Dear Shoreline and Lake Forest Park Caregivers and Community Members,

We respectfully ask Superintendent Reyes, Shoreline School Board directors and our district officials to implement an in-district remote learning option (alongside full time in-person learning) effective this fall so that families and students can remain fully enrolled in the district and can continue with their trajectory of learning with minimal disruption. Given the seriousness of our public health crisis and inequities presented, we believe that this is the right direction.

Join us with your voice of support by adding your name below!

We, the undersigned residents of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park and surrounding communities believe that the health and safety of our communities are paramount. The absence of an in-district remote learning option in Shoreline Public Schools during the current COVID-19 health crisis has created an undesirable hurdle in the pursuit of basic education for those who would benefit from such services, whether out of medical necessity or academic preference. Children who are under age 12 with no access to a vaccine and those who are immunocompromised are among the most vulnerable. 

We believe that all students deserve opportunities to receive services from Shoreline as their home district - to be able to engage with their peers, to be a part of their neighborhood schools, and most importantly, to learn from the adults who know them best - rather than to be forced to look externally. All students learn best when they feel safe and supported.  We believe that appropriately student-centered experiences provide the necessary scaffolding for social/emotional growth and academic success. These are part of basic education.* 

The following are some examples of what is at stake if families seeking remote services must leave the district:

Students with 504s and individualized education plans (IEPs) are at risk of losing their specialists’ support and accommodations that have taken years to build if they must enroll in an out-of-district remote program. These students should be allowed to maintain their trusted relationships in a system with which they are familiar. 
Students with accelerated learning needs should be able to receive instruction that upholds continuity regardless of the modality in which it is delivered. If these students must enroll in an out-of-district remote program, they may be presented with a curriculum that they’ve already mastered, therefore risking student engagement.
All students who seek remote learning through another district risk being in the wrong place in the curriculum upon re-entering their home schools in Shoreline, finding themselves needing to catch up on months of material or even repeating what they learned remotely.
And we would be remiss if we did not recognize the needs of Shoreline staff and teachers who may be immunocompromised themselves, or who live with individuals who are unable to receive a vaccine or are immunocompromised. These professionals would benefit from remote learning work opportunities in our district, just as our students would benefit from their skills in teaching, counseling, childcare and other services.

We believe that the heart of the taxpayer base in both Shoreline and LFP is composed of many families and district staff who want to see our schools and students thrive through collaboration, partnership, volunteerism - and choice. In uncertain times like the present, we expect nothing short of transparency and proactive solutions with our district leadership** so that together, our community can continue to support and contribute to our schools for generations to come.

In closing, the pandemic has challenged us in ways that we have never imagined. It is the fear of acknowledging what the pandemic has truly taken from us:  our sense of place within the community, our sense of place within our friendships, and most importantly, our sense of place within our schools. The vaccine cannot be the only way we support each other in this time of uncertainty. The true antidotes to the pandemic are understanding, compassion, and a renewed sense of humanity.

*Website:  WA State Legislature: RCW 28A.150.210 - Basic education - Goals of School Districts

**Website:  WSSDA - Washington School Board Standards