To be clear, the problems facing our district are not new.

I graduated from Vashon High School’s StudentLink program in 2009. Bullying and picking on people that were on IEP’s or 504’s happened then, also. The culture of our island has not become any more inclusive or even any better. Even the “popular kids” in the Learning Resource Center picked on others in the same LRC room. Not having many friends to talk to about the bullying hit me really hard. If it wasn’t for switching to StudentLink my junior year and the amazing staff there, I probably would not have graduated; the culture in our district was that bad.

I am hopeful that anyone reading this and their children have a better experience than I did.

— Paul Ockinga