Fellow parents and SMSD residents. I'd like to request you sign this petition in support of asking the Shawnee Mission School District not make a change to policy in regards to the children of teachers. Currently at Benninghoven, we have one teacher, Staci Newell whose daughter has been part of our community from Kindergarten through third grade. The district has advised that they will not allow her daughter to continue at our school next year because this is a change that district patrons want to see happen.

I know there are boundary changes coming, and tensions are a bit high while parents worry about transfer students and how that may increase attendance. However, my understanding from discussing with other teachers is that the other districts around the city allow their teachers to register their children in district if they wish. We have historically allowed teachers to do this. I also understand at our school this is one child in a grade that is not the on cusp of needing an additional classroom due to overcrowding.

In this case especially, allowing Mrs. Newell to have her daughter in the same school and community means that she has stayed after school and opened her classroom to activities and donated time to countless organizations. If you attend a PTA meeting at Benninghoven, the childcare for that meeting has been provided in Mrs. Newell's room and she has organized teen helpers to watch the kids while parents attend meetings. This is because it is her PTA and her child's school too. She volunteers at PTA events and supports those activities.

I understand in the past she's been a teacher sponsor for both Say No to Drugs and Girls on the Run. In part because she doesn't have to rush home and her child can also benefit from those activities.

Since her daughter is also at the school and she hasn't had to worry about childcare she has been willing to stay in the afternoons and leads the third grade Girl Scout troop out of her classroom. Not to mention she also leads the "teen" Girl Scout troop and donates her summer to helping coordinate the summer Girl Scout camp that all Girl Scouts at Bennighoven have the option to attend.

I sincerely request that if you disagree with this unoffical policy change and is not something you want to see as a "patron", you consider signing this petition to let SMSD know your position. I know they are striving to do what is best for our school and have chosen this forum to speak up respectfully.