Dear Reading Public Schools Staff and Families,

Over the past week our country has experienced significant unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The actions by the Minneapolis police officers involved reflect the racism that still exists in our country.

The actions of these officers led to a myriad of strong feelings, including rage. This reaction is fully justified. The inequality and structural racism that exist in our country are problems we must each own as individuals, and collectively as a community.

While anger and frustration are understandable under these circumstances, I would encourage each of us to look for moments of grace and hope in this very dark time. Most of our community members, including our police department, want to be part of the solution. This event and the subsequent unrest affirm the need for us as citizens to continue to speak out and advocate for what is right and just in our society. Further, as adult citizens and public servants, this is our duty to our youth.

The Reading Public Schools and the School Committee take this duty very seriously.  We strive every day to create an educational environment that is inclusive and safe for all.  We will continue to look for ways to support all of our students, and to thoughtfully educate them about the horrid history of racial oppression in our country, so that they may one day lead us to create a more peaceful and just society.

We applaud and support the statements put out by the Reading Police Department, Select Board and Human Relations Advisory Committee.  We stand with them in our desire to engage in productive dialogue, educate each other, and work towards a more just world together.

Sincerely

The Reading School Committee