Madison Public Schools: 'Silence Is Not A Lane'

MADISON, CT — On Friday, Madison Public Schools released a statement condemning institutionalized racism and violence in the wake of the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody and subsequent Black Lives Matter marches across the country.

In the statement, school superintendent Tom Scarice said everyone's activism falls into a lane: "Teaching is our lane. Silence is not a lane."

Scarice said the school stands against racism and begins teaching its students about tolerance and civil discourse as early as kindergarten.

Because the school is unable to educate students in the classroom currently, it compiled a list of educational resources for parents hoping to educate and support their children.

Last year, the school published another report describing how it teaches its students about tolerance starting at a young age. You can take a look at that report here.

Here's Scarice's Friday statement in full:

I, like many of you, am disturbed and devastated by the senseless killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the seemingly endless string of unarmed Black people being killed by police officers. The events of the past few weeks serve as a stark reminder that social and racial injustice remains a pervasive problem in our society.

One of the stains of the modern era is the unfettered proliferation of violent images exposed to our children through social media. I know our students are currently exposed to vivid, terrifying images of racist and violent acts. I know many of our students are developmentally incapable of making sense of it all. I am sure we have students who are frightened, who are angry, and for students of color I am certain those emotions are even more present, real, and intense.

Enough is enough. Memes and slogans only fill a small portion of the bucket. Action, substantive and sustained action, coupled with profound changes of the heart and mind are prerequisites to the transformation our nation needs.

I read a quote this week that stated, “Resistance is NOT a one lane highway. Maybe your lane is protesting, maybe your lane is organizing, maybe your lane is counseling, maybe your lane is art activism, maybe your lane is surviving the day. Do NOT feel guilty for not occupying every lane. We need all of them.”

Teaching is our lane. Silence is not a lane.

From the front line of the Civil Rights movement, to the school desegregation and busing efforts, and to confronting the paralyzing opportunity gap, public schools have found a critical role in serving as part of the remedy for the institutional inequities across our society. It is times like these that there is an urgent need for education. When we have had issues of this magnitude historically in our country, we have looked to our schools and our teachers as sources of information. As a district we strive to meet that need and do what we were called to do…to do what we do best – teach.

When faced with questions of our approach to teaching about racism we responded:[read on our website:] Educating Our Children in Difficult Times Part II.

Our responses are not always perfect. We are a human enterprise comprised of human imperfections. That said, we always can, and should, strive to do better. And better requires action.

In our schools we continually engage with our students through instruction about racism, tolerance, and particularly, civil discourse. These developmentally appropriate approaches begin as early as kindergarten.

When dealing with complex issues, there are complex responses and I am sure we can all agree the global pandemic only adds to the challenge. As an educator, I find myself particularly frustrated by the constraints associated with a distant and two-dimensional learning environment. Our students need to talk, to express their fears and frustrations, and have their voices heard. In the absence of on-site schooling opportunities we have assembled a list of resources for teachers and families. This list is not exhaustive but serves as a starting point for adults looking for ways to support their child.

As we wrap up this year, it is my great hope that in the coming months our education system will regain some form of in-person learning so that we have the opportunity to engage with our students in meaningful and productive ways. As we move forward the district will continue our commitment to this work and to contribute our actions to establish an anti-racist society for our children.