School Board Director
For Other Published Responses to date:
The Highline Journal reached out to the School District Board candidates for a “Question of the Week.” Academic success remains a top concern amongst voters in our community. Below is the question and non-edited responses we received from the local candidates regarding improving academic outcomes.
Week 1 Question- Highline School Board Candidates: Currently, only 43% of Highline students are achieving one year’s academic growth in English Language Arts, while 80% are below grade level and half are three or more years behind. The district’s strategic plan sets a goal of increasing the percentage of students achieving one year of growth by 5% annually. What is your vision for improving academic outcomes for all students, especially those who are falling behind?
Angelica Alvarez, (Incumbent) Position 2: No response received.
Sue-Ann Hohimer, District 2:
“By the end of 4th grade, one of my four sons still couldn’t read. He had severe dyslexia and our beloved public school simply didn’t have the systems in place to effectively help, once he had fallen so far behind.
We were fortunate to be able to send him to a private school exclusively for students with dyslexia, but that should also be an option for our Highline District students, regardless of ability to pay. One element of my big, bold vision for Highline is that we establish a 5th-8th grade Reading Academy for public school students with an IEP and diagnosis of Dyslexia. This academy could also serve as headquarters for continued literacy instruction for our K-3 teachers so that we can continue to offer all Highline students the very best in strong, intentional, and explicit science-based literacy instruction which can positively impact the reading trajectories of all students, especially those with economic disadvantages.”
Katie Kresly, District 3:
“First, the good news: Highline can rebuild strong academics and support a culture of belonging—they are fully compatible.
But, let’s face it—we have been slipping in student learning for many years with no signs of improvement. Highline is not alone in this struggle, but we have an opportunity to lead the way in restoring educational excellence and set the standard for the Puget Sound region.
This fall, we opened two new high school rebuilds—Tyee and Evergreen. These beautiful facilities provide the perfect setting for a renewed focus on rigor and meaningful instruction. Tyee’s partnership with Virginia Mason for healthcare careers underscores how essential a strong foundation in learning will be for success.
My districtwide vision for improving student outcomes begins with transparency - setting specific, measurable goals and making literacy Highline’s top priority. According to the Science of Reading, 95% of students can learn to read proficiently when taught with evidence-based methods.
Our focus must be on teaching each child to read proficiently by the end of third grade.
For older students who have fallen behind, we must fully engage multi-tiered support systems and reinstate reading programs like Read Write to help them catch up and thrive.
My vision is to inspire a renewed hope and love of learning in the students of Highline.”
Katie4Highline@gmail.com
www.katiekresly.com
Joe Van, (Incumbent) District 3: No response received.
Damarys Espinoza, (Incumbent) District 4: “I’m not participating in media interviews at this time.”
damarys4highlineschools@gmail.com
electdamarys.com
Ken Kemp, District 4: No response received.
kenneth4highline@gmail.com
VoteKen.org
Blaine Holien, (Incumbent), District 5: (We didn't reach out to Dir. Holien because he is unopposed.)
Additional Submitted Questions from Readers to School Board Candidates:
Q: For School Board Candidates: How do you propose more accountability? What steps do you propose to increase transparency between the schools and the Highline community?
Q: Hi have 3 questions for Highline School Board candidates:
1.) Some parents are concerned that our current elementary ELA program and materials are not evidence-based. Additionally, there are concerns that changes to foundational skills programs and classroom materials are being rolled out unevenly across the district. As a director, what are the steps that you would take to ensure all students are taught to read with evidence-based materials?
2. )If elected, and you were presented with a recommendation from district staff or other board directors that you felt did not adequately address an issue, what actions would you take to ensure your voice was heard and to ensure accountability around that issue?
3.)The district's strategic plan includes a goal to increase the percentage of students who achieve at least one year of ELA growth by 5% annually. We also have 41% of our students below grade level in ELA. When a goal of 1 year of growth does not a student back on track to grade level proficiency, does our strategic plan goal seem adequate? As a director, would you advocate for changing the district's strategic plan goal for ELA growth?
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