Inside voices, please

If Becky Heacox (“Protect neighborhood calm,” May 12) doesn’t want Jefferson Elementary relocated to the west end of Hart Field she should just say so and explain her view using facts. But calling Montessori parents “elitist” and accusing them of “destroying green space” in the name of Maria Montessori is incendiary and simply not true.

To say that the Montessori program has any additional influence on this project is also not true. The rebuilding of Jefferson Elementary will benefit all 27 classrooms, not just our six, and we all have the same influence on the steering committee as any other parent, neighbor or teacher. The steering committee welcomes comments from any concerned citizen. The committee wants to know the pros and cons of each site option, from each perspective, so it can make an informed decision.

We need to refocus this debate back onto the kids. After all, Jefferson is an elementary school, so let’s think about what’s best for the Jefferson kids. Concerned citizens need to submit their rational considerations of each site option based on what’s best for the kids. Let’s not derail this process with name-calling and insults.

Karyn Woodard

President, Community of Montessori Parents South

Spokane