Support TCAPS

TCAPS Board of Trustees

UPDATE: This letter was submitted to the TCAPS Board of Trustees at their Board Meeting September 28, 2021. The letter will be left open to collect additional signees. Signees will be contacted in advance of the October 25th board meeting if another letter is drafted. Signees will have the opportunity to sign a new letter for board submission for that meeting. THANK YOU!


Subject: Sign a letter in support of TCAPS Board of Trustees Recent Decisions & Universal Masking.

Body:

Friend,

I signed a letter on Action Network informing TCAPS Board of Trustees of my support for their work and continuation of a universal masking policy.

TCAPS leaders need to hear from you!  

The TCAPS Board of Trustees recently made important board decisions in support of universal masking in schools, a commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, approved mandated Sex Education curriculum, and offered alternative educational options to meet the needs of all learners.

Unfortunately, they have also faced intense criticism and scrutiny from a very vocal minority who do not support these decisions and have made their opinions known through organized meetings, board public comment, and letters to school leaders. One local group, backed by a larger anti-mask state organization, is considering filing a lawsuit against TCAPS regarding their masking policy.

Now, more than ever, we need to reaffirm the TCAPS Board of Trustee decisions and show our support. We have drafted a letter to thank them for their time and service to the community and their ability to make informed and appropriate decisions for the district based on scientific data and inclusion.

This letter needs to be signed by 6pm on Sunday, September 26th and will be submitted to the TCAPS Board of Trustees that evening and read aloud during public comment at the meeting on September 27th at 6:00 pm. Signing this letter will also serve as a way to consolidate and shorten board public comment and alleviate the number of emails the board is receiving so they have more time to do the job we elected them to do.

Please sign the letter below to show TCAPS that there is a much larger group of parents, students, and community members who support TCAPS efforts to do what is best for ALL children.

Feel free to share this with additional TCAPS families, students, and community members. If you are not in support of the sentiments expressed in the letter, we encourage you to send your own communication to TCAPS.

Can you join me and take action? Click here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/support-tcaps?source=email&

Thank you for your time!

To: TCAPS Board of Trustees
From: [Your Name]

Dear TCAPS Board of Trustees,

We are writing on behalf of TCAPS parents, guardians, students, and community members that have signed this letter. Many of the signers have conflicts that do not allow them to attend Monday night's meeting or are choosing not to attend in person due to COVID-19 exposure concerns. We are also hoping that by consolidating our comments in one public letter, it will help to alleviate the number of emails Board members are receiving and shorten public comment to allow the board meeting to run in a timely manner.

As signees of this letter we would like to:

A: Express our support and appreciation for your service and the long volunteer hours that you have dedicated to the TCAPS community. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge and thank the entire TCAPS staff who, in a normal year, already devote more hours to their jobs than what is required. The Board and TCAPS staff have gone above and beyond since March of 2020, and we cannot thank you enough for your tireless efforts to educate our students and keep them safe during a pandemic.

B: Reaffirm and support the continuation of the Board's decision to follow the recommendations of the CDC, MDHHS, and the Grand Traverse medical community at this time and require face coverings for all TCAPS students and staff, Pre-K and K-12, in order to protect our students, staff, and the surrounding community. Scientific data shows universal masking protects those who are too young to be vaccinated, whose parents choose not to vaccinate, who are unable to be vaccinated, who are immunocompromised, as well as protecting those who are vaccinated from contracting a breakthrough case and taking it home to a loved one. Universal masking also reduces the spread of the COVID-19 and its variant strains, the taxing of our health care resources, and the absenteeism rate in the schools due to illness and quarantines, which will help to keep our schools open for face-to-face learning.

C: Thank TCAPS for offering alternative learning options to face-to-face instruction such as Up North Live Virtual, Virtual On-Demand, and Homebound learning programs.

D: Support and thank TCAPS for passing a TCAPS Antiracism Resolution and forming a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) subcommittee to ensure that TCAPS is a welcoming and inclusive community for all learners.

E: Recognize that Sex Education is required to be taught by public schools in the State of Michigan and express appreciation for the time and efforts of the Sex Education Advisory Committee, Curriculum Committee, and the Board to ensure that age level, appropriate, and up to date sex education curriculum is offered to TCAPS students with a prior notification opt-out option for parents and guardians of students.

Once again, we thank the TCAPS Board of Trustees, Dr. VanWagoner, and TCAPS staff for all of their hard work, time, and dedication to our school district and its students.

Sincerely,

TCAPS Parents, Guardians, Students and Community Members