I’m writing to give some background on new yard signs about the golf course that you may see in the coming weeks. 

I teach Advanced Placement Language & Composition at Port Townsend High School, a primary aim of which is to guide students in “becoming flexible, reflective writers of texts addressed to diverse audiences for diverse purposes.” This imperative dovetails with a key English Language Arts Common Core State Standard “to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.” Our school district commits to “learning through a sense of place,” and the future of the golf course site was a local issue with an impact on teens. So I wrote a $300 grant to an outside agency to print students’ signs.

Our class explored the topic through the EngagePT webpage. Carrie Hite, Director of Parks and Recreation Strategy, visited to inform students on the history of the site, the possibilities for its future (including golf), and the community feedback process. 

A typography expert visited to deliver some design fundamentals. We met instructional goals by analyzing texts, writing, revising, and collaborating. Finally, we were ready to publish.

PT Schools Board Policy 3220 states that “free expression of student opinion is central to a high-quality civic education in a democratic society.” Student publications “can reflect any area of student interest, including topics about which there may be controversy and dissent.” This holds true even if the majority lands on the same side of an issue. In the end, 15 students ordered yard signs in support of repurposing; one student ordered a sign in support of the golf course.

I’m very proud of the work my students have done, both as designers and as citizens.

Note: The Port Townsend School District does not endorse one position or another.

Virginia Grace
PORT TOWNSEND