Advocacy at Gatewood
Did you know? The PTA was founded as an advocacy organization! The mission of National PTA is to "speak with one voice for every child."
We are here to build community through child advocacy - giving voice to vulnerable children, engaging families, and advocating for policy changes in public education.
**IMPORTANT: More PTA members = more delegate voting power for WA State PTA Legislative Assembly to influence legislative agenda for upcoming few years. This is especially important now, as we are in the midst of a school funding crisis.
Advocacy Features
Top highlights and featured pieces for Advocacy. Click the image to learn more!
Learn more about School Closure & Re-districting Plans
LEARN MORE:
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All Together for Seattle Schools School Closures Quick Reference Guide
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Sign up for the All Together for Seattle Schools Newsletter at www.alltogetherforseattleschools.org
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Learn more about our budget deficit and what you can do at Fund SPS fundsps.com
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Check out the The People's Legislative Priorities for Equitable Schools
MORE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED:
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Join the Gatewood PTA and/or the Gatewood Advocacy Committee
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Email School Board Directors and local representatives to share your thoughts on the proposed changes
Advocacy Committee
WE NEED YOUR HELP! Based on our first committee meeting, we identified various topics of interest for our committee. Let us know your area of interest is as you get involved in Advocacy at Gatewood!
Our Advocacy Committee goal is to have someone lead each group and we really would love some leadership here as we can't do all of this work alone!
Break into sub-groups by topic of interest - we will need a chair for each:
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Campaign to stop closures
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Legislation and State Funding
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SPS Accountability and/or litigation regarding mismanagement of district
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PR, Communications, Media
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Support through the transition (should closures take place)
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Advocate for Continuing Attendance (grandfather clause)
SPECIFIC PROJECT REQUEST:
We are also trying to create a RESOURCE LIBRARY to share with parents across Seattle that is a google document that has resources for books regarding specific parenting topics, referrals for local therapists / occupational therapists / speech therapists, Instagram accounts with parenting information, etc.
Want to join the Advocacy Committee or Chair a specific focus area? Contact Gatewood PTA Advocacy.
Additional
Advocacy Resources
General School Advocacy Resources:
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Seattle Public Schools Safe and Welcoming Schools Resources
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Seattle Public Schools Culturally Relevant Mental Health Services
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Department of Health in partnership with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Safety Study Hall library of information and resources on several health and safety issues for schools, students, and families/caregivers. Topics include:
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US Department of Health & Human Services: Order 4 FREE at-home COVID-19 Tests
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El Centro de la Raza: A voice and a hub for the Latino/a community in King County.
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Seattle Indian Health Board: Cultural healthcare, human services, advocacy, and data research
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Open Doors for Multicultural Families: Intellectual and/or developmental disability support and advocacy serving a diverse range of communities, including immigrants, refugees, people of color, and other individuals who may face barriers in accessing resources.
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The Arc of King County: Promoting and protecting the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities so they can live, learn, work and play in the community – improving the quality of life for us all.
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Rainier Beach Action Coalition: Farm Stand, Sat 10 am–12 pm through Oct 12, Access FREE, fresh local produce grown by Black and Brown farmers.
For your reference and also to share with others in the community regarding SCHOOL CLOSURES:
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Facts and information and easy click to send letters to School Board Directors and local representatives in Olympia at fundsps.com
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Open Letter to sign / ways to get involved with All Together For Seattle Schools
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Pledge to sign and REALLY helpful information with The People's Legislative Priorities for Equitable Schools
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All Together For Seattle Schools Op-Ed proposed to Seattle Times with links and information about opposing school closure plan
SPS In the News
Check out the following news stories to stay in the know:
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Seattle Public Schools retreats from school closure proposals - Seattle Times
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Fixing what ails Seattle schools hinges on listening to families - Seattle Times
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Seattle schools: Respect and fully fund all schools - Seattle Times
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School Closures? Two days after superintendent announces ‘retooling,’ West Seattle’s board director listens to overflow crowd - West Seattle Blog
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Seattle private school enrollment spikes, ranks No. 2 among big cities - Seattle Times
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Legalities of Closing Schools - Seattle Schools Community Forum