I am impressed by the community of Salisbury. Yes, Salisbury has its problems, but I see people working together. People are addressing issues and sharing knowledge, perspectives and stories.

I had the opportunity to attend the workshop “School Discipline Disparity: Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline,” presented by Actions in Faith and Justice on March 30.

Statistics show that a child of color is several times more likely to receive harsher discipline for an infraction than a white child.

It is good to know that Rowan-Salisbury Schools has an Administrative Equity Team overseeing such concerns. It is a shame that no school board members were present at the recent workshop.

Teaching our children good behavior and correcting them when they stray are valuable parts of our responsibilities as adults.

Let’s also be sure that we reinforce the goodness and trust in all of our children. Our community grows stronger when children of color feel valued and are not somehow less than their peers.

— Kia Whittlesey

Mount Ulla