicago Public Schools. On Tuesday, the Mather LSC venerated his paintings, balloting 6-Four to take away their college useful resource officials.
“We are more than pleased with the results,” stated Electa Bay, a Mather grandparent. “This is an important and poignant victory, as we will be saying our final goodbyes to Caleb tomorrow at his funeral. Having SROs out of the school was part of Caleb’s legacy and it’s so beautiful to see that we accomplished that at his school.”
The Mather LSC held a the city corridor assembly forward of the vote to listen to testimonials from college group individuals. Derriona Ford, Reed’s female friend, was once one of the crucial scholars who spoke.
“Youth are telling you that we need more mental health and behavior health services and not police. Why wouldn’t you listen to us?,” requested Ford. “We are the one dealing with SROs day in and out and we need to you to hear us.”
Caleb Reed, a junior at Mather High School in West Ridge, speaks throughout a June 16, 2020, press convention out of doors City Hall about Chicago City Council regulation that will have terminated a $33 million contract between the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Public Schools.Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Reed died Aug. 2 after being shot in wide sunlight two days previous within the 1900 block of West Granville Avenue.
He spoke at a rally in June calling on CPS to terminate their $33-million contract with the Chicago Police Department that positioned officials in 72 of the district’s 93 prime colleges. The Board of Education narrowly voted to uphold the contract however later introduced that they have been slashing its finances to $15 million.
“My sophomore year of high school I was arrested for attending a basketball game because I didn’t have my ID,” Caleb stated on the rally. “I sat in a police station for six hours. I knew it wasn’t right at all, but inside I was angry, confused.”
“One thing I’m here to say is I’m proud to be a Black young man,” Caleb stated. “It’s not a good feeling to be labeled as dangerous or criminals. Because we’re not. … No Black person should ever feel like this.”
Mather joins 9 different colleges that experience elected up to now to stay law enforcement officials out in their constructions, in step with VOYCE coordinator Maria Delgillo.
Those different colleges are:
Roosevelt High School;
Northside College Prep;
Benito Juarez Community Academy;
Roberto Clemente Community Academy;
Lane Tech College Prep High School;
John Hancock High School;
Kelvyn Park High School;
Curie Metro High School; and
Uplift Community High School.
Contributing: Nader Issa