Editor's note: As Atlanta parents reviewed the many preliminary redistriciting plans and various potential outcomes, some in several neighborhoods have put torgether petitions to advocate for what they felt would be in the best interest of their communities. Grant Park resident Susanna Johnson, started one such petition on change.org, in support of the APS Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr.'s final set of recommendations the Board of Education is expected to vote on April 10. She shared her petition with East Atlanta Patch.

 Dear Superintendent Erroll Davis and Atlanta Board of Education,

As Grant Park neighbors, we enthusiastically support the March 31, 2012 demographic map and recommendations released by Atlanta Public Schools for Parkside Elementary. We request the Atlanta Board of Education vote to approve these recommendations on Tuesday, April 10, 2012.

We believe the recommendation to zone the entire Grant Park neighborhood, boundaries as defined by the City of Atlanta, to Parkside is in the best interest of our children and will foster neighborhood involvement. Historically, the Grant Park neighborhood has been divided among several different elementary schools, separating the northern and southern portions of Grant Park from the Parkside attendance zone. As stated in the Superintendent's recommendation for D. H. Stanton, it is advantageous for our children's schools to be united by neighborhood. We are very pleased with the recommendation to unite our Grant Park neighborhood by zoning the entire neighborhood to a single elementary, middle, and high school.

We support the change from four school reform teams to the ten cluster model. We believe the cluster model, which will be composed of dedicated elementary schools feeding into dedicated middle schools and then to a dedicated high school, with a consistent and rigorous curriculum, is in the best interest of our children’s education.

We are extremely thankful that you and your team have heard our requests to zone the entire Grant Park neighborhood to Parkside Elementary. We’re excited about the future of the Atlanta Public School system, and eager to work alongside all of you to give our children the best possible education.

Sincerely,
Grant Park Neighbors