To Concerned Community Members -

Now that we have had nearly two weeks to digest the School Board's vote to discontinue the Cooper Program we are all trying to figure out what is next. Law suit? Help with the transition? Stay in denial that the Seattle School Board could vote yes for such a blatantly racist and classist recommendation?

I am personally choosing to focus on putting pressure on the district to provide for the kids who's lives they are disrupting. We need to anticipate that these kids are going to be going through the grieving process of loosing their school and being separated from their friends. With this in mind we need to demand from the district that they provide us with extra counseling support for our students. They have created this mess now they better be ready to supply us with extra resources to be able to continue to teach, parent and have the kids learning to the best of their ability through these trying times.

During a meeting with Harium Martin-Mooris yesterday, Harium mentioned he wants all the kids being displaced by the School Board's vote to be tracked closely for at least the next two years with quarterly reports brought fourth on each students academic performance. I not only think this is a brilliant idea but I also think the district has a responsibility to be paying very close attention to the effects of their recommendations and votes on our children. The district should be designing a system for tracking the thousand of kids that have just been displaced immediately.

I also want to bring to everyone's attention that design teams need to be implemented at Arbor Heights, Gatewood and Highland Park, the schools where Coopers kids will be assigned. It was my understanding yesterday at the meeting that design teams have not been formed at those schools. This shows a complete lack of regard for our kids when I am well aware of the fact that design teams for other schools like Pathfinder have already been meeting and planning. Please don't let our Cooper kids fall through the cracks.

Everyone please write to our district, board and representative members to put pressure on them to ensure success for our kids during this trying time.

Thank you.

Molly Gras-Usry, Cooper PTSA Vice President