Advocacy Opportunity: Send Letters to our Representatives
Advocacy Opportunity: Send Letters to our Reps
Writing to our local representatives today is a great way to share your voice. Our representatives can’t know whether our community agrees with SPS’ Well-Resourced Schools plans unless we contact them. For ease, we’ve drafted sample letters you can customize when contacting representatives.
Click on the links below to email Sarah Clark and Seattle Council PTSA Presidents with a pre-drafted email (all you have to do is sign!):
- Email Sarah Clark, D2 School Board Director, and demand she meet with our community, push back on disruptive boundary changes, and require SPS to resolve ambiguity around continuing assignments and middle school boundaries.
- Email Seattle Council PTSA Presidents, the district-wide Seattle PTA, and demand they meet with us, help push back on disruptive boundary changes, and help us demand SPS resolve ambiguity in its current plan around continuing assignments and middle school boundaries.
Click on the links below to contact our State reps. You can use the example messages below in these contact forms if you’d like.
“I am writing you today as a member of your legislative district, a member of the Seattle Public Schools community, and a member of the Whittier Elementary community.
Seattle Public Schools recently released two proposed options for their “Well-Resourced Schools” plans starting next year that close 17-21 elementary schools and significantly change the boundaries of almost every elementary school student. These boundaries have been drawn to favor straight lines over student outcomes and the scant cost savings (only 2% of the SPS annual budget) will be negated if a fraction of the affected families leave the district.
The percentage of WA State’s annual budget spent on education has been dropped from 51% pre-Covid to 43% while districts throughout WA face budget crises. SPS claims WA State WILL NOT provide any additional funding to SPS if they don’t pursue these closure plans. In short, the in-fighting between WA State legislators and SPS is making collateral damage of WA state children that were already incredibly impacted and disrupted by Covid. We ask you please work today to:
-
- Make public education a priority and return 51% of state spending to education
- Pressure SPS to stop its plans to disrupt most of its families to save a fraction of its deficit
We can’t keep asking Seattle families to invest in public education across the state while absorbing increasing class sizes, decreasing services and programs, and constant uncertainty and disruption. Please help fund our schools and stop SPS’ proposed “Well-Resourced Schools” plans.
Sincerely, [Your Name]”
Spread the Word
Please share this advocacy opportunity with your community. You don’t have to be a current caregiver or potentially impacted family to share your voice! Public education affects everyone.