December, 2005

All Our Students Must Be Prepared For Success
By Dale E. Kinsley

A strong America starts with great public schools. To have great public schools, we must face unprecedented challenges of graduating each and every student with high skills.

The Bellingham School District has taken that mandate further because we believe that a high school diploma today is no longer sufficient for a student to pursue a productive life. We want all of our graduates ready for college, career and citizenship.

While not all students will choose to attend an advanced technical program, a community college or a four-year university, we should not choose for our students by failing to adequately prepare them. We ask students and their families to recognize the higher requirements for success in today's society and engage in the learning necessary.

Our families, local leaders and employers have told us that our community is fortunate to have strong, high-performing schools, but that we cannot rest on our successes. They want our kids to have effective communication, math and technology skills. They want disciplined, critical thinkers and problem solvers who can compete in an America that is outsourcing its work across the globe.

Developing skilled, analytical thinkers requires that America's high schools take a new tack, both in how they are structured and how they teach. We need to shift from the memorization of large volumes of facts or information to engaging students in active problem solving, applying their knowledge to real situations.

All current high school sophomores and those that follow need to meet state standards in reading, writing and math to earn a high school diploma. A large number of our students have yet to demonstrate proficiency in all three areas. And while our district's dropout rate of 5 percent is below the state average, we're still losing too many students before they have the skills to contribute to our community.

Our teachers and administrators are working hard every day with limited time and resources to motivate and teach all students. This means offering challenging learning opportunities for students who are struggling, for those exceeding standards and for all of those in between. Heroic efforts are underway; amazing successes are being realized. This year all of our seniors must complete a culminating project to graduate. We are personalizing our work with these students, asking them to apply their learning in meaningful ways and grow as citizens.

We need to work as partners with our families and the community. The teachers and staff in our public schools believe in the possibilities for all children and have devoted their lives to touching the minds and hearts of our children. It is difficult, challenging and important work.

As Bellingham grows and changes, we must hold true to our value of education. Please join me by taking a moment to thank an educator. And let's appreciate the importance of parents and families who surround their children with love and support. Finally, hurray for the young people who are willing to prepare for successful futures.