04/25/2025, 14:45

Dear PSD Community,
Please take a few minutes to listen to the speech we gave to the school board last night. We believe it will be eye-opening for many of you. We know we've continued to bring up PSD's plan to move principals to different schools, but our schools are hurting. Our staff and students are sad and deeply concerned, so we don’t feel like we can let this go. We believe our staff and students deserve parents who will stand beside them and fight for them.
We attended the school board meeting on April 22nd and waited three and a half hours to speak, finally taking the mic at 9:30 p.m. The entire Minter Creek staff came to the meeting. Those who couldn’t attend due to child care watched from home. They sat in a hot, overcrowded room for hours just to lend their presence and voices to this moment.
The room was filled with PSD community members - parents, staff, and others who care deeply and are very very concerned. Some of us didn’t have child care, so we took turns watching each other’s kids and trying to keep them quiet. It was exhausting. And it was worth it.
At the end of the night, there were tears. There were hugs. There was heartbreak. Teachers expressed deep disappointment and sadness over what is happening in our district. They are tired of being silenced. They are tired of not being heard.
If you are a PSD parent, we urge you - go check in on your teachers. In person. Don’t rely on email or social media. Many are afraid to speak there. The district’s staff expression policy makes it risky for them to share openly. But if you ask them face-to-face, we hope they will tell you how they feel.
If you are a PSD staff member, and you’re concerned, please talk to your parents. We are listening. We care. We are here. Change doesn’t always come from following the “proper channels.” Sometimes it comes when people lock arms and speak with one voice.
Our schools are not okay. And we can’t keep pretending they are. There are serious issues facing our district including bullying, declining enrollment, and a growing sense of mistrust between families, staff, and leadership. We have to talk about it. There is a path forward, but it begins with honesty, community collaboration, informed support, and rebuilding trust through strong relationships. The district cannot effectively support our schools if they don’t truly understand what’s happening inside them.
"Here’s a video of our speeches from the board meeting. I also encourage you to listen to the two men who spoke after us on the same topic, their insights are worth hearing. This post is public, so please feel free to share it to help keep the conversation going in our community."

www.facebook.com/share/v/1EFU9mbwkM/

If that link doesn’t work, try this one instead. Our portion begins around 3 hours and 26 minutes into the video.
www.youtube.com/live/dvmFZbZAeGM?si=5oBLiL5XMz3EOjHj&fbclid=IwY2xjawJ4s_ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETF6bWttTVZSNWJXcHlCdnk3AR5apUf_Fc9EjDKdX_FhBGbMLArVhGctHmObdQM--M4lO5B7fEP8XSJeGMob5g_aem_igwG_xhj90IeYtEJJxjjLg

Below, I have included some links you are welcome to share or look through to learn more about what’s happening. Feel free to reach out to us at mintercreekghpta@gmail.com with questions, thoughts, or concerns.

Thank you for signing the petition and helping us stand up for our community,

Jessica Gamble
Minter Creek PTA President

Links

News Articles

(Latest Article) www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/community/gateway/article304916131.html

www.fox13seattle.com/video/1627624

mynorthwest.com/local/peninsula-school-district/4076661

www.gigharbornow.org/news/education/peninsula-school-district-principal-changes/

www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/community/gateway/article304225506.html

Staff Expression Policy

drive.google.com/file/d/1dIa_S-JDQuVUgVJsz6cWL2vH17muazXz/view

RAND Study Link - with downloadable data (study used by district with no data to support the PSD strategy)

wallacefoundation.org/report/principal-pipelines-feasible-affordable-and-effective-way-districts-improve-schools-feasible

04/19/2025, 15:56

An anonymous PHS staff member asked us to clarify that vice principals are included in this petition and make sure that all of the PSD community can sign - not just parents and guardians.


New title: PSD Parents/GuardiansCommunity Against Forced Principal/Vice Principal Rotations

New petition description:

This petition was created by concerned Minter Creek PTA parents but is intended for the whole PSD community to express concern with the new policy to force principal and vice principal rotations on a regular basis.

We, the Peninsula School District community, are expressing our deep concern and disappointment regarding the recent change in school leadership, specifically the plan to regularly rotate principals without prior communication, transparency, or opportunity for parent involvement.

As engaged members of the PSD community, we believe that consistent leadership is vital to well-being, consistency, and academic growth at our schools. Effective principals are trusted, supportive, and effective leaders who build strong relationships with students, families, and staff. Relationships take time to build, and the plan to rotate leadership will significantly hinder our principals ability to lead well.

To make such a significant change without consulting or informing the parents undermines the collaborative spirit that a successful school community depends on. We feel blindsided and left without answers to questions that affect not only our children’s day-to-day experience but the long-term culture under the stewardship of this school district.

We respectfully request the following:

1. Removal of the plan to rotate leadershipprincipals and vice principals on a regular basis: We do not approve of the strategy to rotate leadership for the reasons given by PSD and do not believe this strategy is in the best interest of its students and should remain in place for our district. 2. Transparency: A clear explanation from the district about the reasons for this leadership change. 3. Parentchange. 3. Community involvement: A commitment to involving staff and parents in future decisions that directly impact our school’s leadership and climate.4. Open forum: An opportunity for parents to meet with district leaders in a town hall format to discuss this change, ask questions, and express concerns.

Our voices matter. Our school matters. We ask that the Peninsula School District public servants to work with us—not around us—to ensure decisions are made in the best interest of PSD schools.

04/15/2025, 16:23

We removed the request to retain principals at their current schools to allow all PSD community members to sign the petition even if their school is in need of a leadership change.

However, Minter Creek PTA is still separately requesting that our current principal remain at our school.


Neue Begründung:

As engaged members of the PSD community, we believe that consistent leadership is vital to well-being, consistency, and academic growth at our schools. Effective principals are trusted, supportive, and effective leaders who build strong relationships with students, families, and staff. Relationships take time to build, and the plan to rotate leadership will significantly hinder our principals ability to lead well.

To make such a significant change without consulting or informing the parents undermines the collaborative spirit that a successful school community depends on. We feel blindsided and left without answers to questions that affect not only our children’s day-to-day experience but the long-term culture under the stewardship of this school district.

We respectfully request the following:

1. Removal of the plan to rotate leadership:leadership on a regular basis: We do not approve of the strategy to rotate leadership for the reasons given by PSD and do not believe this strategy is in the best interest of its students and should remain in place for our district.    2 Retain our current principals: We do not approve of the plan to move principals to new schools, and we believe the current plan will be detrimental to the health of our schools.          3.district. 2. Transparency: A clear explanation from the district about the reasons for this leadership change. 4. Parentchange. 3. Parent involvement: A commitment to involving parents in future decisions that directly impact our school’s leadership and climate.5. Openclimate.4. Open forum: An opportunity for parents to meet with district leaders in a town hall format to discuss this change, ask questions, and express concerns.

Our voices matter. Our school matters. We ask that the Peninsula School District work with us—not around us—to ensure decisions are made in the best interest of PSD schools.

04/12/2025, 15:47

Clarity on who created the petition and who it is intended for.


New petition description:

We,This petition was created by concerned Minter Creek PTA parents but is intended for the undersignedwhole parentsPSD andcommunity guardiansto ofexpress studentsconcern currentlywith enrolledthe innew policy to force principal rotations on a regular basis.

We, the Peninsula School District,District community, are expressing our deep concern and disappointment regarding the recent change in school leadership, specifically the plan to regularly rotate principals without prior communication, transparency, or opportunity for parent involvement.