I am writing to express my strong opposition to the closure of Tudor Elementary School as part of the school district’s “Rightsizing” initiative.
Displacing Tudor students to alternative locations will have a negative impact on both their educational outcomes and social- emotional wellbeing. Children need a sense of security and belonging before they are willing to taking risks and put themselves into a position to learn and grow.
Moving Tudor students away from the consistency and routine they know will disrupt their hierarchy of needs that have been built upon for years in our community.
I am currently an educator at Tudor Elementary. I have had the privilege of witnessing the benefits that come with operating within a neighborhood setting.
Tudor is a place where students know more than just their classroom teacher. This creates an environment for students to feel wanted, welcomed, and successful. I have observed students make incredible behavioral, academic, and social growth by being provided with the patience and consistency only a close-knit community can deliver. Tudor is more than a school. For these children it is a family, a support system, a safe place. Closing Tudor and displacing these children would be detrimental to their social and emotional needs, which in turn are vital to the success of their academics.
The school board should consider the long-term harm of closing Tudor. I urge our community to come together and support the preservation of Tudor Elementary.
— Caten McCaa
Teacher, Tudor Elementary
Anchorage
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