Vashon Island School District
Vashon, WA. 98070
April 25, 2024
Dear VISD School District Board Members,
We represent the staff and board of Vashon-Maury’s AMS Montessori Antibias Early Childhood school that supports students moving into Vashon Island School District as well as ongoing advocacy for those students-families and district Interns who receive support in mentorship abilities at Klahanie School. Since 2009, we continue to support the student learning process and necessary trained school supports. We value student individualized learning and needs in all three of the schools CES, McM, VHS. We are writing to you because we as a school community are concerned about the district Certified Reductions In Force for many teachers and specialists who offer the key services our district and community of students desperately need and benefit from in the Social Emotional arenas.
VISD Certified Reductions In Force has a negative impact on families/schools because of the possibility of cutting key services that allow children to survive in a system that might not fit their learning needs specifically and require the consistent services Tier II and Counseling arenas provide. We as a community are vested and continued advocates in student’s ongoing support and have seen and experienced firsthand how Certified Reductions In Force affects families and students. Our alumni students with district IEP are referred to the district early (first in services like Child Strive) and found successes reducing student anxiety levels in their learning process, and simply being able to get to class, because of specific services in danger of being cut. Students in our district who learn outside of the system grid (such as those seeking Trades or varying hands-on work arenas) need equitable staffing and budget reflection of services available to feel trust in the district and equitably seen, heard and supported in a state school district.
CES Tier II and McM Counseling is essential for students with IEPs and many times the highest ACEs, finding emotional success being able to maneuver in a system that already feels confusing and anxiety ridden. These services mitigate that and offer chances for students to find resiliency when knowing they have trained, certified adults capable of supporting their varying needs as well as caring for the majority of the school support systems.
For these reasons, we strongly urge that you consider students with high needs and the educators, counselors who support their successes and growth becoming upstanding adults for this world. Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have any questions for our school Executive Director, please email klahanieschool@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Klahanie School Students & Interns, Teachers, Families, Board
Klahanie School PO Box 2426 Vashon Island, WA. 98070
Klahanie School 