A message from the School Board
June 18, 2020
Difficult, but important conversations
Our national conversation about systemic racism and structural inequalities is long overdue. It is touching all areas of our society, from criminal justice to education. In the days following George Floyd’s murder, Black students and alumni from Irondale and Mounds View High Schools are using their voices to tell their stories and to challenge our schools to do better.
We hear you. We believe Black lives matter. And we agree that we must do better.
Over the past few weeks, we have been meeting with concerned Black parents, students and alumni. We’ve listened, and we’ve learned. Some of the concerns shared with us include:
- A lack of diversity in our teaching, staff and administrative positions.
- Racist remarks and microaggressions made by white students and staff.
- Unequal disciplinary measures given to students of color.
- The absence of an African American history course in the curriculum.
- Few opportunities for students to discuss activism, white privilege and feelings of systemic racism.
We want you to know that our district stands ready to work collaboratively to address the recommendations we have received in emails and on social media. And we are committed to disrupting systems of inequality and racism in our schools.
Taking action
To that end, we will outline a series of measurable, meaningful and community-informed action steps for the administration to take in addressing racial inequities in our schools. These will be reported in the coming weeks.
We stand with our Black students and families.
With urgency and in solidarity,
The School Board of Mounds View Public Schools