By Susan Goding
HIGHLINE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER

There is a base of information that forms the cultural references of our lives as Americans that is the essence of education.

About 10 years ago, in response to pressure to raise student test scores, the Highline School District increased time students spent learning reading and writing.

Intuitively, this seems like a good thing; students can learn any subject by reading. Unfortunately it has not turned out that way. Despite the increased time on reading, students are not spending the day reading significant or historic literature or even sentences where the content has meaning.

No one can argue that test scores in reading have not improved but the increased time in reading has crowded out other subjects.

Math and science test scores are static. Our children need history, art, foreign language and many other subjects but there is little to no time for those subjects.

We are told that the reason the district mandated that much time on reading over other subjects is because staff is held accountable for WASL/MSP results. Yet the results in math and science are so low it is hard to believe that this could be the reason or that anyone feels accountable.

A part of the problem is that the board does not press for changes in curriculum or instruction to improve academic achievement. Bad scores are attributed entirely to demographics and social reasons.

However, the idea that problems with student achievement lie with the students or the lack of parental engagement is belied by the rise in student achievement in reading and writing as diversity has increased.

Another part of the problem is the unchallenged slogans of school reform.

The truth is that smaller class size and early childhood education are not the answer to academic achievement. There will be letters to the editor citing research done elsewhere, but we should only be interested in how those changes have affected Highline students. The effect is just not there in the numbers.

The problem in Highline is not the class size, lack of early childhood education, or changing demographics or teachers, parents, or students. The problem is how students are instructed and most of all how comfortable we are with the status quo.

I know people doubt this but our students want to learn. Please go to any school and watch as students eagerly come to school.

Also, remember your school years. How much you enjoyed school. Yet, spent hours spent bored out of your skull. How many times you were caught passing notes, reading a book hidden by your text, or were taking a subject you were capable of finishing in six weeks but sat there the entire year with no other options, or maybe needed a year and six weeks and was forced to retake the entire year.

All students are not the same. This method of teaching reading is an especially bad practice. It treats all students as the same, does not teach substance only skill, and crowds out other subjects.

This could stop tomorrow and other instructional practices, with the same teacher/student relationships, could be instituted if there were three school board directors who called for it.

Unfortunately, there are not two other board members who feel change is needed or supported by the community. It is my hope that this editorial encourages people to express their support for change.

Our students can have increased achievement in more subjects if the community demands it.