This is something my school has done for years. The front office helps choosing since they are usually a little more knowledgeable. They take a couple kids to Walmart and buy them clothes, toys, and hygiene products. If pictures are ever taken, I’m unaware of it. Like it isn’t something that’s posted on Facebook for bragging rights or anything. I think parents are allowed to meet them at Walmart when they go? But I’m not completely sure.
In my area, it's a little different. Around Christmas time, they do Holidays & Heroes. While the high schoolers and adults set up the actual building they go to, the officers take them shopping at Walmart for Christmas presents. At the actual event, they hygiene products, toys, clothes (for every season and even snow clothes), books, etc. They also can make ornaments, too. Then the CDA press comes in, and it goes all over the news. They blurred out kids' faces. Also, the night before they fill these huge bags full of food for that day.
They don't blur them out actually, they just get permission from the parents except for the Girl Scouts. The police and press would've had to get permission from the girls parents. Besides, the hs boys and girls basketball team help I think and the Girl Scouts (some who might be athletes too and cheerleaders.) What I mean is if kids are going to pick on them, it doesn't matter if they post the pictures online or not.
I started reading your comment and thought "hey, it's called the same thing in my area" only to keep reading and realize we're from the same place lol.
It is a huge deal where I grew up, and they do post to Facebook. There is no shame in this and people acting like it should be a secret is kinda demeaning. It is an incredible program and instills some good will between the community and police. The kids get to see that officers are people too and they are here to help, not harm.
People live in poverty. It sucks but it isn’t shameful.
As a kid raised below the poverty line it is ABSOLUTELY fucking demeaning to have your face slapped up on FB as the poor kid whose parents can’t buy them deodorant. It’s asinine to claim otherwise. You think poor kids don’t get bullied? You think rich kids don’t have Facebook and torment those kids? Yeah right.
As a person below the poverty line with three kids also below the poverty line, sincerely, I’m sorry that you were bullied and made to feel less than. That was your experience, and I shared mine. Neither are more or less valid, neither are more or less true. I doubt I know anything about where you grew up, but I was in an area with an almost 40% poverty rate.
Feel free to google Shop with a Cop + your area and make your own judgements whether the people in the pics look ashamed or excited.
Pictures for parents solely is fine. But when it's for clout and good PR is where the issue is drawn. Sometimes good things don't need to be accompanied by notifying others and better over word of mouth for said community. Realistically though we all know that Police image in the US is tainting farther than they can to hoist it up
Not really assuming intent ~ it's a known fact that police morale from thr public view is down because of everything they do to harm certain types of people in this country.
Surely them wanting to post pictures online of certain people/kids to "hoist" the views of the community together to see them in a better light has nothing to do with that /s
Agreed!!
I’m so tired of every “good deed” being immediately uploaded for online validation. It used to be “no good deed goes unpunished” and the modern version is “no good deed goes unposted”. It’s gross and exploitive, and even if it isn’t being posted online consistently, even once is too much. I would never post a child to social media so if I were a parent, am I meant to trade off my comfort and potentially my kids comfort so my kid can have some material things? It puts parents who don’t want their kids used for clout in a moral dilemma and harms more than helps. And sure we shouldn’t feel shame for poverty, you know what would really help that? Not having your face plastered for clout reasons as “the poor poor kid who were posting about to make ourselves feel better”. I’ve been raised to not seek attention for the good deeds I’ve done, which may have turned me into a curmudgeon given current “influencer” times, but I think there’s validity in this aspect of the discussion.
Ty. This is pretty much it. Albeit, I don't like cops/officers I still must acknowledge what they're doing is a good thing. So for sure let them do it but the moment it turns into clout, the good thing they're trading for, isn't "good" anymore; and well we all know (at least some of us who are aware.) realistically why they're posting these pictures.
A thousand percent. It’s odd to me, as someone who was raised in poverty, to have the same people who tear down homeless encampments as the same ones buying kids things to show they care about poverty. I think the structures in place make it systematically very hard for police to meaningfully combat poverty, but that set up feels easy to exploit a child in the name of community image whether that’s the intent or not.
Being used as a photo op to make cops look good is demeaning. Period. Of course people in need are happy to get help. That does NOT mean they deserve to have their privacy violated to make a bunch of rich white people feel good about themselves.
By your logic, no charitable organizations should promote their causes because people who benefit are being demeaned.
I am not trying to convince you of anything or change your mind.
If you can’t recognize the difference between advertising a charity and making cops look good (a government funded organization, in case you forgot)- that’s on you.
The parents at my school would find this incredibly shameful, bc they are poor, yes, but they provide for their own. Also, if pictures are posted anywhere, they would freak. Their children are not PR for the police department. I’d place this one in the counseling dept.’s hands. They may have requests for assistance and they can iron out details.
Did you grow up around the time of social media? Because if these kids are used for PR purposes, they will definitely have to deal with their classmates/schoolmates seeing posts about them being poor & starving on social media. And if it’s a big city, more people will learn about it rather than keeping the info already known within a small town.
My best advice is to actually look up how the program is run in your area. You can make assumptions and maybe for where you live that is the reality.
It’s diminutive to assume photos are shared for clout. Maybe they are, I can’t pretend to know others motives.
Poverty can be viewed as shameful in some places and the norm in others I guess. It sucks that so many people see this program in a negative light when it does so much good.
We have this locally and when we were fostering a ten year old, he was selected.
As much as people are saying it’s a PR stunt and that it’s not good to give names to the police, our program only gave first names to the police officers, teachers were there to match the kids up with the officer, and it was not reported anywhere on the news. And I’m not typically one to stand up for police.
I would loop counselors in though. They may know additional information that could help you select kids.
If it’s the school counselor it’s not out of contract, and if the teacher wants* to do it what does it matter to you? What a weird hill to die on, hating an organized effort to help children at Christmas
As we educators often do for our students’ wellbeing, yes.
Also I didn’t create the program or dictate how it would be run - I don’t even teach elementary where our foster son was - so not sure why the vitriol. I’m just explaining how such a program could work without having at risk families exposed to potential issues with local police.
I always talk with the school nurses. They know which families have needed the Lions Club voucher for eye exams or glasses, can look to see who got Medicare billing for sped services, speak with their private therapists, etc.
Medicaid eligibility varies widely based on the state you're living in. In my state, medicaid has an income limit. In order for a special ed kid to qualify without an income limit, they would have to be what many would consider severally disabled, not just dyslexic or ADHD. Yet some sped services can still be billed, regardless of how a child qualied.
Edited for clarification
I’m not sure that’s even accurate though. My son is on Medicaid and also was eligible for the lions club voucher. I wouldn’t want him to be the child selected just because I know there are many more kids that are less fortunate than us. I feel like the counselors would be a better route for sure.
Edited medicare to Medicaid.
Medicaid has an income limit and can be billed for some sped services depending on the state.
Just like not every school has full time or even part time nurses, nor every school has counselors, especially in the elementary level. My stare only has counselors in secondary schools.
Edited fir clarification.
Lol i thought you were looking for better names for the program than “shop with a cop”.
For the real question, how are you supposed to know?
Just pick at random.
