Dear Principal Jon

We’ve been a Thornton Creek family for 6 years. When I enrolled my son into the Distinct Kindergarten classroom I was excited about the potential for his growth in an Expeditionary Learning Program that would focus on his strengths instead of shuffling him through his elementary school years. I wasn’t disappointed. He’s thrived and grown both academically and personally, thanks to his experienced and caring teachers. 

His sister, who is in general education and resource has also grown in her elementary school path, being exposed to an education she wouldn’t otherwise get at an option school. Part of her success was due to the wonderful engagement and support of our former administration during her first three years at Thornton Creek. My youngest is currently a Kindergartner in the Distinct classroom at Thornton Creek. He is thriving this year thanks to dedicated and experienced teachers. He is actively engaged with his general education peers thanks to inclusion. But I fear his future at Thornton Creek will not follow the same path as his siblings. The Expeditionary Learning Program I so wanted him to be a part of is at risk. His program and the teachers in it seem to be slowly dismantled. It makes me sad. Please, I beg the new administration to do the right thing and preserve our dear school’s values. Keep your promises and take the Responsive Classroom and EL training before the next school year. Please stop trying to introduce the Advanced Learning Opportunity into our curriculum and allow us to continue our EL model. Please keep the promises you made to us. When you accepted the position at Thornton Creek, you knew that it was a unique opportunity. Please don’t dismantle us. This is about our children. This is about my kindergartener growing and thriving like his older brother. This is about two children with Autism who have made progress they might not have made had they been in a traditional curriculum classroom. Please do the right thing.

Please don't take away what took 40 years to build up and maintain which is a very unique and much sought after learning experience. I truly believe expeditionary learning is the future of elementary education but progressive change like that takes time and brave leadership! Support our EL and RC model and show SPS why this should be done in more schools not less. Kids in this learning environment love school and love learning. No one else I know in neighborhood schools can say that but most everyone I know at TC says their kids love school and don't want to miss a day. Please don't take EL or RC away and please don't do things that will end up dismantling it like making teachers feel their voice is not important which leads to them to consider leaving. We have always had a very flat democratic collaborative decision making model that was very successful in making everyone feel heard and everyone was vested in TC success. We do not want a top down leadership style and need to be the model of what democratic collaborative decision making is all about. In terms of equity lets push to have no geozone so kids from anywhere in Seattle can attend TC. It was once much more diverse before the geozone. We hope you will agree to all of our requests and we truly hope you realize why they are important to us and to our kids!

I emphatically sign this petition to ask Jon for his commitment to the core pieces that make TC what it is.

We chose Thornton Creek because of the amazing Expeditionary Learning and cannot say enough about the ways that this model has engaged our children in learning. I am so grateful to be part of this community focused on social, emotional learning and on deep dives into subjects including insects, birds of Greenlake, salmon, and animal homes. Seeing my children light up when they talk about school and be able to talk about their expeditions with enthusiasm as well as vocabulary and understanding expected of much older children is incredibly valuable to our family. I am grateful for the learning as well as the close connections and governance between parents, teachers, administrators, and staff to nurture our children. TC is a GEM of Seattle Public Schools and I would like to work towards maintaining these exceptional qualities, of which EL is a foundation. Thank you.

This school is in high demand. We were built a larger building to accommodate the demand. We can't change the magic recipe now. Test scores can not be a focused priory for this program.

I’d love to have a more open dialogue. TC has been so positive for both of our kids.

7 years ago Featured

We chose TC for EL. I hope we can find a way to preserve the EL culture here and simultaneously address equity and the other issues that are hard but important. This can happen and I hope we can look at other exemplary EL schools for guidance and inspiration.

I’ve been part of the community for 7+ years now. The value of TC goes far and wide. Seattle Public schools should be proud of this schools commitent to children and do whatever it takes to keep alternative programs like this alive and well. We know there is not a one size fits all when it comes to education, this one isn’t either.....however it is critical to keep option schools like this available. One should be PROUD to be a teacher, staff or parent of this community.

Keep expeditionary learning alive! I am a parent of 2 creative kids, who call Thornton Creek the best school ever with the best teachers and stuff. Help to preserve our programs, support our committed teachers, stuff and students, engage with deepening your knowledge in values of expeditiaony learning. Thank you!

Thornton Creek gave my children a safe, engaging, creative, inspiring place they could grow emotionally, academically and culturally in a positive, open minded environment. I have chosen this school for these values over the traditional public schools. The commitment and passion towards child centric engagment from the teachers, stuff and families are the foundation and the engine of Thornton Creek. I have been with this community for over 6 yrs with my 2 children, and would like to see the passion and the commitment towards our children’s development and future to continue.

7 years ago Featured

Thornton Creek’s EL program is what drew us to the school. The teachers, leadership and parent community is why we stayed, contributed, and volunteered to sustain and grow the rich learning environment cultivated by all the stakeholders. Please commit to support the foundational values of EL and our Thornton Creek community.

Bring back Mary K !!! Mary K is an inspiration to children and parents alike.

We came to TC because the EL and CAS was a great fit for our kid's learning styles. Let's keep the community and direction intact.

I know you will do the right for the kids of Thornton Creek. This school means a great deal to the community and its success is critically important.

I am the parent of an alum and a current student.

I would like to know that you as the Principle will make good decisions for our and kids and not just your career. I apologize for my candor but this whole thing is very concerning.

Thornton Creek's brand of EL has been cultivated by passionately committed teachers over many decades and must be preserved.

Our children have gotten such a strong foundation at TC; in compassion, inclusivity and a love of learning. Not to mention the social emotional support of building such lasting friendships. I truly hope we can get back the magic of TC and move forward in a positive way.

We value Thornton Creek as EL and CAS. Save our school priorities!

Thornton Creek has given my children a strong and positive foundation for life. We are incredibly discouraged by the recent turns at our beloved school.