Position Statement

By Catherine L. "Cathy" Minkema

Student safety, academics and vocational education, extracurricular activities, technology, facutly, and the role of the board.

In light of previous years' events, student safety must be paramount in importance to our schools. Our students have a right to a violence free campus, whether the threat is from on or off campus. They need to feel safe and secure in order to fully realize their educational opportunities. This can be accomplished through a strong board policy enfoced by a proactive administration.

Academics

The primary purpose of high school is to educate our young people. Thus, nothing is more important than educational quality. Both the high schools in this district are excellent schools that achieve at a level that exceeds local, state, and national averages. Arcata High School is a California Distinguished School and McKinleyville High School is considering applying in 2000-01.

Our students will follow many paths after graduation so our high schools must be flexible enough to accommodate a variety of educational goals. We need to be able to provide rigorous and challenging academic courses for our college-bound youngsters. At the same time, students with no college aspirations should be provided with rigorous and challenging courses that allow them to obtain useful skills to help them find and hold jobs, run a business, or maintain a household. Quality of instruction should be the same for all students and should not be a function of the pathway chosen.

Recent state requirements are placing many challenges before our schools and students. The Class of 2004 will be the first class that will be required to pass an exit exam as a requirement of graduation. We need to be accountable to our students and parents in meeting those challenges. We also need to provide support services (tutorial, extra class time, Saturday study sessions or classes, counseling, etc) to those students who might experience difficulty in passing the exit exam for graduation.

Extracurricular Activities

Teenagers need extracurricular and social activities of all types to increase their experiences, make them feel a part of the school community, and to build self confidence. These activities often provide a focus and connection between school and community. From sports to clubs to music and plays, we need to support our student's interests whatever they may be and provide opportunities for them to explore different areas.

Technology

Both high schools are "digital high schools" which means a high level of computer equipment and instruction in the classrooms. I support the continued acquisition of hardware and the infusion of technology across all subject areas. This area of education is invaluable to students regardless of which career path they choose. It also offers new areas for vocation courses such as classes in computer maintenance and repair, programming, networks, Microsoft courses, etc. This District has been a leader in this area, and I believe our students have benefited greatly. We need to continue to adjust our curriculum to incorporate the technology available to prepare our students for the 21st century.

Faculty

Our high schools are blessed with dedicated faculty. Too often we take them for granted and fail to remember the long hours that they put in doing lesson plans, grading papers, and supervising extracurricular activities. Often excellence goes both unnoticed and unrewarded. We forget that it is the faculty who are professionals trained in education. In educational matters, we need to listen carefully to what they have to say and recognize their contributions.

Role of the Board

Members of the Board of Trustees are elected by the voters to oversee all aspects of the high school education of young adults in the District. In order to do that, I believe board members need to maintain an open mind. Input from students, parents, teachers, and administrations are important before any policies or decisions are made.

The goal should always be to strive for the best for all students. If my son were attending either high school today, I would be very happy with his education. The adademic content is good; each school has excellent teachers, staff, and administrators; the physical plant is being modernized; and student spirit is high. I am committed to coninuing the task of making our high schools the very best they can be for all our students.