Advocacy Update: 12/13/24
Lots happened on the advocacy front in November and early December. Here's a wrap-up:
- D2 Director Sarah Clark visited the Whittier in November to learn more about the Whittier community and let us get to know her a bit more
- We shared this presentation as introduction
- Sarah Clark expanded on her opinion on school closures, sharing:
- Supportive of continued PTA funding
- Supportive of daily PCP schedule
- Believes the standard of education (minimum floor) that our community defined is the bare minimum–we should be aiming higher
- Advocacy efforts at the State level are vital
- D2 community sharing our voices with the rest of the directors to help build a like-minded coalition is key
- Aligning advocacy efforts with other PTAs, within D2 and across other districts, will also help build a coalition across the school board
- Superintendent Jones has pulled closures and consolidation plans off the table for the 2025-2026 school year
- While school closures are off table for 2025-2026, President of the Seattle School Board, Dir Rankin, is signaling that closures are still on the table for the future
- An attempt to recall Director Rankin has failed
- A Seattle parent has published an Op-Ed admonishing some of the existing school board
- SPS has said they’ll need to make deep budget cuts, but haven’t provided a revised proposal that addresses a closure-less budget. From what they have shared, they’ll push a change to three bells and reduce library access for middle and high school students so they’re only served 2.5 days per week (instead of 5 days)
- Fund SPS has collected some info breaking down how bills pass in WA State in advance of the January legislative session
- An article covering what Trump’s education policy could mean for WA State
- Two Seattle-area parents have shared interesting presentations about the current state of SPS
- Seattle parent Albert Wong shares a deep dive in district financials in an effort to motivate district families to call for more financial oversight as a next first step in the budget deficit process
- Seattle parent Alex Wakeman Rouse on the podcast Rainy Day Recess to talk about the Billion Dollar Bake Sale and state-level advocacy around fully funding education
- Washington State’s expected deficit as risen, making it more important than ever that we message education must be a financial priority
- Seattle-area parents have formed a PAC to support candidates for next year’s School Board election campaigns
- “One Seattle” Rezone plan could have significant impact to Whittier and its surrounding neighborhood
- Streets surrounding Whittier (and other local schools) are to receive an up zone allowing 5-story buildings (without designated parking) including 14th Ave NW (video of community neighborhood group discussing the plan)
- Neighborhood groups are raising flags that “School Streets” and “Safe Streets” do not have unique considerations in these plans
- Lack of designated parking and lack of public transportation services have generated concern about increased car traffic and unsustainable street parking
- Plans require a small minimum square footage per unit, raising concerns that families will be developed out of the neighborhood, impacting future enrollment
- Local community councils are generating a targeted list of suggested revisions, including asking to establish a perimeter around schools where rezones cannot increase traffic patterns or reduce family-appropriate density
- Share your voice:
- View the plan and make comments within the plan map here (the public comment on the plan closes 12/20)
- City Council will be reviewing plans Jan-Mar before the planned April vote; stay tuned for opportunities to join in advocacy efforts
What Should I Do Now?
We’re hosting an advocacy-centered work session on Tuesday, January 7th from 7-9pm. We’ll do hands-on advocacy work sending postcards to state reps demanding they fully fund eduction, learn about planned state advocacy days in late January and February, and brainstorm how we can engage locally with directors, SPS, and other PTAs to maximize our voice.
