[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by a verified resident. It represents the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the views of South King Media or its staff.]
Dear Highline Community and Families,
The current race for the Highline School Board seems to be framed as a battle for “progressive community ideals” against “conservative educational reform”. As a parent, I find this framing to be both disturbing and disheartening.
Policies centered on educational reform, particularly those focusing on literacy and strong academics, should not be politically polarizing. Progressive liberals, in fact, should champion school reform, as it is one of the most equitable things we can do for our kids. For evidence of this, I offer Rahm Emanuel’s recent opinion piece on this topic in the Wall Street Journal. David Brooks wrote a similar opinion back in August in the New York Times (it can also be read here).
Rahm says, “Few things are more important than ensuring every American student can read by third grade and do basic math by eighth.” These are the same issues that we face in Highline.
With 67% of our kids behind grade-level reading standards and over half of our middle schoolers lagging by two or more grade levels, our priorities should be clear. The challenge extends far beyond the needs of our English Language Learners; rather, these statistics point to a systemic issue that requires comprehensive, universal reforms.
This crisis extends to general apprehension around our middle and high school options. When families with means opt for outside solutions, they take money with them, shrinking the resources for every student.
We need pragmatic leaders willing to acknowledge these stark realities. We need a school board that actively seeks out and listens to community voices. Where are the town halls and forums for family input? We need spaces for parents to share their concerns and insights.
I am not here to publicly endorse candidates. However, the primary role of a school board is oversight and accountability, not day-to-day operations. And I sincerely wonder if the current directors are willing to bring about necessary reform and uphold their sworn duty to provide rigorous oversight of district performance.
We must be wary of complacency within the status quo. As David Brooks and Pete Buttigieg both argue, anyone who is not focused on necessary change risks the stability and future of the entire system. Change within a system is never easy, but if we want to safeguard our public education system, reform is necessary.
And for anyone who wants my story, here is a brief version (the longer version is published here):
As a parent of a first grader in a dual-language school, our family started last year feeling more certain of our schools, particularly in the diversity and strong community. Throughout last year, I gradually grew concerned about our elementary reading curriculum, especially after the resignation of two literacy-focused board directors.
After months of seeking answers from district leadership, I remained dissatisfied with the information regarding our core early reading materials. I filed a formal Instructional Materials Complaint on September 3.
When I requested public access to the required Instructional Materials meetings, the district declined, despite Board Procedure and state laws that indicate these meetings should be public. Refusing to follow the spirit of the Open Public Meetings Act raises serious concerns about transparency and public trust. Only a year in, our family worries whether the district is capable of necessary change from within. We also wonder what will happen with this school board race– will our community decide to flip the board or will they give the status quo another try?
I offer no easy answers.
But if you are able to vote, I urge you to ask questions, to talk to your community, and to choose.
Sincerely,
Lauren Schmidt
A Highline parent
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