Let’s Not Forget About the Children

"School is out for most students, and summer is usually a time for fun and learning—filled with camp, family trips, internships, work and neighborhood adventures. But this year, those carefree moments are being overshadowed by distressing images: protests, law enforcement in riot gear and the presence of the National Guard and Marines on our streets. Children are watching. They are scrolling through social media, overhearing news reports and asking: What is happening?

As adults—parents, caregivers, educators, neighbors—we have a collective responsibility to help our children make sense of what they see and hear. How do we explain why their best friend couldn’t walk the stage at graduation? Why some families are afraid to leave their homes? Why there are armed guards in their city, or why a curfew was issued downtown?

These are not easy conversations, but they are necessary. Our children need safe, honest and age-appropriate spaces to ask questions, process their emotions and feel supported. Without guidance, they fill in the blanks themselves—often in ways that heighten fear and confusion.

As your L.A. County Superintendent of Schools, I want to remind us all: our children are always watching. When school is out and trusted educators aren't by their side, the role of community becomes even more critical. We must be present. We must be intentional. And we must not forget them.

This moment calls on all of us to lead with compassion, to offer reassurance and to be the steady voices our children need. Their safety, well-being and understanding of the world depend on us."

—Dr. Debra Duardo
Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools