4/1/21

Dear School Psychology and Early Childhood Special Education Communities,

As students are diligently studying to become professionals within school psychology and early childhood special education, we should always seek to actively support the communities we serve, especially during times of adversity. This week, we must acknowledge the beginning of the Derek Chauvin Trial for the murder of George Floyd that occurred on May 25, 2020. This event marks what we hope to be the start of the long-awaited justice for BIPOC communities that have been plagued by police brutality and racial injustice in this country for hundreds of years. We acknowledge the re-traumatization that may occur throughout this public trial for not only Black youth in Minneapolis, but BIPOC communities across the country.

As the trial unfolds, recognize that you, the children, families, and communities you serve, will likely be impacted by and react to the hearing and possible outcomes. This trial will undoubtedly be a topic of conversation in classrooms across multiple educational levels. All children should feel safe and supported in their schools and communities. Children may need additional support in how to process feelings and talk through the events of the trial. Most importantly, children must know that their voices matter. It is critical that children know they are respected, valued members of their school communities.

Below, we’ve included resources for you to explore, to share with others, to use to specifically support students and families during this event.

Sign the pledge to ‘Grow the Movement for Racial Justice in Education: https://neaedjustice.org/racialjustice/

Resources for your use and to share with others:

· https://www.theroot.com/tips-for-self-care-when-police-brutality-has-you-quest-1790855952

· https://www.apa.org/res/parent-resources/racial-stress-tool-kit.pdf

· https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4888.pdf

· https://www.abpsi.org/pdf/FamilyCommunitySelfCareToolKit.pdf

Support your local and national organizations working to fight against racism and racist practices:

· https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/national-bail-fund-network

Resources to remind and support us in Anti-Racist work within the field of education:

· https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/preview?pru=AAABcpUWxHw*BbeMi7gNv27wPCkhLn_luA

· https://neaedjustice.org/black-lives-matter-school-resources/

· https://www.antiracismproject.org

Three Podcasts by Resmaa Menakem:

· Race and Healing: A Body Practice

· Racialized Trauma

· Notice the Rage, Notice the Silence

Early Childhood Special Education Resources – Anti-Racism and Support

· https://theeverymom.com/how-we-can-support-black-children-in-special-education/

· https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-factsheet-racedisc-special-education.pdf

Kindly,

The DU SASP Board

3/24/21

Dear School Psychology and Early Childhood Students and Faculty,

Our hearts are heavy as we write to you again. Yet another senseless act of violence has torn through our community. Yet another mass shooting has uprooted our sense of safety as we try our best to live and serve amidst a global pandemic, ongoing violence, and racial injustice. The attack on our Boulder neighbors comes so soon after the attack on the AAPI community, and many of us are still processing that horrific act of evil that took place last week. It is all too fresh in our minds and hearts.

We continue to stand with our community here in Colorado, within the University of Denver, and within our School Psychology field to condemn these senseless acts of violence and premature loss of lives. Our nation and our world have suffered so much loss this year, and we must continue to fight the numbness that encroaches in the wake of these layered tragedies. Mass shootings must never become normal. Insidious violence and hate must never become what is expected.

As future school psychologists, we are committed to bettering our youth’s future and nurturing our students individually. We learn and see firsthand the impact on our students and community as we survive these traumas, and we understand that thoughts and prayers are not enough. Change in our systems and policies is needed now more than ever, and the cost of ignoring the role of these factors is deadly. As school psychologists, we are trained to fight for what’s right on the ground level in schools and up through many levels of advocacy. Attached you will find resources from NASP to support children and families during this time.

Today, we come together to grieve and mourn as a community. Tomorrow, we return to work to continue to support children and families, to lead with passion and humility, and to seek to create a world for future generations where these acts of violence are a distant memory. In these times of unspeakable grief, we must turn towards one another and remember that we are unified in our hope for a different future. We stand with Boulder, and we stand with our nation.

In our upcoming SASP meetings, we will be looking at ways we can support legislation and taking additional action to making our community safer and more inclusive. If this is something that is of interest to you please either reach out to the board (cfsp.sasp@du.edu) or attend our first meeting next quarter.

