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Dear Novato Community,

I have written this letter dozens of times over the last two days. I am struggling to find my voice regarding the senseless death of George Floyd at the hands of someone paid to protect and serve, the willingness of others to stand by and do nothing while Mr. Floyd begged for his life, and the pattern of similar violence that has happened across our country and through our history.

Incidences of systemic racism have dogged my educational career since my first year of teaching which saw the Los Angeles riots following the acquittal of four police officers charged with beating Rodney King. I have been silently outraged and have poured this outrage into doing what I believed I could to address this problem by improving our educational systems. I’ve served communities with large populations of people of color whether that be at Redwood Elementary School in Fontana as a beginning teacher, Admiral Farragut Elementary School in Downtown Vallejo where I served as a principal, Luther Burbank Elementary School in Downtown Santa Rosa where I also served as a principal, or here in Novato. The schools and systems I have served have seen improvement and I believed this was enough.

I cannot flip a switch and fix the world today, but I believe we can take steps to change the world – together. NUSD remains committed to our Equity Imperative Declaration. We work diligently to increase our hiring for diversity. We have worked closely with the City of Novato, the Novato Police Department and North Marin Community Services to keep hatred from our City through the work of Not In Our Town, Novato. We partner with Education Trust West to audit our practices and have created an Equity Blueprint to help us progress towards our goals. We partner with the Marin Promise Partnership and Educational Equity and Excellence to better understand the challenges faced by our students and educators of color in Marin County. These are important initial steps.

Yesterday I had a powerful and emotional meeting with Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Jonathan Ferrer. In that meeting, we began to develop a process to help us better understand the impact of systemic racism on our educational system and to develop processes to address them. This process will begin with a convening of interested educators of color in Novato and will then be expanded to other interested parties. We will provide information soon and I hope you will lean into this work with us- one that creates a safe space, a sense of community, and the identification of next steps to move our District together in this work. This process may be uncomfortable for some within our community. We will do the best we can acknowledging that we will do some things very well, while still being vulnerable in our mistakes. Know that everything we do will come from a place of inclusiveness, caring and compassion.

California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, said this week, “It has been difficult for me to make sense of how a man can beg and plead for his life and still have his life snuffed out. It has been hard for me, as a black man, who everyday thinks about the impact of race. It has been difficult for me, as a parent raising African American children, to know what to say, how to answer their questions when they ask me, ’Dad, why did this happen?’ And to know that I have to confront my own vulnerability: that when they ask me, ‘Could this happen to them?’ that I might not be able to keep them safe.” This is a feeling shared by many of our families and it breaks my heart.

          I recently realized that my previous actions have not been enough. Recent events have been a call to action for me. I am angered by the senseless death of George Floyd and those before him. I am disgusted by the systems that allow these actions to continue. I am saddened that some of our families live with fear, and I acknowledge negative experiences they may have had within our community. I want to further validate and honor them as vital members of our community, and I am committed to more accountability and positive change to our systems and organization.

As we navigate today’s troubling waters, please know that NUSD is committed to serving all students and to supporting all families. To those who are struggling more, please know that you are in my heart. For those who are looking for resources to educate themselves or their children on these important topics, I am including some information below that we received from Marin County Office of Education Superintendent Mary Jane Burke.

Sincerely,

Kris Cosca

How can you make a difference to curtail racism and injustice?

  1. Talk to your children with compassion about the pent-up frustration of the protesters so they know and understand the actions they are witnessing are a direct result of historical injustices.
  1. Read books together as a family to support conversations on race, racism, and resistance.
  1. Speak up when you are witness to an injustice or some form of racism. Silence only serves to support and promote deplorable acts.
  1. Volunteering in diverse settings can help build a cultural competency and build a more inclusive society. Consider local opportunities that can build relationships and support people in need.
    1. Educate yourself through the eyes of those most impacted: