The following Open Letter to the Highline School Board was submitted by Alex Myrick, a verified Highline area resident. UPDATE: He also presented his letter to board during April 16 public comment.
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One of my degrees is in Sociology with Emphasis in Social Service. Organizational Sociology has a concept called Goal Displacement. This dynamic occurs within a bureaucratic institution when its original goals are overshadowed or replaced by secondary goals. Educational institutions, like Highline may prioritize standardized testing, reporting requirements, and indoctrinating students in a favored ideology over the quality of education.
Last night, I was tutoring a seven year old boy through my church’s volunteer tutoring program. He attends one of the many elementary schools in our district which OSPI has identified as having poor outcomes. We worked on sounding out words, forming letters correctly, arithmetic, critical thinking skills and other skills. He is likely to graduate from one of our high schools in about 2037. Unfortunately, he is likely to not have true 12th grade skills.Â
In the Highline district, graduation rates have been rising at the same time academic achievement has been dropping. Our church tutoring program only has resources to tutor grades 1-5. It grieves me that this boy and his classmates, with so much potential are at risk. It’s not due to lack of intelligence or motivation. It’s because your bureaucracy has stifled educational quality. Â
Over 50% of Highline students are three years behind academically. I know you don’t like to be reminded of this, but I don’t know what you think and feel about this.Â
You will never say in public that literacy and academic achievement are not priorities for you, but actions speak louder than words. You have consistently refused to make literacy or academic achievement a budgetary priority, a personnel priority, a curriculum priority, or a legislative advocacy priority. These are unconscionable choices, and I appeal to you to revise your priorities.
Sincerely,
~ Alex Myrick
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2 Responses
Very good points. A few related points: (1) Coal jobs didn’t come back. (2) Factories are not coming back, but if some do, they will be staffed by robots. Service jobs are the trajectory we are on and more of them require more education, not less.
Looking at the change in the types of jobs over time.
In 1900, about 40% of jobs were in extraction or agriculture jobs. Today, it is less than 2%.
In 1960, about 28% of jobs were in manufacturing. Today it is less than 10%
in 1960, about 18% of jobs were in services. Today it is about 80%
What are our kids going to do after graduation? What do they want to do after graduation? What are we educating our kids to do after graduation.
Seems like now would be a good time to think about it.
Whatever they do, students need to be able to read, write and do arithmetic at grade level. Dumbing down curriculum in favor of sociological outcomes takes the focus away from these basics. Stifling the arts does not help.