In a recent article on the Highline School District budget, a comment made by board member Susan Goding regarding the value of cultural nights needs a response.

I agree that our students need to improve on their academic skills. However, they cannot do this in a vacuum that does not recognize their cultural and affective needs.

One of the fundamental goals educators need to address is helping our students explore these two questions:

Who am I?

How can I fit in and contribute to my school, neighborhood, work, country and world communities?

Schools help give them the tools (academic skills) to find the answers to these two fundamental questions. Yet to limit school only to academic skills does not allow for each student's individual search to learn more about who he/she is. Rather this search should be integrated into the curriculum and rigorously explored.

(For example, information about what cultural foods are eaten at home can be shared in a math graph lesson and at the same time foster appreciation for diversity and respect for one another.)

When a child's culture is recognized and appreciated, self-worth is strengthened and school becomes an inclusive, good, comfortable place. Members of an established, predominant culture do not need to deal with this acceptance issue, which affects learning. Cultural performances can be culminating celebrations that highlight the learning that has occurred and emphasize important multi-sensory experiences often neglected in our quest to pass WASL tests.

The research on music definitely shows that it contributes to academic achievement. Minority parent attendance at these performances can be the starting point to parent involvement, a crucial but often missing element in many Highline schools.

Cultural performances are only one part of a total comprehensive effort needed to address improved student achievement and attendance issues. The question I have for the school board is what are they doing to ensure that the Highline District is successfully recruiting more minority educators who can act as effective role models for our diverse student population?

In addition they must also see that community input to the superintendent's office is answered promptly and addressed adequately. Four weeks or longer replies or no replies do not encourage community support. Finally, the racial make-up of the board does not yet reflect its quest to develop "whole persons in a diversified society."

Astha Tada

School volunteer

Seattle