The high school setting most of us knew isn’t for every student, but a completed education demanding high standards certainly is. Marysville’s Arts and Technology High School is offering proof things can be done differently and still be done well.
In addition to the often talked about small-school environment and more individual time with teachers, this small school offers students the opportunity to pass every class. Actually, it demands it. There are no Ds and Fs at this school. In their place is a U, and it’s not for uh-oh. Students who earn less than a C in a class have to take it over until they show they have a clear grasp of the material. Sounds very similar to a certain test students will be required to take and pass in the near future in order to graduate. And it certainly supports the theory of the No Child Left Behind act. This doesn’t demand that every child be perfect in each topic, only proficient — hardly an unreasonable standard.
Another highlight of the school is its strong tutoring program, which is already attracting a large number of students after school. No wonder: Report cards and letters home contain information about the program if a student is struggling in class. And try hiding from teachers in a school that only has 130 students right now and will boast 230 at its peak.
The fear that the new school would be a glorified clique for smart kids seems to have dissipated somewhat with the visit of the district’s school board members, who took the time to talk with students and staff during a recent visit. This school accepts all types of teenagers and offers those who need something different a chance to succeed. In the same respect, some kids have figured out a school this small is not for them, and they’ve gone back to the traditional high school. Offering the different settings and opportunities supports the need for equity in student learning that Elaine Hanson, president of the Marysville Education Association, talked about in a Herald article Monday.
Education is changing. We’ll always have the traditional schools, but now there’s a widening population of students — from home-schoolers to alternative school students to small school students and everything in between. Our public school system is challenged to meet their needs, and this is a model that holds much promise.
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