Clallam Bay--Where Intention Meets Reality

Absolute must-read article in the Seattle Times today about the Clallam Bay schools. There was a report from the Governor's office in 1992 about how to make schools in the state work; Clallam Bay was put out there as one of those "Even here!" examples. It hasn't worked out that way. From the article:

Clallam Bay Principal Kandy Ritter hears the council's vision of what her school could be like by now. "Somebody's dreaming," she said.

Ten days to plan? Flexible hours, time to meet with parents? Teachers at Clallam Bay say they take their kids' schoolwork home at night and meet with parents on their own time. The third-grade teacher has a new math curriculum but no time to learn how to use it. She's planning to go to the library this summer to learn better ways to teach science.

As for social-service supports, Superintendent Gene Laes of the Cape Flattery School District, which includes Clallam Bay, has to suppress a laugh: "Out here, I am lucky if I call 911, they come the next day."

The nearest social services — counselors, dependency treatment, mental-health screening — are nearly an hour away. Educators here miss the help Head Start used to provide. The program was discontinued at the school because so many families had moved away, seeking work.

I'd drop everything and go teach in that part of the state in a heartbeat. There near the Olympic National Forest, you're in one of the most beautiful places you could ever hope to see.

The interesting thing about this article is the connection you can draw to the current Washington Learns initiative. This effort 14 years ago was supposed to change the state for better, forever, but the follow-through wasn't there. Will Chris Gregoire be able to do what Governors Lowery and Locke couldn't?