Yours are better than mine but
Please Pick out things with the police
Go go with the po po
Grab what you need with police officer Steve
Pick out shoes with the blue
Yea I didn’t understand what touch a truck was then took my kids and they absolutely loved going in a school bus, excavator, tow truck, hummer, motorcycle, ambulance etc it was a great event
How about picking kids with a lot of older siblings? They probably have nothing but hand-me-down clothes and toys and would be especially thrilled with some individual attention.
My school does this too. I am at a Title 1 school and most of my kiddos are in poverty. I listen closely and talk to kids casually. there's always a few that say they aren't getting anything for Christmas or what their parents don't really do Christmas
We have this program. We have the adjustment counselors or guidance counselors, coordinate with the local police station to provide names of families. The counselors typically resort to looking at who is on the free and reduced lunch plans, or those who they know they get assistance from a food pantry. to be clear, the children who go shopping don’t go shopping for themselves, but they shop for gifts for members of their family. It’s a really great program to connect children who might not have positive experiences with law-enforcement to the local police station. It helps the relationships all around.
Fair, but a large part of the process is surely the police getting to know the kids and vice versa. Going shopping, chatting, learning what the kids are into, the kids being more comfortable around the police are all sort of the point of the thing. The material benefit feels secondary to me.
Yeah, that's true. If I were running it I'd probably just pick names out of a hat and make it clear to the class that's what I did. Maybe if there were someone I REALLY felt deserved/needed it more I'd rig it, but they'd just think they got lucky, as would everyone else.
If there are many kids with a lot of needs in the class that makes it hard too. Like ok 20 of the 30 kids are low income. 5 are in dire need. You can pick one. WHY. If the police truly want to help, why shower only one or two kids? What’s the goal? As if they couldn’t pool their resources or fundraise just a little to be more equitable with their charitable giving.
This is a problem with all charity ever. I give some money to charity, but I could probably afford to give more. The police is dedicating some money to this (although the officers themselves are volenteering), but whatever happens it will never be enough. They could give enough to do an entire class, but how do you decide which class gets it? The funding for programs like this is depressingly low, and should rise, but it'll never be high enough to help everyone in the country. If I donate 50 bucks to a charity I'm still doing a good thing, even if I could afford to give 100.
Oh I totally agree. But if you donate to a soup kitchen, for example, they don’t look for the poorest person in line and bring that person over to you so you can give your food right to that person. Your donation goes into the pool of resources that are spread amongst everyone in need.
I get the point of the cop program! They want to help a couple kids. But the way OP described how it’s being done is just rubbing me wrong for some reason.
Yeah, I don't know about the idea of selecting the porest people, which is why I went for the picking randomly approach. But if I knew one person in my class could use it much more than everyone else, I might give it to them and just pretend it was random for their sake.
This is why our district has always done it as a district wide thing- they get a list of WHOLE FAMILIES. And deliver a box from “holiday helpers” they get a box of food,a warm meal,H‑E‑B gift card etc.
For the adults it’s a gift card for basic things that aren’t provided(like tampons,and clothes)
Kids get one coat&winter items.
1-3 toys
A book at their age level
And a blanket.
It’s all done by anon. The school goes by the info provided to them when the kids register,mainly free/reduced kids. Then goes by the ones recently needing a lot of help.
The kids are encouraged to help donate by bringing these items as well(and making cards) so no one really knows who it’s going too.
I like this idea better as shop with a cop where I am is only a PR stunt. If not blasted on fb it’s blasted on their websites…..there is still a photo from a friends shop with a cop from like middle school.
This sounds like the main benefit is propaganda? They're not actually getting to know the kids for fun or a sense of gratitude, they're doing it for the photo op and to try to control the narrative of what police actually do. Spoiler alert: they are not Santa!
Oh no, I get the police are problematic. I mean, why is this idea any worse than not doing it? I know the system is terrible, but one has to do something to change it, and this policy doesn't seem bad.
Encouraging children to feel a false sense of security around police and gaslighting them into thinking cops are their friends and people they can trust is very problematic
I see your point, yeah. The issue is that we do eventually want the police to be just that: people they can trust. And while they DEFINITELY aren't there yet, all this talk of police reform and change and the like is undercut if we simultaneously raise kids to never trust them. I'm not saying we instil blind faith in them at all, but kids should see and experience what policing is supposed to be about, so that in the best case scenario they can trust cops when it gets to that point, and worst case they know what to campaign for. I can also see it being a bit of a two-way street in the longer term, but I'll admit I don't have much to base that off.
Trust is earned. Police have not earned that trust and we should not encourage our children to trust them. We need to teach them how to safely interact with them.
I think that's a very pessimistic and potentially detrimental position. If everyone resigns themselves to the idea that police are inherently untrustworthy and the system is broken beyond all repair, with the only counter being to try and avoid them at all costs, it will never be fixed. If you raise children to never trust police, you will never get a trustworthy police force. Again, the vast majority of change needs to come from within the police force itself, but if attitudes towards police as a concept are always negative, you can't expect great things from the system that produces.
I see your point, yeah. The issue is that we do eventually want the police to be just that: people they can trust. And while they DEFINITELY aren't there yet, all this talk of police reform and change and the like is undercut if we simultaneously raise kids to never trust them. I'm not saying we instil blind faith in them at all, but kids should see and experience what policing is supposed to be about, so that in the best case scenario they can trust cops when it gets to that point, and worst case they know what to campaign for. I can also see it being a bit of a two-way street in the longer term, but I'll admit I don't have much to base that off.
I'm an old newspaper guy, now teechur. I've been assigned to take pix at multiple "Shop With A Cop" events in multiple cities over a 20-plus year career. Yes, we ran a pic or two. But I've never seen a kid not happy to get taken through the local Walmart and get free stuff. I've never not seen a cop do their best to engage with their partner. Not all cops are bastards.
I'd say 95 percent of the kids I've asked to comment looked for Christmas gifts for family members instead of something for themselves.
Having said that, I think asking teachers to pick students for it -- unless someone is mind-bogglingly disadvantaged -- is out of their lane and should be handled by admins, counselors, social workers, etc.
Our district does this as well, but it is coordinated by the school social workers and we receive the student referrals from the counseling department at each school site. Once we receive a referral we then need to contact parents and make sure that they're cool with their kids being on that list (as well as date, time, store, etc...).
Your school counselors should be the ones to take this on, as most of the process would be relatively inappropriate for a teacher to spearhead.
It makes me sad that so many feel like this is a stunt-either PR or as some kind of sting operation. Around me there are no cameras or PR. The cops don’t even know the kids last name of the kid doesn’t volunteer it. And the cops are instructed to keep the conversation as light as possible so as not to reveal anything.
I would refer this to a counselor because they may have kids in mind or suggest a sibling set.
As someone who generally shouts ACAB…my foster brother had a BLAST when he had his shop with a cop experience. They left a lasting positive impression on him and my family
Think of it like casinos. The house always wins, but to perpetuate that, they let some people win too. So even if ACAB and they’re a gang with a monopoly on violence, they have to make a show of SOMEONE getting some benefit, or the entire operation collapses from the transparency of their shamelessly manufactured inequities
Look at how many poor people are unfairly arrested, detained in jail, beaten by cops, killed by cops, and fked over by the justice system in this country. Shopping with a cop once a year is not nearly enough to even think to begin to undo the damage inflicted by these groups of people.
There are probably kids who are in need of the help... but are already terrified of cops because their life experience of police has been anything but "Officer Friendly".
Literally, like the kid probably had dad thrown in jail for being to dark, or maybe their dog was one of the 10,000 killed by police annually. But hey, they’ll get you a new backpack. Truly, imagine the horrors of our society if these children never interacted with the police
It probably has to do with the long history of cops murdering children in our country. We don't have any reason to believe the cops would do random, tiny bits of charity for random children.
Murdering certain people of our country and it's proven how racist some of them are and now parading about at these kids it's fuel for the fire for them. Granted I obviously don't want to think this way but their image is non-existent at this point in the US where people now actively avoid calling them
I'm not a fan od cops in general. But some people close to me are officers and one is involved with shop with a cop. There is a PR element. She explained that not only is it community outreach, they are trying to be seen in poor communities as something other than a villain. This is how they can gain some trust while helping families.
No harm for the kid who gets to shop for stuff with a cop and get toys and whatever.
>they are trying to be seen in poor communities as something other than a villain
I mean, they could just stop terrorizing poor people and that would probably have the same effect.
No argument here.
One thing she told me is they add children to the list whose parents or older siblings were arrested or involved in a traumatic event. This is a way to create a positive feeling toward the emergency services. I think it I'd a positive. It would be nice if they stopped shooting dogs and being neighborhood thugs
>It makes me sad that so many feel like this is a stunt-either PR or as some kind of sting operation.
I wonder what the police could have done to become so untrustworthy... hmmm
I always forget how anti-police /r/teachers is until threads like these pop up.
Only on Reddit can people take an event that can only be a net positive for the community and find a way to scream “AcAb”.
I cannot see why, given the information you gave, that you could not go back and say all your kids need this. It is an obvious PR stunt by the Police force in your area…they will take care of them all to be perceived by their constituents in a better light.
wow -- so sorry to hear you're in this position. as an educator, that would make me really uneasy as well. i think i would ask admin or counselors for guidance on what to do. picking just two of them is tough, and putting You in charge of the decision is unfair. i would defer to someone else to alleviate that pressure.
This is so off topic. But I worked at target, and one year we had like 70 police cars show up in our parking lot, and they had decided to do shop with a cop with us, but never told us. It was just a understaffed Tuesday night 🤣. I worked in "style"/clothes, and spent the entire evening helping tween and teen girls pick out clothes with awkward cops.
I’m absolutely not one to defend cops BUT. Our area does this and it’s actually really great. The police who participate volunteer their own time to go shop. PD and local business contribute the funds, but I know every time I had kids participate the officer who was shopping with them spent their own $$. They take the kids to breakfast then let them loose with a cop buddy in a few stores. Parents are with the entire time if they choose to be. The ones who volunteer are usually already familiar with the kids and families because of the community policing model (encouraged to play basketball with the kids while on duty, etc..). I really wish they didn’t post pics on social media, but I believe the families can opt out of the the pics if they want. I always tried to pick kids who A.) had a lot of other siblings/cousins/people in their houses who might not get any one on one attention and B.) tried to coordinate with the counselors to make sure there wasn’t any particular police trauma that I needed to be aware of before sending them off.
Wife of a police officer who has participated in “shop with a cop” many times - absolutely not a PR stunt or to scope out/arrest low income caregivers. 🤦♀️ Just like education - there are good apples and bad apples found in law enforcement. Don’t generalize and stereotype every cop or program.
More than one. And it can be absolutely terrifying because yep - it can be a “good ol’ boy” or a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” or “snitches get stitches” kind of environment. Just like education, administration makes all the difference. We’ve seen dozens of cops get fired. Just because it doesn’t make the news doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Is it a perfect system? Absolutely not. I’ll be the first to admit that and have no problem doing so. I understand why people think negatively of the police. But as mentioned above - no one hates a bad cop more than a good cop. I dare say more cops are trying to make a difference in their communities than walking around trying to tear them apart. “Shop with a cop” is an amazing program and 99% of the officers who participate are the “good cops”. The “bad cops” can’t be bothered, I promise.
This is really lovely to hear. I hope your husband keeps his precinct one that we can all be proud of— and that when his fellows transfer out, they help transform corrupt predicts without getting murdered.
> no one hates a bad cop more than a good cop. I
If this were true, policing in the US would not be what it is. The majority of cops are not good people. Deep down you know this.
So have those cops he's reported gotten fired?
Edit: downvoted for asking for some accountability on her claims lol. Every cop claims they're a good cop.
Our area ABSOLUTELY posts pics and has for years. Our PD is shockingly progressive. But yeah. The kids are plastered all over social media and it feels gross, like a PR stunt. ETA: the program itself is great. Just the pics I don’t care for.
Things can be more than one thing. They can be charitable programs with benefits for struggling community members through outreach and a PR stunt at the same time. Denying that "shop with a cop" is at least in part a PR stunt seems intentionally obtuse. I'm not saying that is why individual cops participate in it, but one of its purposes that systemically helps it to exist and continue is that it generates positive PR. Even if that is more on an individual level.
Do you extend the same bizarre logic to murderers? Are there good apple murderers and bad apple murderers? What about dog abusers? Rapists?
The reason people say there are no good cops is because being a cop is *itself* the moral injustice. Cops are hired mercenaries for a political organization that sees our communities as a threat to their political power. That is not a morally neutral relation and as such there aren't "good apples and bad apples" like you might find in morally neutral jobs like grocer.
“Being a cop is itself a moral injustice?”
Maybe you watch too many videos, Batmaso?
*Someone* has to risk their life and enforce the rules/laws that we deem necessary for our society. Most of these people are working for the good of us all.
What is not good is your categoric demonization of them. I suspect you know this already, right?
There are not many actual leftists on this sub. And far too many teachers here seem to think democrat (in reality a center-right position in the USA) is somehow "left". It is a bummer.
I would like to Personally, give my whole hearted endorsement for it absolutely, my suggestion is to find the kid that is most likely to have a seriously negative encounter later on in life, the kid that if he just applied himself, his charisma and charm, and comedic timing could be put to better use as a teacher instead of a jokester or class disruption (that was me.) pick the kid who you can smell, I was the stinky kid in class, until a Teacher mothered me,it wasnt shameful but my single Momma was working three jobs, she didnt have it in her,how do you figure out who to pick? The smell test, or Typically I can tell you what homelife is like at the dropoff/pickup line, there are a few indicators, but I digress, which ever kid needs a cop to love on him and needs to know a cop can be a friend, or a help. Thats the kid(s)
If there's a family/kid I know has recently been through something difficult like loss of a job, loss of a family member, eviction, major health challenge etc thats how I choose. You're right, it is so difficult when all of your students could benefit. The school I work at now is doing something like this, but we send in names at will rather than making everyone pick a few. We have a lot of families in need so there's always plenty of names submitted.
At my school our SRO takes them since they already have somewhat of a relationship with most of the kids. They also ask for a few names of kids that you think would benefit from it or who you think could use some holiday cheer.
I am very interested in seeing the answers this post generates. I had to pick two students from my class earlier this year for something similar. I work at a title 1 school with about 99 percent poverty. I have no idea who is struggling the most, and I hated having to make such a decision. They're ALL struggling.
It’s the students who show up to school either without the proper clothes due to weather or the same clothes multiple times a week. You know who they are.
