Resources to Respond - SPS Well Resourced Schools
Dear Lafayette Families,
Your PTA and Community are working hard to better understand SPS’s proposals and find a better solution. We encourage all our families to write to our representatives at all levels, attend rallies, join community efforts, and read-up on the proposals. The more informed we are, the better off we are to talk about the proposals before us. We will continue to share resources, and our PTA calendar and social media will help to provide important meeting and dates.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU NOW:
IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: This Wednesday, September 18th, Superintendent Jones will be presenting his Well Resourced Schools Proposal to the School Board. WE NEED YOU TO SHOW UP AND WEAR RED!
Stand in solidarity with schools district-wide against SPS’s plans to shut down between 17-21 Seattle Schools. We will rally outside the John Stanford Center for Education in SODO (2445 3rd Ave S) from 3:45-4:15. We NEED YOU, your kids, your friends, your family, your neighbors to WEAR RED and SHOW UP to rally!
After the rally, the Board meeting will begin at 4:15 and anyone who wants to attend (and can fit) will be welcome to – it will also be televised on SPS’s YouTube Channel. We encourage as many families as possible to also tune-in so they can see how many people are interested in these proposals.
Please fill out our “SPS Well Resourced Schools Survey” so we can better understand where Lafayette families stand in this fight! This was put together by your Lafayette PTA for our community specifically.
Sign the Open Letter opposing the district's plan with All Together for Seattle Schools.
A working group, “Lafayette Saves Schools,” has been created to lead efforts and will work in partnership with the PTA and other organizations. The group needs help on many fronts (community organization, finance, data analysis, event planning, communications, website, calendar management, legislative/government, marketing, community outreach, fundraising, procurement, representatives for other efforts, volunteering to show up at meetings and rallies, etc.)
Please mark your calendars for September 25th. Gina Topps, our representative SPS Board member, will be speaking at 5pm at Admiral Library. There is also a possibility of a larger meeting later that evening to discuss West Seattle Closures with other SPS members.
RESOURCES TO LEARN MORE:
SPS’s Well Resourced Schools FAQ Page
History of WA state education funding
Core issues with our existing funding model
Preliminary plan options for school closures:
"All Together For Seattle Schools" - a source for resources to advocate for Seattle Schools:
Visual Data
How has SPS handled budget cuts in the past
What happened last time SPS closed schools (and it was only 11).
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
SEND LETTERS! Send an email to our state legislature, to Gina Topps, to Joe Nguyen. BE LOUD! Tell them how you feel about this proposal.
