Letter from the 'Editor'
Hey there LSSPs,
Well, despite all manner of challenges, we have made it to the school year finish line. I know most of you are already done for the year (or will be by the end of this week) and I hope you have an opportunity to have some downtime after what became a very difficult end of the school year.
I apologize that I am a little late on getting this issue out, but I have been trying to figure out what to say as we usher in the summer with such sadness, uncertainty, and anger. What follows is some of my own personal thoughts on our current state of affairs. If you are at your limit on reflections right now, I understand and feel free to skip down below for the usual collection of resources and information.
Once again, we see the news cycle focused on systemic discrimination and racism. George Floyd, Christian Cooper, and Breonna Taylor join a seemingly unending list of victims of institutional cruelty and persecution designed to target people of color. These stories continue to come to the forefront and evoke a range of emotions in me: sadness at the dehumanization and loss of life, frustration with my lack of surprise that another incident has been uncovered, anger at efforts to inject misinformation and disinformation into the public domain, and fear for myself as man of color.
Despite all of these complicated and painful feelings, I do not want these stories to be buried or not covered. Justice Louis Brandies, a fierce social justice advocate, once opined that 'sunlight is the best disinfectant'. We cannot let instances of corruption and abuse slink back into the shadows to continue to wreak havoc. I want to see these issues solved, not ignored or accepted as 'the way things are'. Discomfort is expected and required if we are going to tackle issues of institutional discrimination and racial prejudice.
I hope that everyone is able to find ways to reflect, process, and find ways forward for themselves to grow as individuals and professionals. Personally, I have been looking into a number of different resources to grow my knowledge and find ways to be an ally and an advocate. My wife and I are doing our own personal book study of How to Ba An Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi. I am looking for resources for how to talk to my child. I will continue my professional growth with resources like webinars from Teaching Tolerance. I will try listen in conversations and provide my expertise when it can be of value. I will try and advocate even (especially) when it is difficult. I will keep trying.
I hope you are all doing well and if you need anything, I don't get summer break at Region 10 so feel free to reach out. :)
Keep Being School Psych'd,
Region 10 Educational Service Center
Region 10. Students. Service. Solutions.
Email: keya.saleh@region10.org
Website: www.region10.org/programs/evaluation-special-education/overview/
Location: 904 Abrams Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Phone: 972-348-1598
Twitter: @getschoolpsychd