Denver Public Schools Board Of Education Statement Regarding National Black Lives Matter Week At School

Press release from the Denver Public Schools:

February 26, 2022

The Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education supports schools participating in the national Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action.

We encourage the teaching that racism and hate towards any person have no place in our schools. We affirm the dignity and lived experiences of every one of our students and families. Our focus is to ensure our diverse communities work together to ensure equity for all students, families, educators, and other members of our communities.

Upholding the commitment to the Know Justice, Know Peace Resolution, The Black Excellence Resolution, and our Safe and Welcoming Schools Policy, DPS Board of Education will remain steadfast in our responsibility to ensure awareness of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color historical contributions and that we uplift and support educators in this important work.

As we continue to witness increasing acts of hatred, we further recognize that the intersectionality of our communities, whether Black, Latino, Indigenous, Jewish, LGBTQIA+, immigrant, or many others, means that malicious acts that affect one group affect all of us. Therefore, as a board, we are committed to honoring the lived experiences of every member of our DPS community by striving to equip our students with tools to address racism, hatred, and bigotry head-on.

Board of Education,

Xóchitl ‘Sochi’ Gaytán, President

Tay Anderson, Vice President

Michelle Quattlebaum, Secretary

Scott Esserman, Treasurer

Scott Baldermann, District 1

Rev. Bradley Laurvick, District 5

Carrie A. Olson, Ph.D., District 3

This press release was produced by the Denver Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.