Dear Superintendent Guerrero & Special Education Director Mary Mertz,

We have been excited by the leadership of PPS centering their focus around equity and are in full support of that momentum to serve our most vulnerable community members. Today we were informed that Adapted Physical Education as a service has been completely dissolved by Portland Public Schools (PPS). The decision to eliminate this program is not equitable for our students with disabilities and will be contradictory to the progressive and positive vision PPS has laid out for our community.  This decision has intersectional impact as it will also disproportionately affect our BIPOC students with disabilities that make up a significant base of our students serviced. 

It is not only endangering the safety and health of our most vulnerable students with disabilities, it's taking away a legal right to their equitable public education.  To eliminate this program is a step in the wrong direction toward the PPS vision of equity.  We feel you would not cut this program if you understood what specialized services we provide to students and how much it improves not only their quality of life in school, but also their ability to thrive in physical and social environments outside of the learning environment. The staff supporting this community is uniquely qualified to focus on achievable skills that will help our students develop as human beings and set them up to thrive to the best of their ability. 

We are aware that the board does not have enough information around our services to examine what the impact will be on our community if this cut is finalized. Since the final voting will take place this month, we hope you will consider that this not the place to scale back funding and ultimately NOT in the best interests of our most at risk students. 

Our extended community of educators, students, parents and taxpayers hope that you will reconsider this decision.

Sincerely,

PPS Adapted Physical Education Teachers