First acknowledgement from the Cole Valley administration
A misleading email sent to the whole school community about our “protest”
In pursuance of Cole Valley Speaks’ goal of engagement and collaboration with the Cole Valley Christian School administration, some of us in the group went to the campus on National Day of Prayer last week in an effort to start a conversation. While that was a good first contact, our group decided to go again yesterday when kids were available to speak with us. That was well attended (though a bit contentious) and was an extremely positive experience. It was a great opportunity to put our real faces out there and address some of the misconceptions about our group.
Then we heard from someone on the Cole Valley family email list that the superintendent publicly addressed our lunch meetup. Only, that’s not what he called it. He categorized it as a protest from a small group of students from over a decade ago. He ensured his readers that we never set foot on school property, and stated that they had faculty “posted” in the parking lot to ensure school safety. This was disappointing to read, because I don’t believe the tone of the email remotely matches that of the actual meetups. Here’s the email:
Hello Cole Valley Families,
You may be aware from your student that a very small group of former Cole Valley students from the early 2000’s chose to stage a protest on the sidewalk at the Secondary Campus today. Please know that we are aware of this, take it seriously and have taken steps to ensure student safety and prevent escalation.
At no time did the protest become unruly or problematic nor did any protester enter school property. However, out of an abundance of caution we did have staff stationed throughout the parking lot as a preventative measure.We take the safety of our students very seriously and feel that it is important to inform you, the parent, as to what occurred.
Should you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please join me in prayer for our staff and students as we finish the school year strong.
Thank you!
It seems to me that there is an attempt to willfully misconstrue Cole Valley Speaks’ motives and tactics. We have continuously stated that we have no desire to attack Cole Valley and in fact would like to work with them in good faith. Yet the talking points about us that we routinely hear from those who oppose us is that we hate the school, want to stop them from teaching Christian doctrine or principles, and that we’re bitter past students with an axe to grind. We can’t seem to find any Cole loyalists who have read the joint statement. When asked, they seem to struggle to articulate what it is we actually want. This email appears to be a continuation of that rhetorical tactic. The reasoning for this tactic (if that is in fact what they’re doing) makes sense. The more we are perceived as hostile and the less the substance of our group is engaged with, the easier it is for the Cole Valley community to dismiss us.
Now, it’s possible that this email was just the administration’s attempt to get out in front of the story to reassure parents who may hear “big fish” stories through the grapevine and get concerned. However, the superintendent chose to use the word “protest.” I don’t believe that label is accurate. We weren’t chanting or marching. We didn’t have picket signs. Protest is a very charged word, and I don’t see the point of using it besides ostracizing us.
However, the silver lining of this is that the superintendent of the school officially acknowledged us, which is great for raising awareness for our group and our mission. We hope that parents and students will come to read about Cole Valley Speaks with an open mind and see what kind of common ground they can find with us. We know that we are trying like hell to do the same thing.
