Milford Schools Issue Statement On Death Of George Floyd

Written by Milford Public Schools administrators,

Dear Milford Public Schools Community,

With a heavy heart we have spoken to friends, family and colleagues and watched in the media the stories related to the continued mistreatment of people of color and the eruptions of civil unrest over the last few days. Unfortunately, for too many in our nation, prejudice and racism have had a destructive impact on individual and family lives. For many of us, it has served as a catalyst to examine our truth and prompted us to ask questions such as, “Why does it happen? And what can we do to help make change?”

As an entire Milford Public Schools administrative team, please know we are committed to supporting all our students and families in Milford, especially students and families of color. We recognize that environments of inequity divide communities. We firmly believe school districts can play an important role in bridging that divide. Our team is committed to doing this work as we focus on bringing to life for all the learners of Milford Public Schools our Vision of the Learner.

Particularly, in the area of Citizenship, we aim to:

● encourage ALL students to become global citizens who think and act beyond self towards service to others and their community;

● engage students in multiple perspectives; identify/engage/develop solutions to real world problems;

● support students to take informed action;

● prepare students to conduct themselves in an ethical and responsible manner;

● urge students to evaluate other points of view against their own personal moral standard;

● develop students to work collaboratively and respectfully with others; and

● teach students to embrace diversity.

Further, in the area of Scholarship we want students to “Construct understanding and knowledge of the world through experience, reflection and learning.”

Three components of work we have identified as crucial in our examination of equity in the Milford Public Schools are: 1- equity of access; 2- equity of experience; and 3-equity in outcomes.

We are committed to this work. When we are successful, events that have become far too familiar across the country may become the exception -- and not the norm.

We know that relationships are the fabric of our school system and moreover, we believe that the relationships that we nurture will provide us great strength and support as we navigate this challenging time together. In closing, we want you to know that we believe in the power of community and we know it is not enough to speak or write words on these disturbing events. In order to make change, action is necessary. We are united in this call to action and will continue to move forward in the name of awareness, advocacy, and peace.

In partnership,

The Entire Milford Public Schools Administrative Team