Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,
We the staff of Self Enhancement, Inc. would like to take this opportunity to clarify statements made in last week's article "As Jefferson Struggles, Rainier Turns the Tide" (Portland Skanner, June 5, 2008).
The article implied that some of the leadership staff here at Self Enhancement, Inc., while working tirelessly for the success of Jefferson and other schools within the Jefferson cluster, would never send their kids to Jefferson themselves. This is simply not true.  To clarify, leadership staff specifically interviewed for this article said that without resources such as SEI and other programs at Jefferson to help kids succeed, as well as stable and consistent leadership in the building, it would be difficult to send their kids to Jefferson. 
Self Enhancement, Inc. has a long and successful history with Jefferson High School.  Many of our staff are, in fact, Alumnus of Jefferson.  Many of our children have in the past and will in the future attend this school that we deeply love.  We are wholly committed and invested in the success of Jefferson.  We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Dr. Cynthia Harris and the rest of the staff at Jefferson.  They have our unwavering support – publicly and privately.
Sincerely,
Tony Hopson Sr. and The Staff of Self Enhancement, Inc.