Sincerely,

The SASP Board

3/22/21

Dear MCE community,

It is with deep sorrow that we write this email to vehemently denounce the recent hate crime committed against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Atlanta, Georgia. We stand in solidarity with the Morgridge College of Education, our faculty, and the School Psychology community in calling for an end to violence, racism, and prejudice. In addition, we affirm our community's commitment to supporting one another through these tragic and appalling events. Although not related to the acts against the AAPI community, we are also saddened by the tragic act of violence that took place today in Boulder and our thoughts are also with those affected by this horrific act.

As school psychologists in training, we echo the concern of the National Association of School Psychologists in that “our children and youth are experiencing and witnessing this wave of violence in the midst of what already is a stressful and challenging reality, especially for our AAPI and BIPOC communities.” We know all too well the deep impact these actions can have on children’s development and learning, and are saddened to again find ourselves responding to acts of violence against individuals of historically oppressed communities. Further, we are frustrated by our country’s leaders’ resistance towards labelling the actions in question as the hate crime they are. This is unquestionably a product of broad anti-AAPI sentiment, and we cannot allow racially-motivated violence to be ignored any longer. Silence will only breed further distrust and dissemination of these racist sentiments.

As a community, we can serve as examples in fighting racism and xenophobia. Our daily work with children and their families provides opportunities to create positive school communities where individuals are valued, and hate is not tolerated. We can be the voice that combats silence and advocates for services for those in need. We know that mental health is more important now than ever before. It is with privilege and great responsibility that we take strides in our learning and practice as school psychologists to embody the mission of our field: equity and inclusivity for all. Hate and racism have no place here. We stand with the AAPI community.

Sincerely,

The SASP Board

6/1/2020

Dear CFSP:

There are no words. Together we mourn the death of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor and all of the other Black lives that this country has shown not to matter. Together we mourn the history of violence, racism, and hatred pasted together by news clippings of unrighteous and unlawful deaths of Black Americans due to the color of their skin.

To our colleagues of color: I (Audrey) acknowledge that, as a white woman, my ignorance has been part of the problem. I (Isa) as a Latinx colleague and student of color acknowledge that my experience has been different than my Black colleagues, and am here to encourage all students of color/students who have experienced systematic marginalization to passionately stand as allies and fight in solidarity with our Black community. We are so deeply saddened and angered by the injustice of these deaths, and recognize that our white colleagues will never know your pain. There is a heavy presence of sorrow, anger, numbness, pain, and a myriad of other emotions during this time. We have no words of comfort except that your resiliency is exceptional and the need for it is exceptionally unfair. Maya Angelou spoke so clearly of this resiliency in her poem “Still I Rise.” The white students and faculty want you to know we see you, we hear you, and we join you in this fight for justice.

To our white colleagues: It is a necessity that you do not, like so many in this country, hide behind walls of excuses, forgetfulness, and distraction instead of acknowledging the great loss of life and daily burden that our students, families, and colleagues bear. White privilege gives us something to hide behind that Black students and students of color do not have. We encourage everyone to take time to read Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail in light of recent events. You need to consider where we are as a White Allies, and the price of our silence that so many others have to pay. I (Audrey) am also challenging myself to the same reflections.

To all of our colleagues: On Thursday May 18th from 12-1PM, we invite all of CFSP to a time of virtual response together. We will have a short opening speaker, and then time to look at our awareness, knowledge, and skills (Miranda, 2014). Specifically, we want a majority of the time to be a response time where we put our videos on mute and call a representative, pray, mourn, think, meditate, buy a book for the summer on the racial history of our country, create an advocacy plan for internship, go through compiled resources that might help our future practice together. It will be a time of action and reflection. Please join us.

As school psychologists, we are not called to a specific political party, to post on social media, or run through a specific list of actions to check our social justice boxes. However, as practitioners, we are in a unique role where we have the power to affect change in systems and situations of oppression. We are called to recognize that Black Lives Matter, and share that in our sphere somehow. We are called to look honestly at our awareness, knowledge, and skills and choose to grow in these areas.

Below are resources for personal and professional practice that we will be utilizing to grow in awareness, knowledge, and skill on Thursday. Many of them were collected from your posts on Facebook, Instagram, or personal communications. Thank you for sharing with the world your passion for advocacy. Let’s focus on our steps as practitioners that will help stop the violence.

In Sorrow,

Audrey Ford (President) and Isabella Jaramillo (PhD Equity Chair)

On Behalf of SASP