A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE USA

Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there. Author Unknown

Dear President Obama,

I think I just stumbled upon the school the rest of the country is looking for -- Thornton Creek Elementary School in Seattle, an alternative public school. Last week I was called to substitute in a kindergarten class there, and I was blown away by what I observed and learned by talking to teachers and parents there. There are many fine schools in Seattle, but I believe this one is exemplary. Why?

The school brochure, complete and slickly designed, refers to the Thornton Creek difference. Academic rigor based on exploration and discovery is key. Parental involvement is mandatory – 40 volunteer hours a year. Involvement can be anything from working in the classroom and serving on committees to chaperoning and helping to maintain school grounds.

Based on a model called Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound (ELOB), ten principles are built into the program:

• Primacy of self discovery
• The having of wonderful ideas
• The responsibility for learning
• Empathy and caring
• Success and failure
• Collaboration and competition
• Diversity and inclusion
• The natural world
• Solitude and reflection
• Service and compassion

I get excited simply by looking at the principles and imagining what they mean for the children attending this school. Each class decides what the expeditionary learning will be for the year and the students are immersed in that learning.

Looping is the form of instruction used. This allows a teacher to remain with her students for at least two years, then returning for a new group of children. When a child is in a looping classroom it means that he or she misses out on a possible teacher for the second year. I asked one parent if this was seen as a problem because of the potential of having a less skilled teacher for two years. She told me that there were only good teachers at Thornton Creek and she was comfortable with whomever her son had.

The first six weeks are spent “setting expectations and building community” which encompasses rules for behavior, school goals and a foundation for a productive year.

The mission is for “staff administration and families to work cooperatively to meet the diverse needs of the students.” These include addressing all needs of the child, supporting experiential learning, promoting involvement by the parents and community, and extending learning to the world beyond.

So why aren’t all schools in Seattle built on this model, with the potential of educational excellence for all? I guess, as usual, it boils down to lack of funding and parental involvement.

This school started in l974 with parents who wanted a “private school” education in a public school setting and were willing to fund it. There were 125 students and four teachers. Now there are 325 students enrolled with a large waiting list for many others.

One sad commentary: It is troubling that there is little diversity in the sea of student faces, but I was told by one of the instructors at the school that this program can work anywhere, even in the less advantaged areas, if resources were committed to implementing ELOB. How might this be possible? Since parent involvement is a major part of the success, and since that's missing in many underserved schools, could TFA and Americorps teachers take the place of parents? Is there some other way of filling in the parent involvement piece where it is so deeply needed? Are there groups of volunteers that would dedicate themselves to fundraising such as auctions, like that which takes place at Thornton Creek?

I respectfully bring this school to your attention and that of the Secretary of Education, with the hope that someone in a position of authority will determine how we could use this educational format for our schools in crisis.

Sincerely,

Jan Lind-Sherman

A Seattle Public School Substitute Teacher