FWIW, a number of us have been writing to the school board to ask the vote be delayed. They have announced that they will delay it one week, but that is not what we meant–or at least, not what I meant. I want it delayed until there is a full accounting of what any and all changes are meant to accomplish, and no more last-minute ideas pulled out of anyone’s ass.

So my problem with the gap people was they ran with the idea they were against all school closures and recruited everyone else to join them with the premise, and dare I say promise, that they would work against ALL school closures. Then, when Grant was no longer on the choppinig block they folded. Hypocritical at best, outright deception at worst. You suggest the reason they basically folded was the school board came out and voted to close some schools. Yet, if Grant had been one of the schools the school board had on their supposed final list you don’t think the gap people would not be fighting like crazy for overturning the decision? Of course, and they would make Jeff’s recent efforts look like nothing.

Now, all things being equal, I don’t have a problem with the gap people using any old strategy they want to protect their neighborhood school. Heck, it was a good strategy and it worked for them. But the problem is this: Grant people have worked for years politically to make sure Grant students have real educational opportunities and they have done this at the expense of thousands of poor kids. Not by putting those schools down or doing anything mean or purposeful, but by supporting people on the school board and organizations which don’t have any interest in poor kids, just their political constituents and supporters of which Grant is very capable of being. (Well, not really “no interest” just not enough interest to correct the problems and risk their political careers and constituencies by by doing so.) And in that way those Grant school activists have harmed those schools and the city. So it is easy to see why people who have been fighting this problem for years might be a little cynical.

JD, ctg couldn’t get high profile leaders to join because it was so blatantly fighting for its own agenda. It died after the April board meeting because it was finally obvious even to ctg that Grant would remain safe and the boundaries of Laurelhurst and Hollywood would remain untouched. After you pat yourself on the back for your fine example of civic engagement, enjoy your summer.

But don’t give me focus schools and tell me it is equitable because it is not. If you want a school in the Marshall or Jeff area it should have EVERYTHING the other schools have. This is the only fair and equitable result. Anything short of this can not be the result and an equity movement. So, close Marshall, close Jeff, but what are you going to do, going to do, not promise to do because we all know how well promises get kept around the orange building, what are you going to do to make it equitable?? What are the trade-offs which the Marshall kids and the Jeff kids get for riding the bus farther, getting up earlier, having difficulty in doing athletics and activities, getting uprooted from their school and communtiy, being the outsiders at their new schools, having their friends end up elsewhere. What are they getting to keep it all EQUITABLE? What?????????????????? Haven’t heard word one about that. All we know is Lincoln, Cleveland, Wilson, and Grant (the close the gap not the schools people) once again get the cream, while the rest get the dregs. Same old story. And where are the community leaders to protest the way this has come about?? Where is Stand for Children, The Chalkboard Project people, the School Foundation people, the Mayor and his minions. Right where they have always been — same old place — supporting the most politically feasible and the most politically powerful. Same old place. And furthermore, I don’t want to hear Trudy Sargent and Pamela Knowles, or even Martin Gonzalez spouting any more about EQUITY — it is not your word, nor your province, and it sure isn’t your board’s process result. Just stand up and say, “Well take this poor folks.” We would all respect you more if you did.