Dear Parents,

I felt it was necessary to reach out to you directly this week to provide an update on our efforts since the deeply troubling unrest that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia. The hateful rhetoric and senseless violence leaves us grasping for explanations and solutions.

As I posted on social media on Saturday afternoon, I want to be as clear as possible: hateful words and actions WILL NOT be tolerated in the Howard County Public School System. There is no place for hatred in our classrooms, in our school communities, or in this great county. Our unified work toward peace and kindness is our best and only hope for preventing the recurrence of such needless tragedy.

My staff has been working hard all summer to ensure that students return to a welcoming, safe environment and that teachers have resources to address difficult issues that impact our students and our classrooms. As the events in Charlottesville began to unfold, I instructed staff to prepare additional resources for teachers so that they are prepared to facilitate discussion and answer questions when students return on September 5. We expect to complete these resources by August 24, the day that teachers return.

Our children are closely watching what parents and teachers say and how we react to a crisis. The events in Charlottesville are definitely a “teachable moment,” but we must be sensitive to the tone of our conversations with children. As we talk with children and answer their questions about what they see or hear in the media and among their peers, we must take special care to help them discern the differences between truth and rumor, and reliable and unreliable information. We must focus on the positive actions they can take to support the diversity we enjoy in our community and nation, and how they can show empathy for those who were killed or injured in Charlottesville.

As you have these discussions at home around the dinner table, I thought I would share some of the important resources from the National Association of School Psychologists that our staff is using to guide their work:

• Social Justice Resources
• School Safety and Crisis
• A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools

As students return to school on September 5, my staff will adhere to the guidelines set forth in Policy 8050 on teaching controversial issues. They will remain sensitive to the diverse makeup of their classrooms, and recognize that their students’ exposure to hateful words and actions may vary widely.

I simply will not tolerate hatred or intolerance in our schools or community. I will stand up for and protect any child, community member or group that is subjected to hateful words and actions, and I hope you will stand with me. Together, our kindness becomes a much stronger force than hate.

I encourage you to contact Kevin Gilbert, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at kevin_gilbert@hcpss.org or James LeMon, Executive Director of Community, Parent and School Outreach at james_lemon@hcpss.org should you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your partnership in ensuring that our students thrive in a safe environment.

Michael J. Martirano, Interim Superintendent