Dear APS families, 

The tensions and circumstances that continue to unfold in Minneapolis and across the United States this week are painful and difficult to watch. The death of George Floyd is a travesty and reveals that the pain and suffering created by the racism that is still so present within our country.  

These incidents have also impacted the Andover community. On Saturday morning, AHS Principal Conrad received information about racist social media posts made by students. These incidents violate our Andover High School student handbook policies on Non-Discrimination, Harassment and create a hostile learning environment. Each incident has been or will be fully investigated and brought to the attention of the Andover Police Department. APS does not tolerate or condone the content of these posts in any way.  

Equity and appreciation for cultural diversity are important themes in our work and APS strives to foster inclusivity within each of our schools and our district. The APS Cultural Climate Committee (C3) was formed in 2015 and remains an important program within our district. Each school at APS has modeled the goals and work of the district’s C3 to their own communities. I encourage our families to reach out to their principals to get involved with these committees. 

Whether the incidents take place across the country or in our neighborhood, they run counter to our core values and beliefs of providing a safe, supportive and equitable learning environment for all. We will continue as a district to take action to counter racism and build an inclusive and respectful community.

Sincerely, 

Additional Resources:

General resources on race and racism: Teaching Tolerance’s resource collection on Race & Racism

For Elementary Families: Becoming Upended: Teaching and Learning about Race & Racism with Young Children and their Families

For Secondary Families: Facing History and Ourselves’ blog post on the death of George Floyd with resource links