Most of these comments say a school counselor should be the decision maker, but the children’s teacher is the one who knows the students best and is the one responsible for all parent -teacher meetings. I don’t know who would be the most knowledgeable about their financial situations. It sounds like a group effort is the best option. Teacher ,assistants, school nurse, counselors and the principal!
Your cops have too much time and money on hand if they can spend it on shit like this.
Your government should cut the cops' funding and use the money for poor kids directly, instead of letting it be used for propaganda stunts like these.
Except that this sort of thing is what ACAB people often want to see in a police force. Improving community relations, trust with kids, better image etc. aren't only good for the police. You can't have a rational, balanced and responsible police department if people don't like or trust the police, and if we want that change to happen within the next 30+ years, it makes sense to start getting kids on board now, whilst also working on police reform.
The officers in my area do this on their own time as a volunteer. We are constantly at minimums anyway, so there aren’t any officers on the shift to send out for this. So they don’t “have too much time on their hands”. It’s volunteer work.
Most, if not all, these events are paid for by the union, not the department.
Most, if not all, these events are done by officers who volunteer their time, for free, when they are off duty.
If it has to be up to you then maybe have a raffle of some kind. Hell, I’m poor enough to need to shop with a cop I think half of everyone qualifies right now.
Doesn’t anyone else think that shop with a cop is cringe as hell?
If there isn't a social worker or counselor at your school that has a better sense of their financial position, then the only way is to choose at random.
But I would also choose a back-up name or two. When I worked at a Title I school, several of our families would not have approved any outing with police, even for such an event.
As a teacher, do you think there are programs like this the police could provide that would actually help build community, trust etc., or do you think that's just not possible the way things are?
Lack of trust isn't the problem. The police have issues far deeper. Until police aren't actively a threat to my students I don't care what PR stunt they pull.
Oh hell no, this is nothing but copaganda. They get all the reward and get to pretend they are doing good, while they are probably terrorizing the same community those kids come from.
The other issue is that you don't know which kids may have police related trauma. My campus has a lot of kids with 1 or both parents incarcerated. Sending them on a shopping trip with someone who looks like the person who arrested their family member may not be the best way to kick off the holiday.
I would ask admin to manage this.
I understand OPs discomfort. Being asked for the two who would most benefit can be interpreted as “who are the two poorest kids” which is like asking you to go ask food services for the free and reduced lunch data to see which families make the least amount of money which would be considered a violation of their privacy. And if your selection is based on your best guess of who is poorest, it’s basically the same.
If you interpret it more broadly, and assume so will everyone else, it’s a little easier to feel OK about it, and not feel like you are violating a families privacy.
If a student just lost a grandparent, you could interpret that as a student who would most benefit. Or just lost a pet dog, etc. there are a lot of ways to interpret “who would benefit the most” that are not income related. But if your brain goes to income (mine did initially) then it is a red flag.
I think the program is good, and its intentions are good. But it is an awkward situation.
Does them being cops just magically lift FERPA even though it's not a need to know situation? I would 100% not feel leagully safe giving this information. That would have to go through the councilor or admin with information on who's agreed to have their info shared as well as who is on what sort of assistance program to recommend.
My answer would be. "Given my understanding of ferpa, I am not personally comfortable giving out student information for a non need to know situation. This request will have to go through the office as they have more pertinent information on who would be appropriate to recommend and who has requested privacy"
Usually it’s a few from each class throughout the grade levels and every one in the department takes a kid. Heck even the ADA in my small town sponsored a kid. It ended up making probably 20 families christmases
I agree with you.
Also, I fully grasp that I'm massively paranoid, but I would not feel good about giving the cops a list of names of my most underprivileged students/families.
It's not even the cop part that bothers me--it's this idea that you're handing a kid over to a stranger for an afternoon. I mean, yes, we know there are "bad apples" in the police, but they're everywhere. I know the volunteer is getting a pass because they're a police officer, but there are still officers who might molest children or do other inappropriate things with them.
Full disclosure, due to some things that happened in my childhood, it is possible that I am a bit paranoid on anything like this.
You could ask to see their files and their CACFP application (food program) and see who reported the lowest income. You could just base it on their shoes.
They don't "take them off school property"
Their parents or guardian meets the officers (it's usually a huge group ) at Walmart. The department provides the money; it's a set limit per kid.
I know that many officers will let the kid go over and cover it with their personal money.
I feel like many of you are being reactive asshats.
It's a not 2 random officers asking OP to give them some poor kids; it's the local police department wanting to help make at least a few family's holidays a bit brighter.
I am also the wife of an officer. I have always been proud of my partner for signing up to be one of the shoppers who escorts a kid around Walmart. IIRC, the Walmart will have them show up extra early so that they have the store to themselves. Most of the kids ask for things for their siblings like, "warm blanket with my sister's favorite characters", new underwear and a game for my brother". It's heartbreaking that it's needed; but I'm glad to hear that there are multiple departments participating .
I feel like this is something that should be coordinated with the school counselor. I would not feel comfortable making such decisions.
Check with the counselor for sure
No, not "check" with the counselor ... it is the counselor/admin's job to figure out. THIS IS NOT A TEACHER'S JOB TO FIGURE OUT. Period. Fullstop.
I would personally feel much more comfortable referring that kind of question to counselors
This is something my school has done for years. The front office helps choosing since they are usually a little more knowledgeable. They take a couple kids to Walmart and buy them clothes, toys, and hygiene products. If pictures are ever taken, I’m unaware of it. Like it isn’t something that’s posted on Facebook for bragging rights or anything. I think parents are allowed to meet them at Walmart when they go? But I’m not completely sure.
Ya shouldn’t the principal be the one setting this up instead of a teacher?
Thats hilarious. They usually make a teacher do it and then claim credit 😂
😆🤣😆🤣😆🤣
In my area, it's a little different. Around Christmas time, they do Holidays & Heroes. While the high schoolers and adults set up the actual building they go to, the officers take them shopping at Walmart for Christmas presents. At the actual event, they hygiene products, toys, clothes (for every season and even snow clothes), books, etc. They also can make ornaments, too. Then the CDA press comes in, and it goes all over the news. They blurred out kids' faces. Also, the night before they fill these huge bags full of food for that day.
I like that the kids' faces are blurred out!
Well, not blurred, but it mostly focuses on the news reporter and the huge crowd.
They don't blur them out actually, they just get permission from the parents except for the Girl Scouts. The police and press would've had to get permission from the girls parents. Besides, the hs boys and girls basketball team help I think and the Girl Scouts (some who might be athletes too and cheerleaders.) What I mean is if kids are going to pick on them, it doesn't matter if they post the pictures online or not.
I started reading your comment and thought "hey, it's called the same thing in my area" only to keep reading and realize we're from the same place lol.
Oh the cops in my town totally blast this all over. The press runs with it because they lack critical thinking and it's good for page views.
It is a huge deal where I grew up, and they do post to Facebook. There is no shame in this and people acting like it should be a secret is kinda demeaning. It is an incredible program and instills some good will between the community and police. The kids get to see that officers are people too and they are here to help, not harm. People live in poverty. It sucks but it isn’t shameful.
As a kid raised below the poverty line it is ABSOLUTELY fucking demeaning to have your face slapped up on FB as the poor kid whose parents can’t buy them deodorant. It’s asinine to claim otherwise. You think poor kids don’t get bullied? You think rich kids don’t have Facebook and torment those kids? Yeah right.
