We See You, We Hear You and We are Listening to You: Stronger Together

As we approach day 11 after the heinous crime which contributed to the death of George Floyd, now causing our country to be in a very unsettling state and even more divided than before, change is on the way.  Although we are facing COVID-19 and the police brutality of a black man, this is our opportunity as educators, leaders in the community and role models to connect, and become even closer with our students of color and their families.  It is time to take action as for too long, we have witnessed over and over again injustice, discrimination and racism that has been unchecked and not dealt with.  The only difference now is that these crimes are being recorded and broadcasted to millions.

I can attest that the School District of Waukesha shares the community’s anger, frustration and uncertainty with the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor to name a few Black Americans.  We as a district must come together with our parents and community partners in a peaceful manner to show that we will stand in solidarity with them to get through these disturbing events that are taking place across the nation.   As educators in this district, it is our duty to create a system, with a foundation built on equity allowing everyone to feel safe regardless of the color of their skin.  We will continue to work to eliminate institutional racism and break down the lifelong barriers that have impacted students and people of color for years.   

We as educators have a civic duty to confront racism when we see it, address it head on and hold each other accountable to prevent this epidemic from spreading throughout our district, community and nation.  As a district, we will continue to expand our learning on cultural competency, dig deeper into culturally responsive teaching strategies and continue to recognize our own implicit biases.  We will continue to have professional development around race and equity while getting students and parents involved in this process.  

The School District of Waukesha should be proud and encouraged by the diversity our district offers and we will continue to build from this great asset.  We are Stronger Together! 

Demetri Beekman

Director of Equity and Educator Development