Sammy Vowles
502 E Boone Ave
Spokane, Wa 99202
Isabel Muñoz-Colón
Washington State Board of Education
PO Box 47206
600 Washington ST SE
Olympia, WA 98504-7206
Dear Ms. Muñoz-Colón,
Over a year ago, I took my first SAT exam to apply to college. I woke up early on a Saturday morning, drove about 25 minutes to the high school where I was taking the exam, received my ID, then found my assigned classroom. Shortly after taking my seat, an adult walked in the room and started taking roll, she was obviously our proctor. Right away I was able to observe how this teacher acted and treated students. This educator had a very negative attitude, was rude to students, and was only assisting with this test to earn a few extra dollars on the weekend. I could not believe what I was seeing. This teacher was not concerned with the students in her classroom doing well on the difficult exam or easing their stress. After the 4 hours, she could not wait to enjoy her weekend and get out of the classroom.
Instead of reflecting on how well I had done or what I could do better next time on my drive home, I was caught thinking about how grateful I was to have such caring and outstanding teachers at my high school. During my grade school and high school years, I attended private schools with teachers that wanted to be at school every day and cared about how well students do in class. They showed this by forming intimate bonds and special relationships with students, and by being knowledgeable in their field.
My experience at the SAT exam opened my eyes to see what some teachers were like at public schools. I have discussed this teacher with friends who attended public schools and they have confirmed that many teachers have attitudes similar to my proctor, and are not very knowledgeable in their fields which hinders the success of other students.
As the executive committee chair of the Washington State Board of Education, I believe high quality teachers who are interested in the success of their students should be a priority. Teachers should push students to be the best they can everyday through support, positivity, engaging classes, and by holding them accountable for work. If the students do not think that their teachers care about how well they do, they will most likely not look to attend college. This is especially necessary in schools with low poverty levels.
This can be accomplished through more screening about a teacher’s interests in helping teachers before hiring a staff member, an increased amount of observing the teacher during class, and feedback from students on how the teacher can improve. To become more knowledgeable about the subject the educator is teaching, they should be required to attend classes during the summer every few years. This will allow them to be able to teach with the newest trends and information.
Through personal experience I have been able to see how students become more confident and successful with higher quality teachers. I know it would be beneficial to students, especially in high school, in Washington State by increasing standards of teachers and making sure they are helpful to students. Please take my stand into consideration.
Sincerely,
Sammy Vowles