Talking with students about the verdict in George Floyd's death

The following message is from City School District of Albany Superintendent Kaweeda G. Adams:

The jury in Minneapolis that has heard the case of the police officer charged in the death of George Floyd has returned a verdict Tuesday afternoon. It is expected to be read shortly.

We know that the outcome of this case will have an impact on communities nationwide, including ours. It is our job as educators to help our students process and understand, in age-appropriate ways, the complex issues involved in matters such as this. We also are sharing the resources you can find at the links below to assist our families in having these difficult but critically important conversations at home as well. 

At school, our discussions will focus on providing safe environments for all of our students to share their thoughts, fears and viewpoints on all of the issues at hand – social justice, our legal and judicial systems, race and racism, and the systemic racism that plagues not only education systems, but our entire society. In all cases and for every student, we will encourage a thoughtful and open exchange of ideas and perspectives. 

I also want to reassure you that we will be watching developments in our community closely to be sure that our students, faculty and staff are not impacted by any civil unrest that may arise here as a result of today’s verdict. We will communicate with you again if we anticipate any changes to our school schedule for the remainder of the week. 

If you have any additional questions or concerns, I encourage you to contact your principal to have a discussion. 

Once again, we encourage you to use these resources to help guide your discussions at home: 

•    Tips for Talking to Children about Violence 
•    Dos and Don’ts when facilitating a conversation 
•    Social Justice Resources
•    The National Association of School Psychologists has additional information for parents, guardians and educators on school safety, violence prevention, children’s trauma reactions, and crisis response at www.nasponline.org.