Dear Families and Employees,
Today, Perrysburg Schools stands with City Leaders and residents to condemn the hate-filled speech that was written on an area home this past weekend. This does not represent our community, its values or the culture that makes Perrysburg such a special place to live, learn and work. We stand together, united to not let this action define us.
Perrysburg Schools Board of Education is unequivocal in its mission, which reads: “Ensuring ALL students achieve their greatest potential.” To the Board, administrators, faculty and staff members, these are not just words, but a directive in how we approach our service. The schools are a mirror to our community. It is a place where people interact with those from other cultures, those who may speak a different language, have different abilities, differing sexual orientations and/or hold different religious beliefs. It is in this space that we must make sure all students feel welcome, safe and supported. This is something that we continue to incorporate, modeling tolerance and compassion. As a school community, we too are confronted with behaviors that challenge these beliefs and values. Just last week, we opened an investigation into vandalism of a school restroom that contained, among other things, hate speech. There is never a place for this in our schools or in our community. Often, the schools are where students learn the acceptable boundaries. The “Jacket Way” is more than a slogan; it’s a culture that we want all students to embrace.
Our aim is for the schools to be a safe place. In a time where there are so many questions and fears, our staff provides that safe harbor. We will be communicating with our students offering supports for anyone who wants to talk about this or other events.
This Friday, Perrysburg Schools will host the fourth annual Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners Conference that offers 49 sessions by 85 presenters on a variety of topics that will expose our employees to ways we can ensure all students can achieve their greatest potential and to learn more about the students we serve today.
Why is this important to spend time on these issues as a school community? It is important, because we see the things that are happening in and around our community and region that students are hearing and reading about in the media and in their homes and bringing these with them into our schools. Please consider what has happened in this area in the last three months:
• December 7, 2018 - A man from Holland, Ohio was arrested by the FBI for planning a “violent terrorist attack” that targeted a Jewish Synagogue in the Toledo area.
• January 5, 2019 – A couple from South Toledo were indicted by a federal grand jury for planning a mass murder at a Toledo bar. One of the indicted corresponded with a death row inmate and white supremacist, who is facing execution for killing nine African American church goers in Charleston, South Carolina. The U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio was quoted about one of the charged: “Through her words and actions, she demonstrated that she was committed to seeing death and destruction in order to advance hate.”
• January 19, 2019 – Workers engaged in a lawsuit over racial harassment against General Motors at its GM Powertrain & Fabrication Plant in West Toledo spoke out on CNN after finding that the racial harassment that they had been experiencing has been increasing since December. This includes racist and threatening messages written in restrooms, on walls and work stations.
• February 10, 2019 – A Perrysburg home listed with a local realtor was found to have “KKK” and other racially-charged messages on it after it was reportedly shown to an African American couple.
• February 12, 2019 – The Blade is reporting that two dozen shots were fired through the windows of Temple Beth Isreal-Shaare Zedek in Lima, Ohio over the weekend.
As a school district, we are committed to stand together with the community for the dignity, respect and inclusion of all residents. We will continue to work to make our schools a place where ALL students feel respected, supported and where they can ALL achieve their greatest potential.
Sincerely,
Thomas L. Hosler
Superintendent
Perrysburg Schools