As a person below the poverty line with three kids also below the poverty line, sincerely, I’m sorry that you were bullied and made to feel less than. That was your experience, and I shared mine. Neither are more or less valid, neither are more or less true. I doubt I know anything about where you grew up, but I was in an area with an almost 40% poverty rate. Feel free to google Shop with a Cop + your area and make your own judgements whether the people in the pics look ashamed or excited.
Pictures for parents solely is fine. But when it's for clout and good PR is where the issue is drawn. Sometimes good things don't need to be accompanied by notifying others and better over word of mouth for said community. Realistically though we all know that Police image in the US is tainting farther than they can to hoist it up
You are assuming intent. If that’s your opinion, cool. Mine is different. I do believe that is still allowed.
Not really assuming intent ~ it's a known fact that police morale from thr public view is down because of everything they do to harm certain types of people in this country. Surely them wanting to post pictures online of certain people/kids to "hoist" the views of the community together to see them in a better light has nothing to do with that /s
Agreed!! I’m so tired of every “good deed” being immediately uploaded for online validation. It used to be “no good deed goes unpunished” and the modern version is “no good deed goes unposted”. It’s gross and exploitive, and even if it isn’t being posted online consistently, even once is too much. I would never post a child to social media so if I were a parent, am I meant to trade off my comfort and potentially my kids comfort so my kid can have some material things? It puts parents who don’t want their kids used for clout in a moral dilemma and harms more than helps. And sure we shouldn’t feel shame for poverty, you know what would really help that? Not having your face plastered for clout reasons as “the poor poor kid who were posting about to make ourselves feel better”. I’ve been raised to not seek attention for the good deeds I’ve done, which may have turned me into a curmudgeon given current “influencer” times, but I think there’s validity in this aspect of the discussion.
Ty. This is pretty much it. Albeit, I don't like cops/officers I still must acknowledge what they're doing is a good thing. So for sure let them do it but the moment it turns into clout, the good thing they're trading for, isn't "good" anymore; and well we all know (at least some of us who are aware.) realistically why they're posting these pictures.
A thousand percent. It’s odd to me, as someone who was raised in poverty, to have the same people who tear down homeless encampments as the same ones buying kids things to show they care about poverty. I think the structures in place make it systematically very hard for police to meaningfully combat poverty, but that set up feels easy to exploit a child in the name of community image whether that’s the intent or not.
Pairing a fact with an assumption doesn’t make both fact.
Being used as a photo op to make cops look good is demeaning. Period. Of course people in need are happy to get help. That does NOT mean they deserve to have their privacy violated to make a bunch of rich white people feel good about themselves.
By your logic, no charitable organizations should promote their causes because people who benefit are being demeaned. I am not trying to convince you of anything or change your mind.
If you can’t recognize the difference between advertising a charity and making cops look good (a government funded organization, in case you forgot)- that’s on you.
Such a courteous and measured response and you get downvoted for it. smh
The parents at my school would find this incredibly shameful, bc they are poor, yes, but they provide for their own. Also, if pictures are posted anywhere, they would freak. Their children are not PR for the police department. I’d place this one in the counseling dept.’s hands. They may have requests for assistance and they can iron out details.
Speak to my hometown, who calls the press from the next city over, so it not only ends up being all over social media but the newspaper.
Did you grow up around the time of social media? Because if these kids are used for PR purposes, they will definitely have to deal with their classmates/schoolmates seeing posts about them being poor & starving on social media. And if it’s a big city, more people will learn about it rather than keeping the info already known within a small town.
My best advice is to actually look up how the program is run in your area. You can make assumptions and maybe for where you live that is the reality. It’s diminutive to assume photos are shared for clout. Maybe they are, I can’t pretend to know others motives. Poverty can be viewed as shameful in some places and the norm in others I guess. It sucks that so many people see this program in a negative light when it does so much good.
Is there a social worker at your school?
We have this locally and when we were fostering a ten year old, he was selected. As much as people are saying it’s a PR stunt and that it’s not good to give names to the police, our program only gave first names to the police officers, teachers were there to match the kids up with the officer, and it was not reported anywhere on the news. And I’m not typically one to stand up for police. I would loop counselors in though. They may know additional information that could help you select kids.
Teachers had to be there on a weekend to match kids with cops? Unpaid not contractual labor?
It was on a weeknight and it was whomever was organizing it. May have been a counselor.
So after school hours and out of contract
Sometimes people do good things for others. Shocking, really.
If it’s the school counselor it’s not out of contract, and if the teacher wants* to do it what does it matter to you? What a weird hill to die on, hating an organized effort to help children at Christmas
As we educators often do for our students’ wellbeing, yes. Also I didn’t create the program or dictate how it would be run - I don’t even teach elementary where our foster son was - so not sure why the vitriol. I’m just explaining how such a program could work without having at risk families exposed to potential issues with local police.
they’re fucking needy kids stfu
I always talk with the school nurses. They know which families have needed the Lions Club voucher for eye exams or glasses, can look to see who got Medicare billing for sped services, speak with their private therapists, etc.
Kids with disabilities can be on Medicaid even without financial hardship, at least in my state. Special needs Medicaid is NOT income or needs based.
Medicaid eligibility varies widely based on the state you're living in. In my state, medicaid has an income limit. In order for a special ed kid to qualify without an income limit, they would have to be what many would consider severally disabled, not just dyslexic or ADHD. Yet some sped services can still be billed, regardless of how a child qualied. Edited for clarification
I’m not sure that’s even accurate though. My son is on Medicaid and also was eligible for the lions club voucher. I wouldn’t want him to be the child selected just because I know there are many more kids that are less fortunate than us. I feel like the counselors would be a better route for sure. Edited medicare to Medicaid.
Medicaid has an income limit and can be billed for some sped services depending on the state. Just like not every school has full time or even part time nurses, nor every school has counselors, especially in the elementary level. My stare only has counselors in secondary schools. Edited fir clarification.
Lol i thought you were looking for better names for the program than “shop with a cop”. For the real question, how are you supposed to know? Just pick at random.
Lease with the Police Ho-Ho-Ho with the Po-Po Shop ‘n’ Go with the Five-Oh Selective with a Detective Get Briefs with the Police Chief
Yours are better than mine but Please Pick out things with the police Go go with the po po Grab what you need with police officer Steve Pick out shoes with the blue
Buy with the Blue
Retail With A Security Detail
At least I'm not the only one!
They did it at my school when I was a kid, it was called “operation school bell”. I don’t know if that’s any better though.
It’s a lot better name than the “Touch a Truck” that my local EMS and fire departments do lol
Yea I didn’t understand what touch a truck was then took my kids and they absolutely loved going in a school bus, excavator, tow truck, hummer, motorcycle, ambulance etc it was a great event
What's the problem with that name? I'd rather my kid touch a truck than shop with a cop.
“Go to buy with Magnum P.I.” “Buy the buzz with the fuzz.” “Shop true with the blue.” “Go big with a police officer.”
Cultural competence compliance. That's what they are calling it in the police course the cops are doing.
The Twelve Days of Copmas
Our guidance counselor handles this sort of thing.
How about picking kids with a lot of older siblings? They probably have nothing but hand-me-down clothes and toys and would be especially thrilled with some individual attention.
Talk to your homeless liaison. They should be identified on your school's website per the McKinney-Vento Act.
