Letter: Step forward to work on school solutions

Published 9:18 am Monday, April 25, 2022

This is a time when we should — we must — join hands to work toward healing the wounds inflicted upon us, individually, collectively, as a county, a country and indeed the world, by events we have no control over.

To come together, we must collectively find solutions, make decisions, and compromises. We must have accurate information. We must listen to, with respect, those who hold different opinions. How else can we challenge our own assumptions? How else can we make rational decisions?

I’m still gathering information ahead of the voting this month. In recent Chinook Observers there have been a number of letters about peninsula schools.

One mentioned bills that passed this year in the state legislature.

Looking at them I found:

HB 5933 has been referred to as “a school seismic safety grant program.” In fact, it says it would apply to both seismic and tsunami retrofits and construction. We can apply for funds through this.

HB 1590 is meant to decrease the impact of loss of funds as a result of decreased attendance due to covid. It is intended to, through increased money for staff pay for both classroom and those dealing with the psychological and physical impacts of the disease. However, it would not bring the schools up to pre-pandemic funding levels. Furthermore, there is not a pool of people to fill these positions. The added money won’t create them.

HB 1664 would increase staff-to-pupil ratios in various areas, but is unfunded. In other words, it seems to take away districts’ budget flexibility.

Our school population is unusual in many ways: For example, 60% qualify for the free lunch program and 24% have disabilities. In zip code 98631, more than 50% of children under 18 are in households with one parent. Imagine how difficult it must be, to say the least, to cover both children’s care and a work schedule.

So many rely on the schools for food and care, and the numbers in need have increased during the pandemic. It is easy to see why academic scores have fallen.

Another way in which our schools are different from many others is the extent that teachers have stepped in to help. Knowing that a large percentage have no computers, and that even if those could be supplied, there would still be no internet connect, I know of teachers who went home to home to give assignments, explanations and time to their students. I don’t know how many, but they recognized the need to show up, to show they care, and to let the children know they are worth caring about.

Do you know any teachers? Ask them how many hours per day they spend on their jobs, how many days a week, and a year. I think you’d be surprised. There is no 8-to-4 limit, and no time and a half for over 40 hours per week.

This dedication goes all the way to the top of the administration.

Solutions? I don’t have any. Suggestions? A couple — but they will take time.

Recognize that the way we fund education is broken. While I understand there is some sharing of revenues from the wealthier communities to those like ours, perhaps that lack of funding might have something to do with not being able to keep up with maintenance?

Not happy with the situation here? Run for the school board or attend their meetings, hear the full story of what is being done and what needs to be done for the long term, bring your expertise and solutions. We need to build for the next 50 years, not try to resurrect the last 50.

We are all in this together. We need an educated population to move us forward, to improve the future.

We have not been good stewards (I speak as a 70-plus) but we have benefited. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, for the sake of our country, let’s all work on this.

Please feel free to let me know what I’ve missed, where I’ve gone wrong.

DEBBY MOGGIO

Ocean Park