In response to recent events, including the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans who have been killed by police violence, TASA is in the process of forming a standing committee to address race, equity and diversity issues. The following letter was originally sent to TASA members to inform them about this committee and TASA’s commitment to addressing issues of racism and inequality in our school districts. Look for more information on this committee and about TASA’s efforts in TASA communications. Dear TASA Members: As educational leaders, we have devoted ourselves to public education because we believe in the unlimited potential of every human being, in the promise of our democracy, and in the role that public education plays in preserving and strengthening that democracy. We love our country, and therefore we want it to fulfill the ideals of its foundation. The promise of America is articulated in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” We have seen our failure to live up to that promise play out in extreme ways in the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others. Such senseless and tragic deaths are heartbreaking; they make us feel sad for the families, angry at the injustice and its perpetrators, and concerned about the fear they instill in our fellow Americans. In addition to persistent racism in our country, this global pandemic has forced us to take a hard look at the inequities in our society. All children do not have the same support or resources at home; many lack internet access or computers to make 16
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