| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
With the recent spate of violent bias-based crimes and other incidences of hatred based on perceived characteristics of individuals or groups, the Garden State Coalition of Schools wants to reaffirm our support of all those who advocate for the changes that will put an end to those expressions of hatred and promote increased understanding and peaceful resolution of conflict in our communities.
Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students
160 West State Street, Trenton NJ 08608
609-394-2828 (office) 732- 618 5755 (cell)
Against the backdrop of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the many historical and present-day acts of violence against Black men and women, the Garden State Coalition of Schools wants to reaffirm our support of all those who advocate for the changes that will put an end to those tragedies.
We also support the Asian-American and Pacific Island community as it faces repeated acts of hatred and violence against its members.
As an organization with membership comprised of both superintendents and school board members, we have a special role to play in the battle for social justice, equity of opportunity and reaffirmation of the dignity of all people—especially those who have been marginalized and brutalized on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. That role includes supporting a more inclusive approach to curricula, so that our students are exposed to the stories of and works by individuals and groups that have been left out of America’s story in the past. It also includes reinforcing all the themes that we have traditionally grouped under the heading of “character education”, including tolerance, kindness, empathy, respect for differences, and constructive resolution of conflict.
We have been brought us face to face, once again, with the reality that not all Americans respect the sanctity of every American’s life. The COVID-19 crisis has made us understand the reality that many of our children have been denied the equity of opportunity that makes it possible for them to succeed in school and beyond. We stand with the individuals and groups dedicated to increasing equity of opportunity for every child, as well as those confronting and combating institutional and societal racism. As representatives of many districts with significant populations of minority students we will continue to make both part of our core mission. We will move forward, mindful of the observation made by Frederick Douglass over one hundred years ago: “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”