Our schools are both safe and educational

In an Oct. 17 letter, Gabriel Bonifield argued that schools are not safe, testing is over-emphasized, the mentality of students is low, and most students have no desire to learn.

I remain skeptical that state exams cause safety to take a backseat. My experience is schools do everything they can to create a safe environment, but they remain soft targets. Nevertheless schools are safe when compared to many homes and streets. They would be even safer if more parental discretion and gun locks were used.

While many students put little effort into their studies, it’s rarely because of anxiety over tests. It has much more to do with their family environment. Also testing-taking skills may help but aren’t enough to pass Advanced Placement (AP) or state exams.

Also, the increase in demanding classes, especially AP classes, has raised the performance level of many high school students.

The social setting of high schools may be difficult for some students. Sports, social activities, academic activities like plays, robotics, and math competitions, in addition to their regular classes, make school fun and educational for most students, despite “teen hormones.”

Finally, as a high school teacher for 44 years, I never received additional pay when my students did well on AP exams. The state exams addressed reading, writing, math, and science, but even here I don’t know of any teachers who were paid differently because their students did well or poorly. I retired from teaching at Olympia High in 2014.

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Our schools are both safe and educational."