I hope all goes well at Mount Rainier High School. College has been great! I am finding all of my professors at Gonzaga University to be fantastic instructors, each having their own unique style of teaching. With this in mind, paired with the fact that I am learning about the weaknesses of the educational system, I would like to discuss with you of my view toward the policies behind the Highline School District.
My elementary school experience was overall great. Through my first couple of years, I didn’t have a single worry regarding school; I viewed it as exciting and a surprise every upcoming day. Of course, similar to any other student, I wouldn’t favor a certain subject or concept, in my case being history. It simply wasn’t my strong suit, though I was able to move past it, for it wouldn’t impact my future as a student, especially with my current age. It wasn’t until 4th grade that we were given government-made tests, tests that were completely foreign to me as a young kid. I recall tests like the WASL being drastically difficult for me, making me feel as if I wasn’t prepared for it to any extent. Later, I found out that this test would shape my future as a student, a test that would give the school district a false representation of the student I really was. My scores on the WASL considered me to be slightly below average in reading and average at math, suggesting me to take standard level classes in middle school, though I went against those recommendations and took all honors classes, along with the highest level math class. I ended my middle school career being a valedictorian. Similar to Anthony from “Road to Rome”, scoring badly on a test similar to the WASL won’t consider you a bad student, it is a false representation of who you are and a waste of time. I believe that these tests shouldn’t be taken by students at such a young age, for they still are in the process of growing, especially academically.
Also, I would like to comment on the idea of “class curriculum”. I find it unsatisfying that teachers are forced to teach specific content of their subject, rather than the content that they themselves find to be the most interesting. I like when teachers are able to be their natural selves, teaching the class the way they prefer to. I remember my junior year at your school my favorite teacher, Mr. Samson, was infuriated with how much he was being watched, how much he was being controlled by you and other administrators observing how he would teach. It was as if he lost sight of why he was there, losing the joy that teaching used to give him. These new teaching policies are making the Highline School District along with many others I assume, much more difficult for both the students and the teachers. There needs to be more freedom within the school, or else no progress will be made.
Thank you for taking time and reading my letter. I hope that my view toward government tests and the policies behind the class curriculum has encouraged you to make a change. You have the power to make a difference for what used to be my school, what I considered to be a second home.
Sincerely,
Tyler Andrews