Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News
by Andrew Gobin, Tulalip News
TULALIP − Coming to the MarysvilleSchool District, Dr. Becky Berg aimed to “hit the ground running,” according to the Marysville Globe. True to her word, Berg wastes no time when it comes to improving community schools. On November 14th, she and other district officials held a community meeting at the TulalipAdministrationBuilding, the first in a series of meetings, in order to identify concerns and provide information about this year’s levy.
Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News
“We want to hear from you all,” Berg said. “What are the concerns you have about your schools? What are some positive things or what would you like to see continued?”
Two breakout sessions, facilitated by Berg and assistant superintendent Ray Houser, were a forum where the community spoke on a personal level with district officials, discussing their past experiences attending Marysville schools or having children attend Marysville schools, what works in the district, changes that they’ve seen, improvements that need to be made, and programs they’d like to see developed. One major issue raised by parents and teachers at the meeting was the drastic educational gap in the classroom.
“We have high school math classes with students meeting and exceeding their level, mixed with students that are stuck at a 5th grade level,” said heritage principal Shelly Lacey.
Other topics discussed were programs that have been cut, including evening transportation after extra curricular activities like sports, band, clubs, etc., and problems with the schools’ environment such as bullying, apathetic staff, and teachers uninterested in whether or not students learned.
“We don’t feel welcome. Our kids feel unwelcome at school, and we as parents feel that we can’t approach the teachers,” said Misty Napeahi. She has children in school now, as well as graduates of the MarysvilleSchool District.
Many of these issues were addressed in the levy presentation that followed the discussions, which highlighted specific areas that need improvement. Line items included in the levy are programs for high achieving students, students needing to be brought up to grade level, transportation, teachers and aides, support staff (nurses, counselors, etc.), staff training and development, extra curricular activities, and upgrading district technology, each addressing various academic needs. Each of these items discussed, as well as dollar allocations, emphasized the levy as the means to helping every student to succeed. The support staff and staff development portions are crucial to changing the environment of Marysville schools, which is a constant concern at Tulalip.
Upgrading technology and accessibility may be the most crucial for academic success at the current time.
Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News
“We spent all the time, money, and effort to put in the fiber-optic network we have now, yet it remains inaccessible because of a lack of hardware,” said Jim Baker, the district’s executive director of finance. “With the proper tools and training, we hope to improve student performance in the classroom, as well as the effectiveness of the teachers.”
District officials stressed the need for the levy to pass in order to provide better resources in the classroom.
“As it stands, there is more advanced technology and capable users at McDonald’s than there is in our schools,” noted Berg.
This levy truly is all encompassing, addressing academic, structural, and environmental needs. If passed, the levy stands to increase funding for these programs by $85 million over the next four years. The issues discussed at this and other community meetings will be deciding factors in how the money is spent, specifically with regards to staff development. The next community meeting and levy presentation is slated for December 4th of this year, 6:00 pm at the district office. More information is available on the district website, or you may call the district office at (360) 653-7058.
Andrew Gobin: 360-716-4188; agobin@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov