Seattleskateparks.org will be featuring editorials on skatepark advocacy issues by advocates, guests, skateboarders, etc…

Our first editorial comes to us from Scott Shinn from Parents4Skateparks, on the role of Seattle’s School District in the planning and execution of our newly-adopted City-wide Skatepark Plan. Schools can and should play an important role in skatepark development. If you are interested in writing an editorial, please contact us.

SSdotO Editorial 001: Sidewalk Surfing at Seattle Schools

By: Scott Shinn

“In terms of policy, Seattle Schools delegates the decision to allow skateboarding to the Principal at each school. At our local school, skateboarding is not officially allowed, but most staff members look the other way when it happens, others ask the kids to wear helmets, and others tell them to go skate somewhere else. This lack of clear rules and enforcement perpetuates a cycle of criminalization and tolerance that defines the nature of the skateboarding activity, as well as the children who participate in it. Meanwhile, most of the basketball hoops and tetherball poles in the schoolyard go unused on a daily basis, even as skateboarding continues to thrive nearby.”

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