SI Letter

Here is the rough draft of my letter for SI- I'm going to change the greeting obviously, Dear person I hope isn’t an empty suit, In an educational environment where people have to do more with less every day (increasing class sizes, tighter regulation of the classroom environment, lower pay) there are a few stars that light up the night sky. Separated by vast spaces of educational emptiness—the dark ages of our current era—are some bright lights. One of these bright lights is The Writing Project. During a two and a half week course teachers gather for 7 hours a day and discuss how to better teach our youth. We show each other some of our best lesson plans, things that connect to kids despite the rubrics that we are tied to. If we do not reach these kids, these young people, then they will not know how to operate successfully in the real world. It is of everyone’s benefit that they are given the tools to succeed, and understand the written world. The written world is all around us, from job applications to emails to television shows to writing a letter to your congressperson—and they need access to it. We need the tools to give them that access, and the Writing Project is an invaluable one. It is one of the best professional development programs out there, and certainly worth the ‘bang for your buck.’ It is not perfect, there are times when we get frustrated and disagree as educators, but it is important to disagree and reflect on the work you are doing, and this allows us that space. Please continue to support one of the few bright stars that we have left in the sky, and thank you for the history and funding you have been funding—it is well worth it. Sincerely, Benjamin Thomas Dudley