Dear Commons Community,
The racially charged protests entered their 11th day yesterday, following the fatal shooting of unarmed black teen Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9. Since then, there have been dozens of arrests and numerous confrontations between protesters and police. As a result, the first day of school was delayed more than a week for the Ferguson-Florissant School District, until next Monday.
To help the children in the Ferguson schools, teachers and administrators have been organizing support activities including conducting teaching sessions in public libraries, volunteering to do clean-up work in and around the schools, and providing meals for students who normally rely on school lunch programs. Here are excerpts from The Huffington Post describing these activities.
“School is out for many Ferguson students, but teachers are still holding classes at local public libraries. On Tuesday, teachers stood outside of Ferguson Public Library holding signs that said “here to teach” and “students welcome.” Inside the library, teachers helped students with reading, science, art and math. “We’re trying to provide a positive and productive place for students,” said Ferguson-Florissant art teacher Carrie Pace to local outlet the Riverfront Times. “A place for them to come and do something educational and meet up with other students.”
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On Tuesday, hundreds of educators took to the Ferguson streets to clean up debris left over from days of protest, according to the St. Louis Post-Dipsatch.
“We’re building up the community,” Tiffany Anderson, the Jennings School District superintendent, told NPR. “Kids are facing challenges. This is unusual, but violence, when you have over 90 percent free and reduced lunch, is not unusual. … Last week, I met with several high school students, some of whom who are out here helping clean up. And we talked a little bit about how you express and have a voice in positive ways.”
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Because many low-income Ferguson children rely on meals provided by schools for sustenance, days without school can leave some students hungry. As a result, some closed schools are providing lunches to students in need, or opening up their cafeterias, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
“School is still thinking about you,” parent Chavonne Robinson told the outlet. Robinson brought her three sons to a school that had an open cafeteria for lunch. “It’s thinking about us, the whole family.”
Let’s hope that Ferguson can get past its crisis as soon as possible.
Tony
