MEMPHIS, TN -
(WMC-TV) – Parents
and students from Westhaven Elementary have been fighting for their school for
months. Saturday they took to the streets to get signatures to try to keep
their school open.
They are asking the
community to get behind their efforts and it's not every day you see this kind
of support inside a mall.
TN House
Representative Karen Camper said, "It had been tremendous because most
people know and understand how important it is to have neighborhood schools.
And most people believe in neighborhood schools."
Parents, students and
Rep. Camper were inside Southland Mall gathering signatures to keep Westhaven
Elementary school open.
Westhaven is one of
13 schools slated for closure and student Jade Jordan was asking everyone to
support her school.
Jade said, "I
have a great teacher and I love my teacher and I'm a straight A student and I
work hard."
She isn't alone in
her efforts; more than 6000 people have signed the petition asking school
leaders to keep the school open.
Katina Broadway has a
special needs student who attends Westhaven and says the community school is
vital to her daughters success.
"She's able to
get all of her necessary therapies there and it provides a consistent nature,
its loving atmosphere. There are other children with special needs there, so
that is really important," Broadway said.
Important to these
families and important to this community Rep. Camper says.
"This last push
is just what we need," she said.
The board meets
Tuesday to discuss the closure of these 13 schools.
Elementary schools: Alcy, Graves, Gordon,
Klondike, Riverview, Shannon, Westhaven
Middle schools: Cypress, Corry, Lanier,
Riverview, Vance
High school: Northside
Thank God. People are starting to wake up and see that Charters and Teach For America are out to destroy traditional public schools in order to make a ton of money. Kevin Huffman and Achievement School District leader Chris Barbic both worked for TFA before coming to TN. Mr. Huffman was being investigated for a lot of unaccounted for money at TFA then be lands in TN. I think we need to audit his department.
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