Dear Cedar Park Community,
As many of you know, Beaverton School District is facing a crisis in school funding this upcoming year. As the district has worked to balance the budget, they have proposed the elimination of the MYP program at Cedar Park. As this program is at the heart of our educational model and school culture, we need your help now!
What would losing our MYP status mean?
A removal of the framework our teachers use to teach and the IB learner profile which are copyrighted, a loss of our Spanish Teacher and MYP coordinator. MYP is the reason we have inquiry based learning, community service, Spanish language instruction and so much more. It’s woven into the very fabric of our school.
A disregard for hundreds of hours of specialized training our teachers have undergone to meet the higher standards of the IB World program and the many years that our school has invested in this program.
Once we give up our MYP status, we could not resume it without undergoing a brand new five year application process. A short term budget fix will result in years of costly repercussions.
Your action is needed to advocate for MYP at Cedar Park. Here’s how:
Call/Email!
Ginny Hansmann, Deputy Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, (ginny_hansmann@beaverton.k12.or.us) and Jared Cordon, Administrator, (jared_cordon@beaverton.k12.or.us). Both can be reached at (503)356-4431. Let them know what the MYP program means to your families and your children.
Attend!
There are three opportunities left to speak up about the proposed budget. Attend a school board budget meeting and speak up:
Monday, April 22nd at 6:30-- Venue changed to Merlo High School
Monday, May 13th at 6:30
Tuesday, May 28th at 6:30
All meetings are at the Administration Offices on Merlo Rd.
Email!
Please take a few minutes of your time to send an email to your legislators and urge them to adequately fund public education.
Go to https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/leg-districts.html where you will find a simple way to look up the email addresses for both your Senate and House members. Please CC: david_williams@beaverton.k12.or.us so we can support your efforts.
Tell your story! Please tell your legislators what your dream is for public education and for your kids, grandkids, neighborhood kids, etc. We’ve all seen the impact of reductions but we need to focus on what we want as we look to grow public education in Oregon. Keep your email simple and focus on key messages:
Fund education adequately! Support the proposal from the Joint Committee for Student Success (HOUSE BILL 3427) to create a $2 billion investment in our kids.
Talk about your dream of what our education system should be, and can be when we make true investments.
Your belief that your kids’ success, or Oregon’s success, requires quality schools and that the status quo is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Give an example of the situation in your neighborhood school.
Talk about the need for smaller classes, increased learning time, and/or greater supports for kids.
Ask them to show the leadership you elected them for and to solve this problem and fund schools.
Thank you for your support in continuing the IB tradition at Cedar Park.