Letter to the Board From a Marshall Parent

Dear Members of the Board of Education,
 
Prior to April 26^th, as a parent, I concentrated on advocating for the 3 small schools on the Marshall campus to stay open and educating people about the stigma we have to overcome as a school and community. My testimony and that of my 9^th grade daughter were delivered with these points in mind, mainly concentrated on RA2 since that was where our ‘expertise’ was rooted.  
 
Since April 26th we’ve had the amazing opportunity to connect with parents, students and community members of the Lents neighborhood. My hope was to understand the people most affected by these proposals and become a better advocate.  My main goal was to get the students involved. I had hoped for teacher feedback. After all, this is their community being uprooted and it’s their world that PPS is changing.  Again.  
 
I am not sure if I have succeeded in my goals, but I am writing to share with you what I have learned.  It is clear to me that parents, students and community members are absolutely in favor of receiving the equity that has been promised to all the other schools. Even many students, who treasure their small schools, seem to support a comprehensive model out of a desire for more offerings but also out of fairness to their peers who would lose their school.  No one I have spoken to wants to see Marshall so limited.  In a 2 day Marshall student survey that gathered approx. 275 responses, only 6% chose the focus-option (2 Administrators are included in the 6%). It is widely believed that this focus-option will weaken the community, increase commute times by almost double for students that would land in Franklin or Madison, increase drop-out rates among already at-risk students and will starve off athletics by decreasing the student body. Not one person I have spoken to seems to agree with decreasing Marshall’s population. The common message I have heard is “Increase Marshall”.  
 
So, if the only option for this neighborhood with the largest catchment in the district, for this campus and its current 750+ students is to turn it into an undefined focus option with an undefined core program where only 400-500 students apply to attend, based on a virtually non-existent leasing conversation with another school district, I say no thank you. Can you blame me? Can you blame anyone? It is too limiting and not equitable for this neighborhood.  It’s totally undefined. It does not appear to be secure or sustainable. And even more importantly, I don’t understand dismissing several hundred students and a real chance at building bridges with the Lents community to help improve public perception about Marshall and celebrate its successes to increase the benefit of existing programs.
 
I do understand the main point Superintendent Smith took from the Marshall students was their relationships with teachers. So why limit this effective way of learning to just 400-500 students? Robb Cowie, during a meeting at Marshall on May 20^th, suggested attendance didn’t have to be capped at 500. What exactly does that mean? Would attendance be capped at 750? 1200? 1600? It would be thrilling to have those teacher relationships in every school. If it’s the “relational” aspect that makes Marshall so successful, why not implement this district-wide for everyone? I am positive the beloved test scores would be through the roof, everywhere, closing the gap for sure. Let’s make Marshall another pillar of education by closing the boundaries and allowing all of our students this powerful method of teaching along with the educational equity that the Superintendent is demanding to provide. 
 
Demand that your vote is further informed by putting in some time at Marshall and fully understand the neighborhood you are about to drastically affect. Allow your perceptions to change. Spend a day on campus with one of our student representatives. Come to our community meeting next Thursday.  As elected Board of Education members I hope you would take every opportunity to learn about this neighborhood and its complexities and not just spending a moment or two to hear “yes we love our teacher relationships” but to also hear “we want more electives” or “this community deserves better” or “leave our school alone”. 
 
It is not Marshall’s burden to carry to make sure PPS helps other good schools get even better.  It upsets me that when Marshall challenges and dares to ask for a piece of the equity pie, it seems that responsibility is somehow put on Marshall to buck up and take it so everyone else can benefit.  Our 750+ students are not sacrificial lambs, yet we are reminded of the impact “we” would have on other schools by staying fully open. We? This is not OUR proposal. That kind of “reminder” seems similar to blaming the victim. When our students protest, should we start reminding them that they are responsible for making sure other students do better and have more? That somehow, they owe it to the others? That they need not complain about passing their former, closer high school on their way to their newly assigned high school via an extended commute, time for a babysitter, cut hours at work, less time for homework, impossible athletic schedule, because students all over the district might be able to receive a few extra classes?  
 
Finally, if it’s solely up to us as parents and community leaders in any PPS school to create effective communication and education about your process, if PPS representatives are booked to the hilt with meetings, design meetings are being scheduled within and parallel to the 30 day “public input” period, it’s clear that WE ALL NEED MORE TIME. Please extend the public input period and delay your vote. Allow our communities, and others like ours that struggle, to unite and thoughtfully deliver what you need.
 
As the Lents Neighborhood Association’s Educational Committee says,
“Slow Down. Listen. We’ll Help.”
 
Thank you,
 
Kelly McGrath
Parent
 
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Marshall’s Community Meeting will be on Thursday, May 27th from 6:30 – 8:30pm in the auditorium.  Light snacks, childcare and translation services will be available.