The committee co-chairs would like to offer a few words of encouragement during this time when there is so much to be discouraged about: racism is thriving at every level everywhere, trans children’s rights are being attacked vigorously, book bans are picking up steam, and on top of all of that (and more) we are overworked, undervalued, mistrusted, understaffed, and unsupported in our profession. At the Trans Visibility Day march and rally, speaker after speaker gave impassioned calls to stay in community, stay in the fight, and to believe your own worth. They called for and exemplified defiant hope for their trans siblings during this frightening moment of history for trans youth and adults. 

Defiant hope. What does that mean in our PAT community? What does that look like in your building? When you are singled out for your race, gender, or sexuality? When you are micromanaged or left totally unsupported? When you have been laid off, let go, or not called back after the first round of interviews? When your school has been shut down with no warning? We think defiant hope looks like community, love, collaboration, co-conspiracy, brilliant minds seeing through the smoke and mirrors, dreaming, visioning, self-care, community care, simply showing up. We see you and we thank you for all you do to demand racial equity and social justice in our PPS community.  We remind you of what our PAT leadership has said so many times, that WE are PPS, our students are PPS, their families are PPS. Politicians, administrators, top level brass…they come and go, but WE are the heartbeat of today and tomorrow in our PAT and PPS community, and WE collectively are our reason for defiant hope. 

In gratitude- Nedra, Karen, Julie and David.