Spokane Community, its time for your voice to be heard!

NO DONATIONS NEEDED , just COMMUNITY input! Please SIGN AND SHARE! Write an email and let them know!

They're trying to close the Plant Science program at Shadle. This is the last Horticulture program left in Spokane. Even though students love the classes , the "higher ups" are deciding to stop offering it. I confirmed its not a district or money issue.

I have attended some of the meetings and wanted to be sure to mention other phenomenal things they are taking away from students.

-Partnerships with local organizations and other schools in the area to educate and support families with food scarcity

-Learn about Plants and Ecology in a hands on way that applies to REAL LIFE

-Opportunities for students to earn college credits in the High School with that class 

-Certifications (my daughter earned hers and added it to her portfolio)

-Complete a Graduation Pathway

-Students can pick it as a Science or Career and Tec

My passion is from my daughter. Who found so much joy and purpose in a program that is now slated to be closed at Shadle Park High School.

For her, it was more than just a couple classes - it was an education that instilled invaluable life lessons. In her first year she learned about sustainability, the vastness of our state agriculture, the complexity of ecology, and the value of knowing how to care for living organisms. It was here when she FINALLY connected with science in a manner that textbooks had failed to deliver. This program was hands on, interesting, and was something she looked forward to. I was worried she would not complete High School before she found her place there. She even kept her binder!

When she continued for a second year, she became equipped with business operations understanding, chances for additional career exploration, options for internships, learned fundamentals of design, and built a solid foundation for lifelong success in any field she sets her mind to.  

She loved that class and her only regret was that they weren't able to open the floral shop to our community. They wanted to sell both living and fresh flowers. The class had been waiting on a register for quite some time.

But my story is just one among many. 

Its devastating that a program might be closed that has opened doors for many students.

A final consideration is how much our community spent to keep this program when Shadle was remodeled. We spoke then, and told them how important it was to have the greenhouse and flower shop. My daughter was so excited when they got new books and tables right before she graduated a couple years ago. It does not make sense to close a program the community has said time and again how important it is to us. And with so many students who want to take that class with her, I don't know where this choice is coming from. She had quite a few friends who signed up for the Plant Science too but weren't able to get in. 

It is for these reasons that I am rallying our community to sign on, in an effort to persuade District 81 to keep Plant Science running at Shadle Park High School. Mrs. Houke is truly devoted to her students and the Horticulture program and it really shows in the growth of her students. 

This option, not just at the level of individual students but also for the entire school and larger community, are too important to lose. 

This isn't just a fight for a school program, it's a fight for the sustainable future we are to live in. Please sign this petition and email the representatives.