[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by a verified Burien resident. It represents the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the views of South King Media or its staff.]
Dear Editor and Highline Community,
Last Tuesday, I attended the Highline School board candidates’ forum. Unfortunately, the incumbent Board Directors, Joe Van and Angelic Alvarez, were unable to attend. School Board Director Dr. Damarys Espinoza was in attendance, as was her opponent, Kenneth Kemp. Katie Kresly and Sue-Anne Hohimer were also in attendance.
It was clear to me that Mr. Kemp, Mrs. Kresly, and Mrs. Hohimer are not familiar with what happens in the classroom, nor do they understand the needs of the young people our district serves. There were many comments suggesting that we need to return to teaching math, language arts, and science, provide less social-emotional support, and focus on the basics. These candidates often highlighted how our schools are failing and cited test scores as evidence of their accusations. A Google search of the OSPI report card of the Highline School District shows otherwise. A quick statistic from the OSPI report card: 82.4% of the class of 2024 graduated on time. It is also worth noting that 37.9% of the students in the Highline School District are multilingual learners, and 67.8% of them come from low-income backgrounds. It is important to note these statistics because they have been shown to impact testing scores. Dr. Espinoza discussed growth over time and shared that our young people are experiencing significant academic growth.
Dr. Espinoza shared a variety of options to bring the community together to support students and their families. She shared her vision for students in our schools, that we help them thrive by providing them with the support they need. She also reminded the audience (and the other candidates) that the school board’s job is to supervise the superintendent. While Dr. Espinoza spoke of hope and community, the other candidates shared veiled racism and accusations of the failure of our schools, offering no real solutions other than “returning to basics”. Mrs. Hohimer repeatedly commented on patriotism and that 2026 is the semiquincentennial. Mr. Kemp expressed the need for teaching rather than managing the classroom. Mrs. Kresley shared that her focus would be on transparency.
I encourage our community to review the OSPI report card linked in this letter, talk with educators, and reach out to current board members to gain a better understanding of the Highline School District’s growth. Additionally, the Highline Education Association has endorsed Board Directors Dr. Espinoza, Mr. Van, and Mrs. Alvarez. School Board elections matter, and that is why I encourage you to vote for board directors Dr. Damarys Espinoza, Joe Van & Angelica Alvarez.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Fichamba
Educator, Burien Resident, and alum of the Highline School District
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Agreed! Kenneth Kemp, Katie Kresly and Sue-Anne Hohimer have absolutely NO business serving on that board.
Highline has lost it’s way and the majority of students are behind at least one or more years academically, it’s also more focused of feelings than learning and creating functioning graduates. If the letter author cares so much why does she work for the Tukwila school district instead of Highline?
Thank you Jennifer Fichamba, for sharing your perspective having attended the forum and studying the data. I, too, have been preparing for the upcoming elections by learning about the candidates and issues. I agree with you and your assessment of the candidates. School board elections are critically important for our community: its students, families and residents. As a retired public school teacher, I know the value of a strong school board who support the employees of their school district. Please take time to study the candidates and their positions. We can’t waste this opportunity for continued growth in our schools.
For those interested, Kent Black Action Commission to host candidates forum Saturday, Oct 11 . Of particular note for me will be Edwin Obras and Kevin Schillling, candidates for 33rd Legislative District. See link: https://www.kentreporter.com/news/kent-black-action-commission-to-host-candidates-forum-oct-11/
Watching the recent Highline School board candidates’ forum left me uneasy as well — not because of what our current board members stand for, but because of what some challengers revealed about themselves. Beneath talk of “transparency” and “returning to basics” was a thinly veiled disdain for the very families and cultures our schools serve. There were jokes about “kids living in their parents’ basements,” applause lines about patriotism, and casual approval of policies like vouchers that would siphon funds away from public schools. This isn’t a platform for improvement — it’s nostalgia for a time when fewer children had a seat at the table.
The reality is that Highline’s students are thriving in complex, hopeful ways: multilingual learners, neurodivergent students, kids from every background working toward futures that belong to them. Progress here has never been about slogans; it’s about inclusion, shared responsibility, and the slow, courageous work of dismantling inequity.
Leaders like Angelica Alvarez, Damarys Espinoza, and Joe Van understand that. They carry the lived experience, professional insight, and community trust that real transformation requires. Their opponents, meanwhile, echo talking points divorced from our district’s reality — ideas that mock modern family structures and reduce education to test scores.
The incumbents have shown up year after year, absorbing criticism while building bridges between educators, families, and policymakers. That’s public service. Their challengers offer ideology without empathy.
For the sake of our students — for the future we claim to believe in — let’s not confuse fear for vision.