Vancouver resident Ellee Nichols offers her support for the Vancouver Public Schools levy on the Feb. 14 special election ballot
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
I would like to voice my concerns about the upcoming Feb. 14 special election. As a recent graduate from Vancouver Public Schools and as a sibling of someone that attends school at Columbia River, I would like to urge voters to vote yes on the VPS levy.
The school district is headed in the right direction when it comes to educating students properly, and up-to-date textbooks can help the future generations learn better and more accurately. Many school books I used were outdated (some even made in the late 1900’s).
If we do vote for the schools to have more funding, we can help students get a better education. Not only this, but we can help our students to be successful in their lives, as schooling is important to every young person out there. It is how ideas get formed and passed around, how friendships are made, and we are making sure that our kids are educated the correct way.
Many say to vote no on the levy because of things like pornographic books and one singular fentanyl overdose at school. However, one instance of these so-called pornographic books is a book entitled Gender Queer. This book is not harmful and should not be considered harmful as it helps students to promote and find their own self identity, something that students should be comfortable with and something that others should respect. In my opinion the only reason people want this book banned from the school district is because it might suggest to students that it is okay to be who you are, which in society’s viewpoint isn’t always a good thing.
When it came to the fentanyl overdose, it was one case and the school staff didn’t know how to deal with what was happening. Most of our schools aren’t equipped with the right things to address these situations if they do happen, so when these cases do happen it is more likely that a student will die. This is not the school district’s fault as it was the student’s own doing to take the drug, which is something that we should look into by itself. How are students getting these harmful and deadly drugs? How can we stop it from happening?
As a VPS graduate with family still in the VPS district, I hope that you will vote yes, so that these students can get the education that they need to be successful.
Ellee Nichols
Vancouver
Ellee Graduated from Vancouver School of Arts and Academics in 2021. She is now attending Clark college and is planning to transfer to WSUV in the Fall of 2023. Ellee Teaches dance to students ages three to seventeen, and in her free time can be found hanging out with dogs or baking.
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Says the person who very likely pays no taxes, lives at home free, and who probably does not appreciate what the owner of a $450,000-valued home would pay for this one tax alone.
Vote NO on the school levy!
VSD has failed to demonstrate any meaningful belt-tightening measures… as many of us are having to do at this time. You know, $6.00 for 12 eggs and all that stuff? VSD is trying to guilt you and tug on your heartstrings, but what they are really doing is just asking for more, more, and more.
Want to learn the REAL truth? https://pu4cc.info
A couple of articles that take the No position on the VanSD levy:
https://swweducation.org/vancouver-school-district-levy-community-member-thoughts/
https://swweducation.org/vancouver-school-district-feb-2023-levy/
Ellee Nichols I can’t believe how blind you are… seriously. They are not teaching kids properly anyone. I graduated in 1993 from River the school district was doing a good job teaching, but now the school district is teaching Gender Confusion, Teaching them Critical Race Theory, and also social emotion learning leading to them having mental illness ‘s in the future.. you should be smarter than that being a graduate have you seen the test scores have went down way down to see where kids are and how they are doing which sucks.
Her letter is so full of propaganda and intentionally misleading statements.
VPS “heading in the right direction?” Tell that to the hundreds, possibly thousands, of victims of the Alki staff sexual abuse scandal.
Also, will she and others denounce and help stop the destruction of the “Vote NO” signs?
Follow the science… more money does NOT equal better education. In fact, in America, we’re seeing the absolute opposite. If voters pass this, the data indicates we’ll see worse results.
In all honesty, throwing more money at this problem is not the solution. I strongly believe students will win, once we allow school choice. Be it home schooling, alternative schools, religious schools, etc. Letting the money follow the student, rather then tossing more money at the problem, will see our students win with better education. School choices, begin with smaller class sizes, less politically motivated curriculums. Choices encourage teacher creativity in teaching, and enhanced focus on student’s interests. We are all individuals, and it is short sighted to believe that one system of education fits all of us best.
Tzila.
Where are the parents? VOTE NO!!!!
Tzila, right on the money! No pun intended.
where’s the laugh button
Ellee Nichols is a perfect example of what our schools are turning out. She sounds quite well indoctrinated to the liberal left’s agenda. I have seen and heard enough about “Gender Queer” to know anyone defending it for children is lacking in any kind of morals. I’m not in the VSD, but I urge everyone who is to vote NO!
Right on! She is definitely a product of the schools handiwork. Heaven help us. VOTE NO!!!!
The book Gender Queer is in cartoon form which was engineered to appeal to children. If a child innocently flips thru the pages, on page 61 there is a drawing of one gender confused person giving the other gender confused person a blow job. The penis is clearly in the other persons mouth.
