Why are our schools failing our children? Part 13

Federal Way, like most communities, has several community organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions clubs.

The leader of one of Federal Way's community organizations was recently quoted as saying "Without strong schools, we won't have strong businesses; and without strong businesses, we won't have strong schools."

I certainly believe that he is right about this.

If the community organizations of this school district were actively engaged in "improving" the schools Federal Way would probably be a community that is attracting new employers that offer well paying jobs.

Those who have done any research on the factors that attract this kind of employer will find that organizations that specialize in this kind of research look at the quality of education in the community quite closely.

They do not depend upon the school district's "facts" as they remind us of Lake Woebegon where all kids are "above average."

"Expansion Management" magazine, one of the sources of this kind of information, clearly does not rate South King County as a "place to locate" based on the quality of education.

U.S. News and World Report's list of the finest high schools in Washington lists 45 high schools and none are in South King County.

In spite of this kind of ratings, the community organizations all proclaim that they are "in favor of better education."

But unlike other communities where I have lived that have much better educational reputations, there doesn't seem to be any effort to change the schools' reputations.

Being state champion in "hip hop" will not impress relocation people!

Let's look for a moment at some of the accomplishments that these organizations have made to our schools.

Several of these organizations will point out to any who would question their interest the fact that they have raised substantial sums of money for schools.

In fact some have.

However they have not, as some service organizations in other areas, demanded any particular results for these funds.

Some of these organizations will tell you that they have established scholarship funds to award successful students in each of the schools.

Privately they will also tell you that some of the recipients haven't even been able to devote the time required to even be at the acceptance awards, and many have never claimed the award.

Sadly with good college costs reaching, for some competitive colleges, over $40,000/yr the level of aid offered by the organizations many not be that significant.

Scholarships to the "successful," while nice, aren't going to improve the education of most of the students.

Nevertheless, it is the "most students" that determine the reputation of schools.

In the 10+ years that I have been attending school board meetings, I have never witnessed any of these organizations making a presentation urging the school board to adopt any particular policy that they think would improve the school district.

Looking at the members of the educational committee of one of the local organizations, I didn't find anyone that even attends a school board meeting. They all seem to be "comfortably numb."

While a few members of these organizations have talked to me privately, and probably to other board members as well, there haven't been, unlike in a neighboring community, any groundswell to change a system that clearly isn't serving the community, the taxpayers, or the students, with the best education in Federal Way.

It is my contention that "adults" are the ones who have to determine quality educational systems.

Not students, and not all parents, seem to understand the value of education.

In order to do this the adults of the community need to take a realistic view of the system, as compared to that of successful school districts, not neighboring school districts, and then decide what "league" they want to join.

The "brush league" of local schools isn't going to make it in the 21st century.

It isn't a wonder that Microsoft hires 92 percent of its employees from out of state.

Educators who have come to the Northwest from other areas of the country describe Washington's education as "in need of improvement."

This will only happen when "adults," perhaps in service organizations, come to the conclusion that "schools have to do better."

It is well to remember that the five members of the local school board are "elected" officials that have no specific qualifications for this position other than their election. Knowledge of any specific successes, or failures, in education isn't always a priority for them.

A look at the agendas of recent school board meetings might suggest that the members are "comfortably numb!"