A Message to our AASPA Membership

As people around the world and in our communities come together to protest and demand the end to racial injustices, we wanted to take a moment to share how AASPA is responding and standing with the Black community and our members. 

There are no words to express the heartache and sadness of the recent events of systemic racism that took the lives of George Floyd and many others. Racism, discrimination and prejudice have no place in our organization, our schools, our communities and our world.  

AASPA and our members are in a unique position to make real change in the area of human capital leadership in education. We have the ability to work individually as a district and collectively as an organization to ensure every employee and individual who comes in contact with us feels included and safe. 

We are proud of the work that has been accomplished in AASPA through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Leon Bradley Scholarship Committee and our Executive Board leadership for the advocating, appointment, hiring, promotion and recognition of people of color. We are proud of the changes we have made as an organization in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion. In the future, AASPA will continue to:

Learn
We are continuing to learn from our members about issues facing people of color in the areas of school personnel administration. We will continue to listen to our colleagues and share their voices and resources through a vast network of individuals focusing their efforts on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

Share
As a membership body we will continue to give our time and resources to the advancement of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in PK-12 human capital leadership. This work can be seen through our professional development program and the infusion of DEI in all of our sessions and offerings. In addition we have added new professional development opportunities, geared towards the recruitment, hiring and retention of diverse candidates along with the leadership of DEI in school districts. We will continue to encourage and financially support more persons of color to enter the field of education and school leadership through our Leon Bradley Scholarship program. 

Advocate
AASPA will use our national platform to highlight issues of systemic racism in PK-12 human capital leadership. We will provide resources and elevate the voices of our leaders and members who are effecting change in their communities. 

Now is the time to listen to those who have and are experiencing racism, step up to the plate, and use our influence and ability to make real change. We know there is so much work that needs to be done. It won’t be enough until we see true justice. We plan to work every day to improve, learn and grow as an association and a community of educators.

As PK-12 Educational Leaders, now is the time for us to look at our policies that support systemic racism and do the true work of developing and implementing anti-racist policies that will promote equity, equality and inclusion. This includes removing barriers that consistently keep educators of color from receiving the same opportunities as their white counterparts. 

Thank you for your membership and for your support. Please be sure to let us know how you would like to join us and get more involved.

Sincerely,
AASPA Executive Board and Kelly Coash-Johnson, Executive Director