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View Winners → PUSD Superintendent Issues Statement on Death of George Floyd, Protests, Equity
Education Jun 01, 2020
Brian McDonald says Transportation is not affected for students with disabilities that have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) stipulate transportation service. - Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News
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On Monday afternoon, Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Brian McDonald issued a message to the PUSD community in which he addressed the death of George Floyd, protests that followed, counseling resources offered by the district and equity in the classroom.
His statement reads:
“Last week’sdeath of George Floyd in Minneapolis Police custody shows us that thedeep-seated biases that have existed in our country continue. To fix thepersistent inequities that are so pervasive in our society, we must face themhead-on. As an African American, as a father, and as an educator, my hearthurts for our nation, for all of us who have faced bias, and for Mr. Floyd andhis family.
“TheCOVID-19 crisis has further exposed the deep divide in our country along racialand socioeconomic lines.
“Enough isenough. It is time for us as a community and as a country and make meaningfuland impactful change. The solutions rest with us individually and collectively.
“As we sawimages of peaceful protests and violence over the weekend, my thoughts turnedto our students and the questions they may have. It is important that we listenand respond with honesty, and recognize and address their feelings. As acommunity, we must help them learn, by our own example, to act peacefullyagainst racism and bias by making sustaining changes. Although the school yearofficially ended for students last week, we have counseling staff available forour students to help them process what is taking place in many communitiesacross the nation. To get help, please contact the PUSD Family Hotline at (626)396-3680 or visit our website here.
“We as acommunity must see the humanity in each other and live out the ideals of ourcountry’s Declaration of Independence that states, ‘We hold these truths to beself-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by theirCreator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty andthe pursuit of Happiness…’
“One of thecentral guiding principles of the Pasadena Unified School District is equity –and the events in the news show the depth of emotion in our communities aroundthis issue. The issues surrounding these events are complex and have deep roots,and we must resolve them.
“Ourchildren’s future depends on the actions we take today. We as a school systemmust do more, through our methods and actions, to ensure that every child andevery person, regardless of their race or circumstance, will be lifted up. Thenand only then will our society become one that is truly “out of many, onepeople.”
