Submitted by Eddie Johnson.
I have worked with adolescents for over 20 years in various roles in multiple cities, communities and states. I have found Clover Park School District (CPSD) and its leadership to be one of the best school districts working towards the health of the whole student. From those in the district office, to the administrators, teachers, faculty & staff every level of leadership is committed to our students very best.
I have consistently found the CPSD to be thoughtful and courageous in their work to bridge the gap between CPSD and the greater Lakewood community. I’ve watched them implement the best ideas from other school districts and innovate new ones for the benefit of our kids. They have invited various community based organizations to help fill in the gaps, and empowered individuals, schools and students by giving their voice priority in decision-making and best practices.
The best version of our community is one where CPSD, Lakewood residents, current students, families and alums all work together to bring out the very best for the next generation.
Mr. Johnaon-
Can you please expand on…
“I’ve watched them implement the best ideas from other school districts and innovate new ones for the benefit of our kids.”
What is the benefit to the students when fewer and fewer are able to perform and pass?
I recently watched a documentary that showed a correlation between the effectiveness of a public education system and the type of new employers/industry that area/City could attract.
If we assume the documentary is accurate, and we look at the industry Lakewood seems to attract most, warehouses that only required unskilled labor, it makes me question the effectiveness and benefit CPSD is to Lakewood students.
I used to just fault the district and maybe unfairly. What are our City leaders doing to hold the local education system accountable?
What’s the name of the documentary? I wouldn’t assume it’s correlation theory is correct without seeing the peer reviewed research. And I’m guessing some people get their education at CPSD and move on to college and careers elsewhere. I’m not sure what point you are trying to make to Eddie Johnson’s statement.
Your article raises several questions. Given that CPSD is ranked so low academically (28 percentile), how are they “one of the best school districts working towards the health of the whole student”? Are not academics the prime reason for schools? “Whole student”: a code word used by educators to side step the issue of failed academics. If in fact District employees at every level of leadership were committed to our students very best we wouldn’t have schools at polar opposites academically: a low of 2.2 percentile (Park Lodge Elementary) and high of 88.2 percentile (Beachwood Elementary). So much for the lip service given real “equity”.
Regarding bridging the gap between District and City one has to wonder why there are so few Parent Teacher Associations and Neighborhood Associations that could indeed bring greater representation at both District and City. You know citizen representation in organized groups can make things messy for elected officials: they’d be forced to listen to the people. In the last election apathy was the winner! The District has 34,691 registered voters yet only 7,964 bothered to vote (23%). The “pro” voters amounted to 4778 (14%) and one can only wonder how many of them are District employees.
What exactly are the best ideas for other school districts that have been incorporated into the District? The District doesn’t have to look far; just take a look at the schools on JBLM which are superior to anything off-base. Yet, when has anyone on the Board, Superintendent, administration and staff investigated their success? For that matter when have they visited failing schools to investigate their failures?
Feelings are all well and good but when you’re dealing with public policy feelings don’t count nearly as much as reason and facts. Perhaps you’ll take the time to answer some of these questions with facts.
LakewoodCARES.org