If you have written any letters to school board members, city council members, etc., please post them here. It may be helpful for some people to read through them and get ideas and inspiration for their own letters. If you do use someone else's letter for ideas, be sure to alter or personalize it a bit. Get those letters out soon. The more the better. Anyone can write letters, they don't just have to be from Gold Ridge Parents. School closures will have a negative effect on the whole district, not just the schools that close. You can even have your kids write letters if they want to!
Click on "comments" to see sample letters.
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4 comments:
Jamie Mitchell
...Address...
Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928
...Phone Number...
November 25, 2007
Re: School Closure
Board of Trustees
Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District
5860 Labath Avenue
Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928
Dear School Board Members:
The introduction on the district website comments, “a benchmark organization is one that is doing its job so effectively that other organizations try to emulate it.” Closing three schools within five years of each other is not something that an organization would try to emulate. In fact our surrounding school districts are doing numerous things to improve themselves, attracting students from the Cotati-Rohnert Park School district.
In Sonoma when an elementary school was threatened with closure, it was made into a magnet school for Arts and Sciences.
Santa Rosa City Schools have a marketing department to advertise and attract new students. This includes radio, newspaper ads, and a 43 page magazine that lists all of the different schools, including the specialty schools. There is a two page layout for each of the high schools that lists the accolades of the school as well as the different programs offered at each campus.
Windsor opened a dual immersion charter school in 1993, Cali Calmecac, where children are taught in Spanish and English.
The Petaluma school district has numerous elementary schools with waiting lists due to small school size, the community feeling in the campus, and the success of the students who attend.
What has the Cotati-Rohnert Park School District done to attract new elementary students? Where are the magnet programs that so many of the parents in Sonoma County are looking for? They are in the surrounding school districts. Parents routinely leave this district for other opportunities. What is the school district doing to keep these elementary students? What has the School Board done to attract and keep elementary students?
We want action that improves our district, not breaks it apart. Parents want to keep their kids in town; give them the schools and the programs they are looking for. Arts based instruction, immersion classes, science based instruction are just a few of the programs that parents are looking for. Small school size is also important to parents. Why close schools and break up community when the Board could be creating new programs that build community and attract students from other districts? The Board should be concentrating on becoming the “benchmark organization” that is touted on the district website. It is now time to put action to these words. Become the “benchmark organization” and create new opportunities for your students.
Jamie Mitchell
Save Our Schools
Jennifer Stevens
...Address...
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
...phone number...
November 26th, 2007
Re: School Closure
Board of Trustees
Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District
5860 Labath Avenue
Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928
Dear School Board Members:
I would like to remind you of your duty to act as advocates for the entire District, in the best interest of every student. I strongly believe that closing schools is neither in the best interest of the District, nor its students. I am asking you to please be more forward-thinking and consider the long-term effects of school closures, rather than just focusing on the short-term bottom line.
School closures will result in larger, more crowded schools, fewer students attending neighborhood schools, more traffic problems, and more parents choosing to leave the school district all together. If we continue on this trajectory, it is likely that we will be in this same position a few years from now. How many schools will close before you begin to take a real look at other options? Please consider the consequences for the community before you make your final decision.
With just a little research, I have found substantial evidence to support the following ideas: Smaller schools are better for students and teachers; Students are negatively impacted by transitions from one school to another; Students perform better academically and drop out with less frequency when they attend K-6 or K-8 schools rather than K-5 and 6-8 schools. Please consider the research before you make your final decision.
The Criteria for School Closure presented at the November 13th board meeting did not address many issues that identify a quality school or a quality school district. These include: student participation in extracurricular activities; students’ sense of belonging; community involvement; staff relations and collaboration; student performance; and the level of staff interest in student success. At smaller schools where communities already exist, these qualities are evident. When communities are broken up and students are disrupted, these qualities are lost. Please consider the consequences for students and staff before you make your final decision.
You have a community of people, voters who elected you, who are willing to stand behind you and support you in thinking outside the box. Why not work with us, rather than following the recommendation of FCMAT, an outside, disinterested firm with nothing at stake in the community? We can come together to make this work, rather than fighting against each other. We all have the same ultimate goals, a benchmark school district and a quality education for every student. Please consider that as your bottom line before you make your final decision.
Thank You.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Stevens
Save The Schools
Jennifer Stevens
...address...
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
...phone#...
November 26th, 2007
Re: School Closure
Rohnert Park City Council
6750 Commerce Blvd.
Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928
Dear Council Members:
I am a parent of a student at Gold Ridge Elementary School. When I heard Dr. Vrankovich’s recommendation that Gold Ridge and La Fiesta schools close next year I was very upset. I strongly believe that closing any of our district’s schools is not in the best interest of the district, the students, or the Rohnert Park Community. I am writing you this letter to ask for your support, and to request that you make that support known to the Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District Board.
With just a little research, I have found substantial evidence to support the ideas that smaller schools are better for students and teachers, and students are negatively impacted by transitions from one school to another. School closures will result in larger, more crowded schools, fewer students attending neighborhood schools, more traffic problems, and more parents choosing to leave the school district all together. If we continue on this trajectory, it is likely that we will be in this same position a few years from now. We are moving further and further away from an important aspect of the Rohnert Park plan-neighborhoods centered on small schools that foster a sense of community connection. This is no way to encourage families to stay in Rohnert Park, or to encourage new families to move here.
The Criteria for School Closure presented at the November 13th board meeting did not address many issues that identify a quality school or a quality school district. These include: student participation in extracurricular activities; students’ sense of belonging; community involvement; staff relations and collaboration; student performance; and the level of staff interest in student success. At smaller schools where communities already exist, these qualities are evident. When communities are broken up and students are disrupted, these qualities are lost. School closures will result in loss of communities that already exist at Gold Ridge and La Fiesta, and drastic changes in the schools that are required to absorb those student populations.
There are many people in this community who are willing to work together with the school board to come up with a better solution for our schools. Please join us in asking the CRPUSD board to help maintain our quality community schools, and look for another way to solve our budget issues.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Stevens
Save The Schools
http://savetheschools.blogspot.com/
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