Students who have had experiences with arrests in schools have pleaded with the mayor to adopt a new strategy. Paola Mena, a 17-year-old city high school student, said being arrested after a fight outside of her Bronx middle school several years ago was one of the worst experiences of her life.

Paola said she was sticking up for a friend who had been bullied when she got into a verbal fight with another student. Paola said the other girl spat on her, and Paola tried to throw a punch that didn’t land. A few moments later, she remembered being grabbed from behind by police officers and taken to the local precinct, where she said she was handcuffed to a chair.

“Ever since that day, walking through the halls in school, I felt really ashamed,” said Paola, who was 14 at the time of her arrest. “Everyone knew what happened, everyone saw me being dragged by people who were twice my size.”

The mayor will likely still have to grapple with criticism from both sides of the issue.

Many black and Hispanic students have said they want to see metal detectors eliminated in schools, and some teachers, along with the union that represents school safety agents, say Mr. de Blasio has removed discretion from professionals about how to enforce discipline.

Though major crime in schools has dropped by nearly 30 percent since 2014, Teamsters Local 237 and some teachers have said schools are underreporting issues in order to appease City Hall.