I don’t have a cogent commentary put together yet, but I felt the desire, need, and responsibility to post something, to respond somehow. Here it goes.

My heart is breaking for my city right now. It’s breaking for my kids that I will get next month that I haven’t even met yet. This is no longer just about being an American. It’s now closer to home than we ever dreamed. This is people I know and love. You never expect it to be in your backyard, you know? It’s still surreal, yet I have not been able to think of anything else for the last 16+ hours. I am consumed by the facts and the opinions, the stories and the outcry.

This is not who we are. This is not how we see ourselves. This is not what we aspire to. This is not what we teach our youth.

How can I, as an educator, explain this to middle school children? How do I open up such a profound and powerful dialogue before I’ve even learned everyone’s names on the first day?

I know that it’s important. I know that it’s my charge. And I also know that this is not just going to go away in the next month before school starts. What I don’t know is how things will play out from here or what exactly my role is going forward. Any thoughts on the matter are much appreciated as I and my community figure this out.

#FTK,

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