We Are Our Community - Show Up, Stand Up, and Speak Up for Others and Yourself with Civility and Respect

I am grateful to live in a community in which our mission (the mission of PTSA) and the mission of the school district align. I am grateful to live in a community in which we have policies in place to help us navigate the challenges we might face and which support the practical and thoughtful resolution of those challenges.

The mission of PTA is “Every Child, One Voice”. The thoughts that underlie that simple phrase are immense and profound and reflect that the respect for every member of our community is what sets the foundation for our organization. Dr. Pierce proactively reiterated similar sentiments in her email to all teachers, staff, and parents in the last week when she said “it is part of our mission to provide a positive, harmonious environment in which diversity is respected and encouraged.”

The difference between those missions being real and theoretical is Advocacy: the “public support for a particular cause or policy”. Therefore, we all now have an opportunity to live the mission of our organization and the mission of our school district by actively making them a reality. Should you see or experience anything counter to the missions and policies of our organization or our district, LWSD has a path for resolution: We encourage concerned parents to reach out directly to the school principal so he or she can address any school-specific issues.

Know what our resources and policies are to help you navigate any challenges we might face, together, and to help balance the rights of human dignity with the needs to teach and help students apply critical thinking skills to controversial issues:

Lake Washington School District Human Dignity Policy
Lake Washington School District Civility Policy
Lake Washington School District policy on Teaching about Controversial Issues

Thank you for working together to build stronger and ever-thoughtful relationships and community.

Warm Regards,

Erika Kapur, LWPTSA Council, VP Advocacy

If you have questions or concerns, reach out to me: advocacy@lwptsa.net