Being a parent is nonstop hard work, making it challenging to stay on top of news that impacts families in Washington state. This Hits Home is your weekly hit of news, commentary, and, occasionally, opinion. Want to have a say in the news that impacts your kids or family? Look for the ‘Take action’ prompts. Here’s the update for the week of Feb. 2-8.
A difficult moment met with a strong message
On Jan. 30, two Rainier Beach High School students were shot and killed at a bus stop near South Shore PreK-8 School and the high school. Seattle Public Schools’ (SPS) new Superintendent Ben Shuldiner was sworn into office Feb. 2, but he set the tone of his leadership even before taking his oath. In a heartfelt email to the SPS community on Feb. 1, he acknowledged and joined in the community’s grief and anger. Then he challenged the community to stand up:
“Tomorrow must be the day for us all to come together and act,” Shuldiner wrote. “Gun violence is a scourge on our community and our country. Youth homicide is a terrible action, but its occurrence is holistic in nature. It happens because we, collectively, have not stopped it. Thus, I ask that each and every one of us think critically about what we can do to address this issue. How can we make our streets safer and our children free from harm?”…