SAVE THE DATE: Next Community Conversation: Parental Rights vs. Student Rights

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💁Meeting Highlights:
Topic: Who is in Charge? Parental Rights & Responsibilities vs 'Student Rights'
Special Guests: David Spring of Washington Parent Network & TBD 'Student Rights' Advocate
When: Tuesday, April 28th @ 6:00pm-7:30pm
(See attached flier for meeting Info)
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Here at The Highline Journal, our goal is to encourage a thriving community, where people are informed through trusted and truthful information, where neighbors are engaged, and where communities are connected through meaningful action.

The debate around 'parental rights' is heating up, especially here in Washington State, as parents are fighting through legislative action and voter initiative for access to their own children's educational and medical records and well-being, but as student advocates push for more 'student-led', 'student-voice', and 'student rights' and priorities for privacy from parents.

Rather than continuing the divisive debate, many want to come together and understand and work together for the sake of their children and families. We hope to bring people together to listen, ask questions, and better understand one another through these monthly Series of Community Conversations.

What is Community Conversations?

Our Vision statement helps to guide us:

A thriving Highline region where neighbors, well-informed by local journalism, work together and engage respectfully to create a vibrant, united community.

As part of that vision, we have brought together COMMUNITY CONVERSATION SERIES that we hope to host each month, that invites people from all perspectives and views, to share and learn from one another, as we approach difficult and sometimes touchy topics on things that affect all of us.

In order to do this, those who decide to come and participate, will be required to agree to our Rules of Engagement, that will allow for these kinds of conversations to happen.

Moderating for the event will be Melissa Petrini, a local community leader, writer and editor for The Highline Journal, and a previously elected school board director, who has extensive history in hosting and successfully engaging in these kinds environments.

Between 2018-2020, Melissa hosted dozens of community-led meetings through a local initiative dubbed the Highline Good Neighbors, where she gathered sometimes 80-150 participants each month, and invited local police and state leaders like then State Rep. Tina Orwall, then King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, then King County Council member Dave Upthegrove and many others, who came and spoke to the group, and then fielded questions on topics like crime, safety, homelessness, accountability and community action.

After the pandemic stalled in-person gatherings, she joined a local non-profit organization Love Is My Religion, first as a participant, and then joined the Board of what became Be Heard, where people joined together via Zoom to talk about hard topics like Abortion, Racism, Politics and Religion. They created a space for hard conversations, but tools to help participants learn how to listen to understand.

Petrini continued to host meetings with the community while on and off the Highline School Board, to discuss educational topics like reading, writing and accountability for academic declines in our district and across the state.

We invite you to join us for our first Community Conversations next week!

Due to limited space, please RSVP to info@TheHighlineJournal.com for location and meeting information.