Hell NO! We won’t go!
About five years ago, I went through the process of choosing a school for my daughter. Like every other parent I know, I took this responsibility very seriously, though there were times when I wished the process were simpler. There were many schools to choose from and I worried about making a mistake. Our home is in a central location to three different elementary schools: Bryant, Wedgwood, and Sacajawea, with Bryant being our reference school. Newly remodeled and very popular, this seemed of course an attractive option. Wedgwood, by comparison seemed run-down and dreary. But in the end, I fell in love with Sacajawea. The feeling of belonging and community in the school was palpable. That quality of warmth and happiness there transcended the lackluster condition of the building. I could tell that everyone involved, teachers, students, and parents felt valued and engaged. And with the strong art focus of the school, starting with the amazing Kindergarten Arts Program, I knew it was the perfect place for my daughter. I made my choice easily and have never felt a moment’s regret.
Over the years, my involvement as a parent volunteer has grown. I have served on the PTA board, the auction committee, and as a classroom volunteer. I have spent hundreds of hours planning, writing, painting, weeding, fluffing, cleaning, teaching, cooking, decorating and driving for various school activities and projects. As my involvement has grown, so has my satisfaction with our overall experience. The school community serves as the source of many of my close friends. School events are a joyful coming together of people who genuinely like each other and share the same objectives. Our children are learning and growing in an environment that nurtures and challenges them. It is a wonderful place for all of us to be.
The discussion of school closures has been a worrisome topic to me. Although I never would have expected Sacajawea to be on the list, it seemed tremendously sad to think of anyone having their community disbanded and their children shuffled around like a deck of cards to whichever schools have space.
When I opened the paper on the morning of May 18th and saw that Sacajawea was on the closure list, I felt disbelief and when I saw the reasons why, I felt anger. The arrogance of this process is infuriating. The idea that outsiders are making these choices based on such faulty and limited information is idiotic. I am appalled at the time and energy that has been collectively wasted by people who simply don’t seem to have a clear idea of what they are doing. None of us are expendable! None of the programs we have worked so hard to build should be shredded! I feel immense sadness that there is so little respect being shown for our kids in all of this. In an area filled with so much wealth and opportunity, we really ought to be able to do a better job of educating all of our children.
I accept that the Seattle School district is in the throes of a financial crisis and that steps must be taken to resolve the issue, but the value of the Sacajawea community goes far beyond dollars and cents. This gem of a school is an asset that Seattle Schools can’t afford to lose