May 31, 2020

Dear Needham Public Schools Families:

We write to you on this beautiful yet uneasy Sunday evening to address the news about national protests and riots occurring in the wake of horrific events involving the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery in Atlanta, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and, most recently, George Floyd who was killed by police in Minneapolis.

First and foremost, on behalf of the Needham Public Schools, we wish to acknowledge the deaths of these individuals and offer our condolences and support to their families and loved ones. Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota are far away, but the impact of their deaths and the unrest in their wake, is real, palpable, and close to our community, families, and students, particularly our black students.

While we can't pretend to understand what their families are going through, nor can we completely appreciate the profound effect their deaths, and the many others like them, have had on the black community, including our staff and students of color, we must acknowledge these killings  because as school leaders, it is essential to call out violent and racist behavior in the hopes of promoting much needed change in our culture and society. Although we have not always responded to violent or racist acts that occur across the country and acknowledge our response to incidents occurring in the NPS  have been imperfect and not always timely, we cannot be silent.  Our purpose now is to support the members of our community, especially our students, their families, and our staff, who identify with these victims and often experience the insidious violence of racist, demeaning, and hateful comments, taunts, and acts.  We wish to stand together.

The Needham Public Schools, removed from the protests and rioting we see unfolding across the nation, must stand as a beacon of hope, anti-racism, and educational opportunity and inclusivity for all our students and their families.  This is as important for our students of color as it is for our white students. Our schools, and our work with every child in each classroom, must be part of the solution of addressing the injustices, inequities, and pain that mar and stain our democracy and disproportionately impact our communities of color. 

This week our schools will offer opportunities for dialogue and engagement for students, their families, and staff:

• Principals will work with their staff to provide developmentally appropriate learning opportunities to address the current news and provide a forum for anti-racist education. (We recognize that not all elementary students will be aware of these events, and so we will respond to the natural curiosity of children as appropriate.)

• The district will continue to work with community groups to provide opportunities for dialogue and communication around issues of race, inequality, and justice.

• The district will continue to provide and update resources for families on the district’s website: Equity in the Needham Public Schools

This is not all we can do, but these are the small and important steps we can and will take to demonstrate to the community, our families, and in particular to our students and staff that we care, and we acknowledge the role we have to play and obligation to serve as leaders and human beings to address injustice, ignorance, and racism. 

Respectfully,

The School Leadership Team of the Needham Public Schools:

Greg Bayse, Principal, Mitchell Elementary School

Tamatha Bibbo, Principal, Pollard Middle School

Karen Bourn, Principal, Eliot Elementary School

Jessica Downey, Principal, High Rock School

Terry Duggan, Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning

Emily Gaberman, Principal, Broadmeadow Elementary School

Anne Gulati, Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations

Dan Gutekanst, Superintendent of Schools

Michael Kascak, Principal, Sunita L. Williams School

Mary Lammi, Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services

Alexandra Montes-McNeil, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources

Jessica Peterson, Principal, Newman Elementary School

Aaron Sicotte, Principal, Needham High School