Elle Nichols supports this book in her Opinion above and as a recent grad of VPS that tells you everything you need to know about our education system and how you should vote on this levy. Not to mention what a poor job VPS and the state as a whole is doing at educating our children. Per OSPI more than half our students are failing to meet English and Science standards and only 1/3 are meeting Math standards. Public education is more concerned with social agenda’s than reading, math, and science. Send a message and vote No!
Excellent points.Starve the beast. Vote NO!
There is No Way In Hell!!! You wrote this, you have no Clue what you are saying, Students are not getting a Quality Education and its because the schools have chosen to teach JUNK. I ask people to Vote NO on this LEVY, Schools do not need anymore money, because it isn’t going towards a Quality Education… Besides that Ellee, you probably still live at home with MOM and DAD and aren’t pay taxes to the schools
Couldn’t agree more!!! Does she teach twerking too. VOTE NO!!
Looks like everyone in this comment section doesn’t know what they are talking about. Most of you can’t even build a solid argument, and just use GOD to back up your claims. Most of you guy’s don’t understand the consequences that come with defunding the schools. You guys complain about schools not being able to teach, maybe if you people weren’t BROKE you would to send you’re kids to a private school
When CRT, CSE, Intersectionality, are no longer taught in our schools and the war on children thru normalizing and grooming children to be LGBTQP is stopped, when those In authority or teachers who conduct this type of education or grooming are arrested and fired, when parental rights in schools are restored, when parents have full access and knowledge to all curriculums, when God is allowed back into public education, ONLY THEN SHOULD WE CONSIDER A LEVY FOR SCHOOLS.
Actually, the only way to improve things is to vote NO to the levy. Teachers are paid well and so are administrators. Students are indoctrinated in subjects that should not even be a part of the curriculum. School Boards pay little to no attention to the concerns of the parents. The schools need a wakeup call. Stop the money flow and it will get their attention.
I think the idea that money solves this problem is called “hopium”.
I haven’t seen a study yet proving funding leads to higher grades.
Gov.ed has only been producing woke and dumb fools for decades and its time to defund it.
Wow, She Teaches Dance for 3-17 years old….She also probably TEACHES with those lesson, Gender Confusion, How to be an Activist and how to get people to write Propaganda to CLARK COUNTY TODAY! Yes! We all have an opinion but the left thinks its fine to Brainwash people and so they get a letter to there Minions so that they don’t look bad.
*their
Don’t be rude. Everyone makes typos.
Ellee, have you read that book, “Gender Queer” and seen the outrageously graphic sexual pictures? If a parent wants to supply this book to their minor child, that’s on them for their poor choices, but it is an egregious error to put this book in our public schools, paid for with our public tax dollars. It is a sign of the immense degradation of societal morals and lack of concern for childrens’ innocence that this is even a debate. Ten years ago it would not have even been introduced into the schools.
The reason people are upset about the fentanyl overdose and death at Hudson’s Bay is that fentanyl is so lethal that a very tiny exposure can kill a person, even breathing it in the air. The school officials chose to keep it quiet and not alert parents to the danger that their children were exposed to while at school to learn that day, and probably, many other days. Parents are notified if there is a gun found at school, as well they should, and they should be notified if there is any toxic fentanyl found in the buildings or on the school grounds.
The reason that these incidents are being mentioned in the effort to defund the school system is that people are sick and tired of the many objectionable ways our taxes are being used by leftist progressives with an agenda to conform our children to their Marxist views. The arenas of religion, ideology, gender and sexual development should be left to parents to teach. We want our children to be physically safe at school without being subjected to biased left-wing propaganda designed to confuse and influence. We also want our voices to be heard by school boards that are not currently listening to views that are different from theirs.
Well let’s see. You can’t say a prayer in school, doubt there is a bible in the library, teaching morals is obviously taboo. But the school will fight tooth and nail to keep pornography on the shelves. Students are being taught parents are the enemy. To me, schools have become an assembly line to provide victims for the pedophiles in and out of school. The health dangers alone warrant getting the Board of Health involved. Where are they and the PARENTS. VOTE NO!
Vote No….What do public schools need more money for, to teach other sexual positions? The teachers have proven they can’t teach the basics of math,science, reading writing. The public doesn’t want to fund prongraphic books.Parents can pay for sex books themselves and teach sex positions at home. DEFUND THE SCHOOLS. What kind of trans books to they have in school libraries?DO THEY TEACH TAKING HORMONS AND CUTTING THEIR BODY PARTS OFF? DEFUND THE SCHOOLS. Home schoolers are smarter and less confused.
Amen
Maybe, just maybe, Ellee is a paid schill for the teacher’s union and George Soros?
Throwing money at a problem is the tried and true liberal solution to all problems caused by liberals in charge. More money to the teacher’s union equals more money laundered back to democrat candidates, equals more money stolen from the taxpayers to fund the teacher’s unioins so more money can be laundered back to democrat candidates and on, and on, and on. just sayin’….