Occasionally The Kent Reporter publishes letters from citizens who have strong opinions about the Kent School District (or in some cases multiple rambling opinions that don’t seem to be based on actual knowledge).
I am a former teacher who spends considerable time volunteering at an elementary school in Kent, and I’d like to share an insider’s point of view. Many of the students at our school come from challenging home situations, yet every week these children are smiling, friendly, and ready to work hard. You can thank the school staff for creating such a welcoming and safe environment.
The teachers I assist are constantly striving to differentiate instruction to meet the various requirements of their students. If you think that’s an easy task, it’s because you’ve never tried it.
Have you ever seen a hungry or abused child valiantly struggle through seven hours of reading, writing, and math? Our teachers, support staff, and administrators are sometimes the last line of defense for a child or family in distress – at my school these employees form a unified team that looks at student data and determines how to respond promptly and effectively to student needs.
Nobody is secretly engaged in a power struggle to run the school, nor do we need a “union-busting attorney” as Art Dahlen’s colorful letter asserts. (“Who is running our schools?” Feb. 10 Kent Reporter.)
From Superintendent Vargas all the way down to the unpaid volunteers, we in Kent School District are all too busy improving children’s lives for such ludicrous and unnecessary schemes.
We don’t always agree with each other, and that’s OK — great minds don’t accomplish great things by agreeing with each other all the time. When any group of intelligent people has the courage to put pride aside and ask difficult questions, an opportunity is created for debate and critical thinking.
Are we serving our students to the best of our abilities and resources? Are we making the wisest choices with our limited budget? Are we giving teachers the training and support they need to do excellent work?
If your answer is, “I think we can do better!” and you’re willing to work hard, then please join our team.
However, if you think the solution is to dash off a letter to the editor blaming everyone in the district from the top on down, then frankly you’re not contributing anything of value.
Mary Schiechl
Auburn
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
