Comments on: What $107 Million Buys

By: Juno

Juno — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:56:07 +0000

WoW. Thats alot of money for a high school, the most expensive High School in our district cost $77,424,704

By: joshuadf

joshuadf — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:01:32 +0000

Another aspect about the history of education in this country is this constant questioning of actions, all the way back to the 1600s when Puritan leaders were duking it out over how best to keep the “Ole Duluder Satan” out of children’s minds to today with No Child Left Behind.

By: Rottin' in Denmark

Rottin' in Denmark — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:42:55 +0000

John of Humdinger’s comment seems like a wing of the NIMBYism (discussed in a further post) that keeps anything useful from getting done in infrastructure, especially on the West Coast. Yes, John, Finland is different from the United States. In fact, every country is profoundly different from the US. We should ignore all innovations that take place beyond our parallels. Because what we’re doing is working so well, and if it ain’t broke…

By: keith

keith — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:03:53 +0000

Speaking of education, my wife is an ESL teacher and has been emphasizing the importance of another election in November: That is, the race for the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Randy Dorn is at the top of the teachers' lists and should be at the top of yours too. Note that he is the challenger, not the incumbent.

By: John of Humdinger

John of Humdinger — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:20:48 +0000

The stupidity of “throwing money at education” is much more than “a shallow generality”. It is probably the principle cause of the deterioration of education in the USA.
Finland is a tiny (5 million people) country with a relatively high-tech economy. Their education spending statistics include such things as free lunch for all students and free universities.
Finland’s success in education isn’t due to big spending. It is the result of old fashioned common sense.
In Finland they eschew all the preschool baloney. Kids go to school at age 7 (to learn, not for babysitting service). In Finland parents are expected to be active participants in their children’s education. In Finland you’re not a teacher until you have a master’s degree. In Finland kids stay in the same (neighborhood) school building until they’re 16.
If money were the answer, educational results would be improving in the USA, not deteriorating. We’ve been throwing more and more billions at it every year.

By: David Sucher

David Sucher — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:43:44 +0000

No one seems to be asking the obvious question whether the $107 million was wisely spent? Seems like an awful lot of money to me so I’d be curious to know if we bought wisely.

By: Greg W

Greg W — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:55:18 +0000

Garfield sure needed it, it was a real sh**hole (trust me I was there). I only hope that the enthusiasm we’re all sharing here, does not end here. Unfortunately, the district is holding onto what is has tightly- there are kids in the district who still have to wear their coats all morning until the oil heater finally warms up, just like the kids back in 1946 when the portable was first unhitched in the school’s parking lot.

By: Matt the Engineer

Matt the Engineer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:45:41 +0000

I had a foreign exchange student stay with me on Queen Anne a few years ago, and she was placed in the nearest high school. You know the food court at the Seattle Center? Above that there is a low-quality office space that has been converted into a public high school (ok, I use the term “converted” loosely – they’ve changed out furniture).

On the way back from signing her up we drove past the old Queen Anne High School, that the city sold for a song a few years back.

My point? Garfield, Roosevelt, hold on to what you have tightly. You’re lucky to have it and it’s worth the fight.

By: joshuadf

joshuadf — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:24:13 +0000

SPS also did a nice job with Roosevelt High School. I don't have the figures handy, but these schools were very expensive when they were built, too. At that time (about 1890-1910) the people Seattle made a decision that quality was worth it. You can read about some of it and see some pictures in my wife's thesis: A “Poor Man’s Friend”? A Study of Seattle Public Schools Alongside the Diary of Helen McMicken, 1880-1900 (large PDF). Another biased but decent book is Good Schools: The Seattle Public School System, 1901-1930 (it's a little over the top about Frank Cooper, who was great and all but not a savior).

By: The Overhead Wire

The Overhead Wire — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:26:35 +0000

Nevermind. It’s in Tacoma. Many you all have some beautiful schools up there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadium_High_School