By Steve Powell
spowell@marysvilleglobe.com
MARYSVILLE – A program is under way in the Marysville School District to encourage high school students to enter the education profession and later return to teach.
Seventeen students at Marysville-Pilchuck and 12 at Heritage high schools are participating. First semester was spent in the classroom learning various aspects of teaching. Second semester is spent in schools observing various educators. At the end the high school students will teach a 15-minute mini lesson.
A focus of the program is to include bilingual students, along with different cultures and races. A large percentage are students of color.
The district is working with Everett Community College and University of Washington Bothell so students can get college credit. The hope is for these students to be a step ahead of others interested in becoming teachers. It could become a pathway with a certificate if students also took Family Health and Early Childhood Education classes. “We need to figure out … how they are going to get to the front of the line,” Ryan Beatty, Career and Technical Education director, said at the school board meeting Monday night.
In other news:
•The board planned for the facility committee to get back together to look at other options because of the recent failure of the building construction levy.
•Paul Galovin was voted vice president of the board, replacing Tom Albright, who resigned for health reasons. Applications are being accepted at the district office for Albright’s replacement.
•The board planned to rename the throw facility at Quil Ceda Stadium after former M-P track star Jarred Rome, who died last year. •We Do Dirt is donating more than $2,350 to help pay for Marysville Middle School lunches.
•Travel requests included more than $15,000 for nine staff from Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary to fly to Phoenix to the Native American Student Advocacy Institute. Two others would go by vehicle for almost $2,640. Also, 23 Marysville Getchell students would go to Spokane for a Future Business Leaders of America conference for more than $11,500.
During the earlier work session, assistant superintendent Scott Beebe was set to talk about the Equity Committee, which met six times to develop a policy.
It was noted that Deborah Parker, director of Equity, Diversity and Indian Education, resigned because the job was “too big.”
Staff includes five Native American liaisons, 1.5 in Spanish and .2 Russian-Ukraine.
Their goal: How can schools affirm identity, celebrate diversity, teach justice and inspire action among students? They asked for teachers to use cultural instructional strategies and to engage family and community.
Other aspects:
•Identity: Help students be self aware, confident, take pride in family and have a positive social identity.
•Diversity: Embrace it, use language that respects differences and make caring connections.
•Justice: Recognize unfairness and understand it hurts.
•Action: Empower students to act with others or alone against prejudice and discrimination.
