October 21, 2002

Dear Director Waldman:

We’re writing to share with you both our concerns about the two school assignment motions on the table, as well as to try to describe the vision that we as a TOPS community are fighting so hard to preserve.

We fear that this proposed compromise will in the end not even represent a compromise. While the motion as currently written is vague on several points (e.g., can families close to TOPS choose which group in which to apply, thereby giving them a chance at slots in both categories? will siblings of children currently at TOPS not get seated if they represent more than half the available seats?, do neighborhood families get both a reference school and a distance tiebreak school? are there geographic boundaries for the distance tiebreak group?), our projections based on this ambiguous proposal suggest that from 50% to 75% of the students will come from the neighborhood, depending on how these questions are answered. Because the northwest area of the Central Cluster is predominantly white and affluent, this would result in a drastic reduction in the diversity that is central to the mission, identity, and success of TOPS. It also provides increased resources and choice to an already affluent community at the expense of those currently much less well served by the district.

We hear that some on the School Board have taken issue with the significance of diversity for TOPS. First, while TOPS is not as diverse as the district as a whole, it is certainly more diverse than most of the schools in the Central Cluster. Currently, students of color constitute 51% of the student body at TOPS, 48% at Stevens, 35% at McGilvra, and 32% at Montlake.* A difference of 20% is a significant difference. And in recent years, the trend at both McGilvra and Montlake has been toward less diversity. Moreover, TOPS has been making serious attempts, within the constraints of being “integration-neutral,” to attract more families of color.

Second, numbers tell only a part of the story. An equal, if not more significant, part of this identity lies in TOPS’ commitment to multicultural education and equity in academic achievement. In the past five years, a Coalition for Social Justice comprised of parents and staff has been actively working to address disparities in academic achievement at TOPS, to create a community which welcomes and cherishes diversity, and to educate all our children to be creative and responsible leaders in a multicultural nation and world. In addition, all staff and many parents have participated in study circles on “Race and Education,” which have indeed opened up “courageous conversations” about race, culture, and how our children are being educated. In the process, we have created a new Mission statement and galvanized a community of people of all races who can talk about race, privilege, and educational equity, and who are taking steps both at TOPS and in the wider community to promote that equity and excellence for all children. This is visible in the classroom, too. For instance, children begin a social studies unit with family histories, sharing how they as third generation African Americans and Scandinavians, new immigrants from Southeast Asia and Africa, and newcomers from the dot.com industry all contribute to the building of Seattle.

The primary stated rationale for neighborhood schools has been “identity” and “predictability.” TOPS has a strong identity in its diverse student body and staff (though not as diverse as we hope it could be); its integrated, hands-on, emerging multicultural curriculum; and its commitment to educational equity. This identity has been built, not as a result of similar cultures and races living in a common neighborhood, but through a process of dialogue, courageous communication, and thousands of volunteer hours in the classroom. This “compromise” will undermine both the identity and predictability for TOPS, subverting years of hard work and community-building around an identity larger than mere neighborhood.

We believe that educational choice and equity must be advanced in this school district in order to provide excellence for all children and attract families into the public school system. This means that any changes to the assignment and transportation plans should result in more choice, less segregation, and greater access to quality education for all children, especially those in underserved parts of the city. While we do indeed sympathize with those who have not been able to get into a good neighborhood school, we feel strongly that this is an issue not confined to the northwest part of the central cluster, and that a broader, more equitable, and more carefully considered solution or compromise must be sought.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Dickinson

Joe Merrill

1518 33^rd Avenue

Seattle, WA 98122

· Students of color comprise the following % of the population in these other Central Cluster schools: Bailey Gatzert 81%, Leschi 93%, (Lowell 35%), Madrona 87%, MLKing 90%, TT Minor 90%, Thurgood Marshall 94%.