Letter to the Editor
A Highline School Board Candidate, Katie Kresly, submitted the following Letter to the Editor.
[NOTE FROM EDITOR: Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Highline Journal or Daniel Media. If you wish to submit a story, photo, article, or letter, please email us at info@thehighlinejournal.com. We look forward to hearing from you.]
This letter to the editor is in response to a B-Town Blog letter posted on October 8 regarding the League of Women Voters forum:
Dear Highline Voters,
If you're satisfied with the status quo, or if you believe it's acceptable that Highline Schools have fallen from average to the bottom quartile, then by all means – vote for the school board incumbents in this November 4th election.
But if you believe that every child, regardless of race, creed, color, or identity, deserves to read, write, and think to standard, then it’s time for change.
A mere 15 years ago, Highline’s performance was in the middle of the state. Now it’s in the bottom 25 percent. That decline did not happen by accident. It happened because district leadership lost its balance—elevating “belonging” while neglecting academics.
Belonging and academics must go hand in hand; one without the other cannot sustain student success. A culture of belonging without rigorous academics produces hollow outcomes, while academics without belonging fail to engage the whole child. Together, they are the bedrock of true equity and excellence.
Highline is not keeping its promise to “prepare students for the future they choose.” The schools are equitable, but only because two-thirds of students are failing to meet proficiency levels in reading and writing. That’s not equity—that’s equal failure.
Literacy is the most equitable thing we can do for Highline students.
As one community member recently observed, “Highline is graduating students prepared to be Uber drivers instead of attorneys.”
This is not acceptable.
Illiteracy knows no skin color.
Every child, regardless of background, has the capacity to thrive and deserves the opportunity to grow to the best of their abilities.
This election cycle, there are three strong, Highline-immersed candidates running—Katie Kresly, Kenneth Kemp, and Sue-Ann Hohimer—because we know that Highline students deserve a far better academic experience than they are getting today. Parents and the community all want successful children, and they know that isn’t happening under the current board’s leadership.
A vote for change is a vote for our children’s future. School board elections matter more than ever.
Sincerely,
Katie Kresly
Candidate for Highline School Board, Position 3
[NOTE FROM EDITOR: If you wish to submit a story, photo, article or letter, please email us at info@thehighlinejournal.com Even if you wish to remain anonymous, please include your name and phone number so we may contact you privately. We look forward to hearing from you.]
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