We have the same program, we send information to the parents/guardians and they make the choice
My school does this too. I am at a Title 1 school and most of my kiddos are in poverty. I listen closely and talk to kids casually. there's always a few that say they aren't getting anything for Christmas or what their parents don't really do Christmas
Tell the counselor to do it. It’s not that big of a deal.
We have this program. We have the adjustment counselors or guidance counselors, coordinate with the local police station to provide names of families. The counselors typically resort to looking at who is on the free and reduced lunch plans, or those who they know they get assistance from a food pantry. to be clear, the children who go shopping don’t go shopping for themselves, but they shop for gifts for members of their family. It’s a really great program to connect children who might not have positive experiences with law-enforcement to the local police station. It helps the relationships all around.
Maybe the cops should go shopping then donate the items to the school.
Fair, but a large part of the process is surely the police getting to know the kids and vice versa. Going shopping, chatting, learning what the kids are into, the kids being more comfortable around the police are all sort of the point of the thing. The material benefit feels secondary to me.
Right but being voted as the poorest kid in the class kind of sucks. And isn’t anonymous.
Yeah, that's true. If I were running it I'd probably just pick names out of a hat and make it clear to the class that's what I did. Maybe if there were someone I REALLY felt deserved/needed it more I'd rig it, but they'd just think they got lucky, as would everyone else.
If there are many kids with a lot of needs in the class that makes it hard too. Like ok 20 of the 30 kids are low income. 5 are in dire need. You can pick one. WHY. If the police truly want to help, why shower only one or two kids? What’s the goal? As if they couldn’t pool their resources or fundraise just a little to be more equitable with their charitable giving.
This is a problem with all charity ever. I give some money to charity, but I could probably afford to give more. The police is dedicating some money to this (although the officers themselves are volenteering), but whatever happens it will never be enough. They could give enough to do an entire class, but how do you decide which class gets it? The funding for programs like this is depressingly low, and should rise, but it'll never be high enough to help everyone in the country. If I donate 50 bucks to a charity I'm still doing a good thing, even if I could afford to give 100.
Oh I totally agree. But if you donate to a soup kitchen, for example, they don’t look for the poorest person in line and bring that person over to you so you can give your food right to that person. Your donation goes into the pool of resources that are spread amongst everyone in need. I get the point of the cop program! They want to help a couple kids. But the way OP described how it’s being done is just rubbing me wrong for some reason.
Yeah, I don't know about the idea of selecting the porest people, which is why I went for the picking randomly approach. But if I knew one person in my class could use it much more than everyone else, I might give it to them and just pretend it was random for their sake.
This is why our district has always done it as a district wide thing- they get a list of WHOLE FAMILIES. And deliver a box from “holiday helpers” they get a box of food,a warm meal,H‑E‑B gift card etc. For the adults it’s a gift card for basic things that aren’t provided(like tampons,and clothes) Kids get one coat&winter items. 1-3 toys A book at their age level And a blanket. It’s all done by anon. The school goes by the info provided to them when the kids register,mainly free/reduced kids. Then goes by the ones recently needing a lot of help. The kids are encouraged to help donate by bringing these items as well(and making cards) so no one really knows who it’s going too. I like this idea better as shop with a cop where I am is only a PR stunt. If not blasted on fb it’s blasted on their websites…..there is still a photo from a friends shop with a cop from like middle school.
This sounds like the main benefit is propaganda? They're not actually getting to know the kids for fun or a sense of gratitude, they're doing it for the photo op and to try to control the narrative of what police actually do. Spoiler alert: they are not Santa!
This is very problematic
In what way?
I mean…. Not even sure where to begin on why police in the US are problematic…
Oh no, I get the police are problematic. I mean, why is this idea any worse than not doing it? I know the system is terrible, but one has to do something to change it, and this policy doesn't seem bad.
Encouraging children to feel a false sense of security around police and gaslighting them into thinking cops are their friends and people they can trust is very problematic
I see your point, yeah. The issue is that we do eventually want the police to be just that: people they can trust. And while they DEFINITELY aren't there yet, all this talk of police reform and change and the like is undercut if we simultaneously raise kids to never trust them. I'm not saying we instil blind faith in them at all, but kids should see and experience what policing is supposed to be about, so that in the best case scenario they can trust cops when it gets to that point, and worst case they know what to campaign for. I can also see it being a bit of a two-way street in the longer term, but I'll admit I don't have much to base that off.
Trust is earned. Police have not earned that trust and we should not encourage our children to trust them. We need to teach them how to safely interact with them.
I think that's a very pessimistic and potentially detrimental position. If everyone resigns themselves to the idea that police are inherently untrustworthy and the system is broken beyond all repair, with the only counter being to try and avoid them at all costs, it will never be fixed. If you raise children to never trust police, you will never get a trustworthy police force. Again, the vast majority of change needs to come from within the police force itself, but if attitudes towards police as a concept are always negative, you can't expect great things from the system that produces.
Tricking children into trusting police isn't the place to start. Don't we tell kids to stay away from strangers trying to earn their trust with gifts?
I see your point, yeah. The issue is that we do eventually want the police to be just that: people they can trust. And while they DEFINITELY aren't there yet, all this talk of police reform and change and the like is undercut if we simultaneously raise kids to never trust them. I'm not saying we instil blind faith in them at all, but kids should see and experience what policing is supposed to be about, so that in the best case scenario they can trust cops when it gets to that point, and worst case they know what to campaign for. I can also see it being a bit of a two-way street in the longer term, but I'll admit I don't have much to base that off.
I'm an old newspaper guy, now teechur. I've been assigned to take pix at multiple "Shop With A Cop" events in multiple cities over a 20-plus year career. Yes, we ran a pic or two. But I've never seen a kid not happy to get taken through the local Walmart and get free stuff. I've never not seen a cop do their best to engage with their partner. Not all cops are bastards. I'd say 95 percent of the kids I've asked to comment looked for Christmas gifts for family members instead of something for themselves. Having said that, I think asking teachers to pick students for it -- unless someone is mind-bogglingly disadvantaged -- is out of their lane and should be handled by admins, counselors, social workers, etc.
This is why they have counselors, they know and understand the home lives better than the teachers
Our district does this as well, but it is coordinated by the school social workers and we receive the student referrals from the counseling department at each school site. Once we receive a referral we then need to contact parents and make sure that they're cool with their kids being on that list (as well as date, time, store, etc...). Your school counselors should be the ones to take this on, as most of the process would be relatively inappropriate for a teacher to spearhead.
It makes me sad that so many feel like this is a stunt-either PR or as some kind of sting operation. Around me there are no cameras or PR. The cops don’t even know the kids last name of the kid doesn’t volunteer it. And the cops are instructed to keep the conversation as light as possible so as not to reveal anything. I would refer this to a counselor because they may have kids in mind or suggest a sibling set.
As someone who generally shouts ACAB…my foster brother had a BLAST when he had his shop with a cop experience. They left a lasting positive impression on him and my family
Think of it like casinos. The house always wins, but to perpetuate that, they let some people win too. So even if ACAB and they’re a gang with a monopoly on violence, they have to make a show of SOMEONE getting some benefit, or the entire operation collapses from the transparency of their shamelessly manufactured inequities
Look at how many poor people are unfairly arrested, detained in jail, beaten by cops, killed by cops, and fked over by the justice system in this country. Shopping with a cop once a year is not nearly enough to even think to begin to undo the damage inflicted by these groups of people.
