We grieve—we must grieve—with the family and friends of George Floyd and those whose loved ones met a similar fate. We know the facts of what happened. But can you feel the facts?

Teachers Development Group vows to use this moment of immense sorrow to stand as allies in the fight for justice. We will use this as a moment to re-commit to further educate ourselves and our school partners in the days, weeks, and years ahead to recognize and act persistently to change our practices as teacher educators, teachers and school leaders. We will not stand silent in the face of the criminalization of black and brown youth in schools. We must take a stand and halt those practices that have perpetuated the visible and invisible patterns of white supremacy, injustice and oppression that we know saturate daily school experiences for students of color. It will be uncomfortable and go against the grain of regular school practices. Teachers Development Group is committed and prepared to embrace this challenge; the work is already underway. Please join us.

~ Ruth Heaton, CEO