By TERRY LINDQUIST
For The Beachcomber
When it comes to giving every child a world-class education, the choice is not between more money and more reform — because our schools need both.
— President Barack Obama
Vashon citizens want our schools to be among the very best in the state and the nation. To get this, we need to assure that our first priority needs to be all children reading at grade level by the third grade.
We need to do what it takes to have a great teacher in every classroom, outstanding professional development, an aligned curriculum, community support and professional level salaries.
Additionally, we must monitor and support students who experience problems and may be at risk of dropping out of high school. Finally, we must invest significant new resources into our public schools.
This is where all of us, as adults, come into the picture as stewards for our youth. Our Vashon students deserve the opportunity to compete with their counterparts on an equal footing — from Finland, Sweden, Hong Kong, Singapore and the best of the United States.
How do any of us know when one or more of these 1,400 plus students might solve the problem of AIDS, war, transportation, poverty, justice and fairness or just be good people and productive, generous workers? Can we give them anything less than an outstanding curriculum, first-rate staff, supportive community and facilities that enhance, not inhibit, learning?
Across the state, and even on Vashon, too many children enter kindergarten unprepared to succeed, and too many young people graduate from high school unprepared to enter college or the work force. Our high school graduation rate is nearly 93 percent. While the state average is around 77 percent, ours is still not good enough. On a state-wide basis, only 17 of 100 ninth-grade students will receive a college diploma within six years of graduation from high school. On Vashon, the number is higher, but we can do better.
In order to compete and contribute with the “brightest and best,” our world has to offer to meet President Obama’s mandate for a world-class education. We need to provide facilities that allow our outstanding teaching staff to become even better.
Imagine a modern classroom of 950 square feet, not the 725 square feet we currently have at Vashon High School, equipped with a smart board, a technology console, a teacher planning station and a PC viewer mounted from the ceiling. Then imagine a teacher planning a lesson at the teacher center, plugging it into the console, beaming the lesson to the smart board with students interacting and then posting all the work on the teacher Web site for student and parent access.
The district’s capital facilities plan allows for this and more. We can have all this with a school bond. We need a commitment and a vision to accomplish the dream for our children.
Our action on Vashon will reveal a collective commitment to our children and their future. Will we make good on our goals and assure that each of our graduates is ready for college, work and life? Will we invest in a learning environment that supports our students and teachers? Will we work together to achieve our mission? Our mission is to ensure our students are self-motivated, constant learners with enduring knowledge, skills and values for leading responsible, productive lives.
As a society and on Vashon, we can no longer afford an education system that leaves any child behind.
I believe we are up to the challenge. We can have it all — a strong staff, community support, visionary direction, accountability and a supportive learning environment pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Our students, your children and acquaintances, deserve it.
Thank you for your support.
— Terry Lindquist is the superintendent for Vashon Island School District.