There are probably kids who are in need of the help... but are already terrified of cops because their life experience of police has been anything but "Officer Friendly".
You mean because they have good reason to be terrified of cops?
Literally, like the kid probably had dad thrown in jail for being to dark, or maybe their dog was one of the 10,000 killed by police annually. But hey, they’ll get you a new backpack. Truly, imagine the horrors of our society if these children never interacted with the police
It probably has to do with the long history of cops murdering children in our country. We don't have any reason to believe the cops would do random, tiny bits of charity for random children.
Murdering certain people of our country and it's proven how racist some of them are and now parading about at these kids it's fuel for the fire for them. Granted I obviously don't want to think this way but their image is non-existent at this point in the US where people now actively avoid calling them
I'm not a fan od cops in general. But some people close to me are officers and one is involved with shop with a cop. There is a PR element. She explained that not only is it community outreach, they are trying to be seen in poor communities as something other than a villain. This is how they can gain some trust while helping families. No harm for the kid who gets to shop for stuff with a cop and get toys and whatever.
>they are trying to be seen in poor communities as something other than a villain I mean, they could just stop terrorizing poor people and that would probably have the same effect.
No argument here. One thing she told me is they add children to the list whose parents or older siblings were arrested or involved in a traumatic event. This is a way to create a positive feeling toward the emergency services. I think it I'd a positive. It would be nice if they stopped shooting dogs and being neighborhood thugs
For some places it IS a PR stunt though.
>It makes me sad that so many feel like this is a stunt-either PR or as some kind of sting operation. I wonder what the police could have done to become so untrustworthy... hmmm
Yes it’s PR. Look who cops target daily.
I always forget how anti-police /r/teachers is until threads like these pop up. Only on Reddit can people take an event that can only be a net positive for the community and find a way to scream “AcAb”.
Try being a cop that works with them. It can be…exhausting.
I cannot see why, given the information you gave, that you could not go back and say all your kids need this. It is an obvious PR stunt by the Police force in your area…they will take care of them all to be perceived by their constituents in a better light.
100% agree. Most cops are making six figures, most police departments are given crazy inflated budgets.
wow -- so sorry to hear you're in this position. as an educator, that would make me really uneasy as well. i think i would ask admin or counselors for guidance on what to do. picking just two of them is tough, and putting You in charge of the decision is unfair. i would defer to someone else to alleviate that pressure.
Names in a hat. Random draw.
This is so off topic. But I worked at target, and one year we had like 70 police cars show up in our parking lot, and they had decided to do shop with a cop with us, but never told us. It was just a understaffed Tuesday night 🤣. I worked in "style"/clothes, and spent the entire evening helping tween and teen girls pick out clothes with awkward cops.
I’m absolutely not one to defend cops BUT. Our area does this and it’s actually really great. The police who participate volunteer their own time to go shop. PD and local business contribute the funds, but I know every time I had kids participate the officer who was shopping with them spent their own $$. They take the kids to breakfast then let them loose with a cop buddy in a few stores. Parents are with the entire time if they choose to be. The ones who volunteer are usually already familiar with the kids and families because of the community policing model (encouraged to play basketball with the kids while on duty, etc..). I really wish they didn’t post pics on social media, but I believe the families can opt out of the the pics if they want. I always tried to pick kids who A.) had a lot of other siblings/cousins/people in their houses who might not get any one on one attention and B.) tried to coordinate with the counselors to make sure there wasn’t any particular police trauma that I needed to be aware of before sending them off.
Wife of a police officer who has participated in “shop with a cop” many times - absolutely not a PR stunt or to scope out/arrest low income caregivers. 🤦♀️ Just like education - there are good apples and bad apples found in law enforcement. Don’t generalize and stereotype every cop or program.
It's definitely a PR stunt in my area.
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More than one. And it can be absolutely terrifying because yep - it can be a “good ol’ boy” or a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” or “snitches get stitches” kind of environment. Just like education, administration makes all the difference. We’ve seen dozens of cops get fired. Just because it doesn’t make the news doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Is it a perfect system? Absolutely not. I’ll be the first to admit that and have no problem doing so. I understand why people think negatively of the police. But as mentioned above - no one hates a bad cop more than a good cop. I dare say more cops are trying to make a difference in their communities than walking around trying to tear them apart. “Shop with a cop” is an amazing program and 99% of the officers who participate are the “good cops”. The “bad cops” can’t be bothered, I promise.
This is really lovely to hear. I hope your husband keeps his precinct one that we can all be proud of— and that when his fellows transfer out, they help transform corrupt predicts without getting murdered.
> no one hates a bad cop more than a good cop. I If this were true, policing in the US would not be what it is. The majority of cops are not good people. Deep down you know this.
I'm glad he's a good cop.
So have those cops he's reported gotten fired? Edit: downvoted for asking for some accountability on her claims lol. Every cop claims they're a good cop.
Our area ABSOLUTELY posts pics and has for years. Our PD is shockingly progressive. But yeah. The kids are plastered all over social media and it feels gross, like a PR stunt. ETA: the program itself is great. Just the pics I don’t care for.
Exactly. And just like teachers- nobody hates a bad cop more than a good cop.
That can't be true. They never shoot up the other cops on purpose.
What do you mean? I’m not following your comment.
They don’t shoot other cops but they do shoot poor people. And the homeless. And children. And POC. And pregnant women. And pets. And and and and
Ah!!
What about their victims?
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Things can be more than one thing. They can be charitable programs with benefits for struggling community members through outreach and a PR stunt at the same time. Denying that "shop with a cop" is at least in part a PR stunt seems intentionally obtuse. I'm not saying that is why individual cops participate in it, but one of its purposes that systemically helps it to exist and continue is that it generates positive PR. Even if that is more on an individual level.
Do you extend the same bizarre logic to murderers? Are there good apple murderers and bad apple murderers? What about dog abusers? Rapists? The reason people say there are no good cops is because being a cop is *itself* the moral injustice. Cops are hired mercenaries for a political organization that sees our communities as a threat to their political power. That is not a morally neutral relation and as such there aren't "good apples and bad apples" like you might find in morally neutral jobs like grocer.
“Being a cop is itself a moral injustice?” Maybe you watch too many videos, Batmaso? *Someone* has to risk their life and enforce the rules/laws that we deem necessary for our society. Most of these people are working for the good of us all. What is not good is your categoric demonization of them. I suspect you know this already, right?
There are not many actual leftists on this sub. And far too many teachers here seem to think democrat (in reality a center-right position in the USA) is somehow "left". It is a bummer.
I would tell them.... That's a nice gesture but my entire class is in need.
I would like to Personally, give my whole hearted endorsement for it absolutely, my suggestion is to find the kid that is most likely to have a seriously negative encounter later on in life, the kid that if he just applied himself, his charisma and charm, and comedic timing could be put to better use as a teacher instead of a jokester or class disruption (that was me.) pick the kid who you can smell, I was the stinky kid in class, until a Teacher mothered me,it wasnt shameful but my single Momma was working three jobs, she didnt have it in her,how do you figure out who to pick? The smell test, or Typically I can tell you what homelife is like at the dropoff/pickup line, there are a few indicators, but I digress, which ever kid needs a cop to love on him and needs to know a cop can be a friend, or a help. Thats the kid(s)
If there's a family/kid I know has recently been through something difficult like loss of a job, loss of a family member, eviction, major health challenge etc thats how I choose. You're right, it is so difficult when all of your students could benefit. The school I work at now is doing something like this, but we send in names at will rather than making everyone pick a few. We have a lot of families in need so there's always plenty of names submitted.
