There's reason for optimism in the wake of report after report of police shooting black men and of the mass shooting in Orlando, the head of the Atlanta school district said today.
“While it is overwhelming to think about the magnitude of the problems and the history of injustice upon which our country was built, I have always been someone who believed America was capable of much better. And I still believe that, which is why I maintain a sense of hope and optimism even when it seems as if we are facing some of our darkest moments as a nation,” Superintendent Meria Carstarphen said in a written statement.
Atlanta students and teachers can be at the center of community change, she wrote.
Atlanta schools are spending millions on teaching students how to overcome obstacles and develop healthy relationships; hiring police officers expected to serve as role models and mentors to students; and supporting anti-bullying programs.
“I also have hope because I believe the research and have seen in practice that the skills of empathy and caring can be taught, and I believe in our children and their capacity to be a part of the solution our country is so desperately seeking,” she wrote.
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