Inslee pays a visit to Terrace High

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee visited Mountlake Terrace High School Jan. 24 to learn more about their efforts to break into six “small schools.”

“It was an opportunity for the congressman to more clearly hear about what we’ve been doing and to get a first-hand look at what’s been going on,” principal Mark Baier said.

The six schools, which will be implemented for next year’s freshman, will include the Discovery School, Innovation School, Global Inquiry, The Renaissance School, Arts &Academics and the Achievement, Opportunity &Service School. While each school will have a different base curriculum, they will have the same core graduation requirements and will adequately prepare its students to meet four-year college and university requirements.

Baier said that Congressman Inslee was very interested in hearing what obstacles and challenges the school has faced so far, as well as the strategies they plan to use for the success of the small schools. Inslee also took time to meet with teacher leaders and other involved administrators for each school.

“It was a nice opportunity for both sides, to talk with teachers and for our staff to sit down and have a little one-on-one with him,” Baier said.

Inslee agreed, and said that he felt he learned a lot about the small school concept and what schools who adopt this style will need in the future. Inslee added that he is always looking for ways to help schools get federal support for new, innovative projects such as the small schools, and that by visiting schools like Mountlake Terrace High, he can better understand the needs of public education facilities.

“It was a tremendous eye-opener to hear about the innovative project, and the commitment of the administration and staff and the Herculean task they are taking on,” Inslee said. ” I am very impressed because there is no national template for this program.”.

Inslee, who also spoke to a class of high school seniors about the current situation between the United Stats and Iraq, said he wanted to meet students and discuss the effects a war would have on their lives. His goal, Inslee said, was to have students “really think about the effect it would have on our lives.”

“War is an abstraction. It doesn’t mean a lot until you really think about it,” Inslee said.

Inslee added that he voted against the war with Iraq several months ago, but the students wanted to know what else could be done.

“I don’t believe that (a war) would be in America’s long-term interest,” Inslee said. “I think we should work with the rest of the world rather than against them.”