Dear Archbishop Mitty Community,
We write to you today as leaders of Archbishop Mitty who have a deep care and concern for this school community. In the ten days since the murder of George Floyd, our world has changed significantly. We are heartbroken by the impact these events have had on our world at large and specifically on our students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff of color for whom this moment in history is acutely painful. With them, we join in solidarity to affirm that Black Lives Matter.
In the last 24 hours, some members of our alumni and current students have taken to social media to share their experiences of racism during their time at AMHS. We take very seriously these personal accounts and are committed to hearing student and alumni experiences and to making changes to ensure our students feel respected, supported, and heard. We did not talk about race as we should have in the past, and this has been detrimental to not only our students of color but the wider Mitty community. Today we are committed to ensuring that does not happen again. We know we can do better. Although we recognize that discussions surrounding race are difficult, delicate, and often polarizing, we are committed to such discussions to ensure that racism will not be tolerated at Archbishop Mitty.
This morning we met at length with members of the administration, the Board Outreach Committee, our AASU moderator, and our Outreach Coordinator to discuss the best ways to address these concerns and determine appropriate next steps. Although the school has done significant work instilling in its students the importance of recognizing that each of us is created in the image and likeness of God, it is evident that we should do more direct education around racial issues to enhance our own understanding of the current situation.
To that end, we have instituted the following:
• Kate Caputo, Principal, will serve as a point of contact for any student or alumni concerns regarding race issues at Mitty. She can be reached at kcaputo@mitty.com.
• The AMHS Outreach Committee will be expanded to include recent alumni so that their voices can be included in our discussions on how best to serve our students of color.
• Additional release time for the Outreach Coordinator will be provided to better support our students of color.
• The school will implement biannual meetings between students of color and the administration to provide listening sessions on the student experience at AMHS.
• The Outreach Program will provide additional opportunities for open discussion regarding issues of race.
• Additional staff development on how best to support students of color will be provided during the 2020-2021 school year and in subsequent years.
• The Parent Education series will investigate resources (including speakers) that can assist parents with discussing race issues with their teens.
• Academic departments will review curriculum to ensure that the systematic causes of injustice and racism are addressed.
• The administration will expand existing resources to seek greater diversity in applicant pools for faculty and staff hiring.
We want to assure you that we are committed to making changes to address concerns and ensure that Archbishop Mitty High School remains an inclusive and welcoming place for our students. The first step in this process is to listen, and that is what we intend to do. We invite students and alumni with experiences to share to step forward and do so. We ask for your support and prayers during this time of introspection.
Sincerely,
Tim Brosnan
President
Kate Caputo
Principal
Maria Nash Vaughn
Board of Regents
Outreach Committee Chair
Greg Walker
Director of Student Activities
AASU Moderator
Patsy Vargas
Outreach Coordinator
LASU Moderator |
