By Carolyn Leith.

Back in September, parents were blindsided when Seattle Public Schools (SPS) proposed staff cuts at “25 or something” schools across the district. Emergency meetings were held, letters were sent to the school board, but none of these efforts seemed to make a difference. The district had made up its mind.

This is when Shawna Murphy and I decided to create our own advocacy group called Teacher Retention Advocate Parents or TRAP.

We staged a spoofy bake sale – dubbed the Half-Baked Bake Sale – at district headquarters. Our goal was to protest the staff cuts, but also draw attention to the absurdity of trying to fund basic education with car washes and bake sales.

After the success of the bake sale, TRAP asked The Thirteen Thousand Dollar Question, when SPS Superintendent Larry Nyland quipped that his $13,000 dollar a year raise couldn’t solve any problems “on the table” for Seattle’s public schools.

Now, TRAP is holding a coloring contest to bring attention to the State’s continuing refusal to perform its most basic duty as outlined in the Washington State Constitution – to fully fund public education.

Instead, Governor Inslee and  the Legislature are content to make a plan to make plan. I guess everyone in the Evergreen State is supposed to forget that the Washington State Supreme Court is fining the State $100,000 a day for contempt.

Of course, parents aren’t buying any of this nonsense and have aptly renamed this scheme “The-Kick-The-Can-Plan”.

Why a coloring contest?

Because our elected state officials are refusing to listen to the pleas of school board members, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and students. The usual political channels aren’t working.

Because, in the grand tradition of political satire, we’re calling out the foolish ways of our representatives. TRAP will not sit by as a complacent accomplice, while our children’s constitutional rights are being violated – on a daily basis, in under resourced schools.

Because TRAP wants to make sure ART – in all its forms – is on the forefront of every discussion concerning school funding.

How Does The Color of Money – McCleary Crime Scene Coloring Contest Work?

TRAP is asking the community to join us as we color in the money for our resource starved schools. We want to focus the public’s scrutiny on the scene of the crime.

What’s the goal? To help our elected officials straighten out their priorities – before they end up in jail.

See local news coverage of this protest here.

Participation is easy. Visit our Facebook Page and download a coloring sheet there, or here at this link: Capital_Coloring_Page

Follow along on Twitter at: McCleary Crime Scene: @McClearyCrime

Once your creation is complete, mail it to:

The Color of Money – McCleary Crime Scene

#134

1037 NE 65th St.

Seattle, WA 98115

Carolyn Leith is a Seattle parent and co-founder of TRAP.