To our educational partners and school communities,
At the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis we value our partnerships with schools and school districts and the racial diversity of the students and educators we strive to support. Our very mission is to promote equity in education and opportunity for the students of our community. Our belief in this mission means we must stand strong against racism.
Recent events have once again shined a light on the many ways racism presses on Black citizens. We have to listen, we have to help, we have to change the trajectory for Black children. The promise of the future for our region and our children cannot be hopeful as long as the Black community is marginalized.
At the ISP we know that shifting mindsets fixed by years of privilege and pain requires hard work and we resolve to redouble our efforts to achieve and teach true understanding of our diverse experiences.
As an institute, we renew with vigor our commitment to becoming more educated internally to continue growing our understanding of systemic racism and how to combat it through our personal lives as well as our work. As we fight for the future of our region through educational leadership and research, we state unequivocally that our mission cannot be fully achieved without social justice.
Vicki May, ISP Executive Director
Rachel Ruggirello, ISP Associate Director