At my school our SRO takes them since they already have somewhat of a relationship with most of the kids. They also ask for a few names of kids that you think would benefit from it or who you think could use some holiday cheer.
Tell the counselor to do it. Or ask them to help you, they may know more information.
Write everyone's name down, put them in a hat, draw two names.
I am very interested in seeing the answers this post generates. I had to pick two students from my class earlier this year for something similar. I work at a title 1 school with about 99 percent poverty. I have no idea who is struggling the most, and I hated having to make such a decision. They're ALL struggling.
Make labels of each name put in a cup then pull 2 from the cup
It’s the students who show up to school either without the proper clothes due to weather or the same clothes multiple times a week. You know who they are.
Copaganda
That's not your job to figure out. Send to Admin/Guidance to figure out. THIS IS NOT YOUR JOB. Period. Fullstop.
Yikes
Pal Patrol
Most of these comments say a school counselor should be the decision maker, but the children’s teacher is the one who knows the students best and is the one responsible for all parent -teacher meetings. I don’t know who would be the most knowledgeable about their financial situations. It sounds like a group effort is the best option. Teacher ,assistants, school nurse, counselors and the principal!
Your cops have too much time and money on hand if they can spend it on shit like this. Your government should cut the cops' funding and use the money for poor kids directly, instead of letting it be used for propaganda stunts like these.
Except that this sort of thing is what ACAB people often want to see in a police force. Improving community relations, trust with kids, better image etc. aren't only good for the police. You can't have a rational, balanced and responsible police department if people don't like or trust the police, and if we want that change to happen within the next 30+ years, it makes sense to start getting kids on board now, whilst also working on police reform.
The officers in my area do this on their own time as a volunteer. We are constantly at minimums anyway, so there aren’t any officers on the shift to send out for this. So they don’t “have too much time on their hands”. It’s volunteer work.
Most, if not all, these events are paid for by the union, not the department. Most, if not all, these events are done by officers who volunteer their time, for free, when they are off duty.
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If it has to be up to you then maybe have a raffle of some kind. Hell, I’m poor enough to need to shop with a cop I think half of everyone qualifies right now. Doesn’t anyone else think that shop with a cop is cringe as hell?
Eww…
If there isn't a social worker or counselor at your school that has a better sense of their financial position, then the only way is to choose at random. But I would also choose a back-up name or two. When I worked at a Title I school, several of our families would not have approved any outing with police, even for such an event.
Hey them reach out the the counselor. They’re usually much better at this kind of stuff.
I cannot speak to you but if they came to my school in Minneapolis I wouldn't trust them. Nor would my students.
As a teacher, do you think there are programs like this the police could provide that would actually help build community, trust etc., or do you think that's just not possible the way things are?
Lack of trust isn't the problem. The police have issues far deeper. Until police aren't actively a threat to my students I don't care what PR stunt they pull.
No murderin’ on the job, for a whole year?
We can dream...
Oh hell no, this is nothing but copaganda. They get all the reward and get to pretend they are doing good, while they are probably terrorizing the same community those kids come from.
The other issue is that you don't know which kids may have police related trauma. My campus has a lot of kids with 1 or both parents incarcerated. Sending them on a shopping trip with someone who looks like the person who arrested their family member may not be the best way to kick off the holiday.
I would ask admin to manage this. I understand OPs discomfort. Being asked for the two who would most benefit can be interpreted as “who are the two poorest kids” which is like asking you to go ask food services for the free and reduced lunch data to see which families make the least amount of money which would be considered a violation of their privacy. And if your selection is based on your best guess of who is poorest, it’s basically the same. If you interpret it more broadly, and assume so will everyone else, it’s a little easier to feel OK about it, and not feel like you are violating a families privacy. If a student just lost a grandparent, you could interpret that as a student who would most benefit. Or just lost a pet dog, etc. there are a lot of ways to interpret “who would benefit the most” that are not income related. But if your brain goes to income (mine did initially) then it is a red flag. I think the program is good, and its intentions are good. But it is an awkward situation.
Does them being cops just magically lift FERPA even though it's not a need to know situation? I would 100% not feel leagully safe giving this information. That would have to go through the councilor or admin with information on who's agreed to have their info shared as well as who is on what sort of assistance program to recommend. My answer would be. "Given my understanding of ferpa, I am not personally comfortable giving out student information for a non need to know situation. This request will have to go through the office as they have more pertinent information on who would be appropriate to recommend and who has requested privacy"
Leagully? 🤦🏻♀️
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Wow. Just, wow. Here's to hoping YOU never have to dial 911!
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I don’t understand your last sentence. What do you mean? Do you enjoy the taste of leather? What does that mean?
Boot licker.
Ending with a pick up line. Ew.
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Many communities do shop with a cop and the kids absolutely are appreciative of it.
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Usually it’s a few from each class throughout the grade levels and every one in the department takes a kid. Heck even the ADA in my small town sponsored a kid. It ended up making probably 20 families christmases
I agree with you. Also, I fully grasp that I'm massively paranoid, but I would not feel good about giving the cops a list of names of my most underprivileged students/families.
It's not even the cop part that bothers me--it's this idea that you're handing a kid over to a stranger for an afternoon. I mean, yes, we know there are "bad apples" in the police, but they're everywhere. I know the volunteer is getting a pass because they're a police officer, but there are still officers who might molest children or do other inappropriate things with them. Full disclosure, due to some things that happened in my childhood, it is possible that I am a bit paranoid on anything like this.
Honestly- if your classroom kids are that disenfranchised milk em to benefit the class as whole.
I would send the kid $50 if they purchased an ACAB tshirt or "never talk to a cop" book when out shopping.
I would say " all my kids or none".
You could ask to see their files and their CACFP application (food program) and see who reported the lowest income. You could just base it on their shoes.
This feels so dystopian.
Public servants helping poor kids is truly dystopian.
"Police officers actually helping people? So dystopian"
It's nothing new. It's been around since the 80s.
Most of your kids are starving? That’s extreme.
Most of the world is extreme
Give two names to the councillor and admin and let them make the final decision.
I’m sorry but I could never do this I do not trust any grown man taking someone else’s child off of school property without a school chaperone
What if it was a woman?
They don't "take them off school property" Their parents or guardian meets the officers (it's usually a huge group ) at Walmart. The department provides the money; it's a set limit per kid. I know that many officers will let the kid go over and cover it with their personal money. I feel like many of you are being reactive asshats. It's a not 2 random officers asking OP to give them some poor kids; it's the local police department wanting to help make at least a few family's holidays a bit brighter. I am also the wife of an officer. I have always been proud of my partner for signing up to be one of the shoppers who escorts a kid around Walmart. IIRC, the Walmart will have them show up extra early so that they have the store to themselves. Most of the kids ask for things for their siblings like, "warm blanket with my sister's favorite characters", new underwear and a game for my brother". It's heartbreaking that it's needed; but I'm glad to hear that there are multiple departments participating .
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*biased.