WALLA WALLA – Legislation regarding education funding and reform has always been a hot topic in Olympia, and this year is no exception. Last week, a group of local education professional spoke at Whitman College to share their priorities and concerns in a discussion titled Changes and Challenges in Education.

Sergio Hernandez

Sergio Hernandez gave what could arguably be considered the most surprising statistic of the presentation when he shared that the three states with the most languages spoken in school are California, with 210 languages, New York, with 169 languages, and Washington, with 163 languages.

Hernandez has worked in education for 47 years, is a retired school superintendent, and is currently the Equity and Access Coordinator for Walla Walla Public Schools. He sees the biggest challenges in education as the lack of minority teachers, the need for bilingual teachers, and students entering the system with a high number of ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences).

Hernandez said 50% of the students in the U.S. are children of color while only 20% of teachers are of color.

He said that the ethnic population in Walla Walla schools has increased from 13% in 2004-05 to 22% in 2015-16. He told of a superintendent in Kent, Wash., who said that of the 24 students in his fourth grade class, 20 did not speak English at home. Bilingual teachers are in high demand.

The third priority for Hernandez is to help offset the toxic stress that impacts students and interferes with their ability to learn. He shared statistics indicating that caring classroom experiences resulted in students performing as if they had no adverse childhood experiences.

Erin Dorso

Erin Dorso has taught grades 6-12 English Language Arts in Florida, Japan, and Washington State. She now supports schools across southeastern Washington as a Regional Literacy Coordinator.

Dorso said that, in regards to education, the methods are always changing, but the goals remain constant. Over the last 10 years she has seen distinct changes in teaching methods.

The first is a change in classroom culture from an obedience mindset to a learning mindset, which she described as learning with the student rather than teaching to the student.

Second is the change from a teacher-centered classroom, with lectures and independent work, to a student-centered classroom that involved collaboration and inquiry-based learning.

“It’s a change from ‘sage on a stage to guide on the side,’” she said.

Finally, Dorso noted a change from content-driven education to skills-driven education. She said the goal used to be to acquire knowledge. With the Internet, information is readily available to everyone and it’s more important that students know what to do with that knowledge.

“The one thing that doesn’t change is kids who want to learn. Make sure you love kids more than your subject area,” she admonished aspiring teachers.

Samantha Bowen

Samantha Bowen is a Director of Early Learning at ESD 123 and Director of Early Childhood and Parenting Education at Walla Walla Community College. Bowen spoke on the importance of investing in education in the early, formative years.

She said studies show that students who start behind, stay behind and that 90% of the brain’s development takes place between birth and age five. Statistics also show that one dollar invested early on will save seven dollars down the road.

Bowen said the Washington Legislature invested $158 million in early learning when it passed the Early Start Act in 2015. That act will take effect in July. Under the act, childcare and preschool providers who accept state subsidies for low-income families will be required to participate in the state’s Early Achiever program to help get kids ready for Kindergarten.

Bowen said challenges in implementing the act include the need for better data, ensuring that children are not without care because of the lack of qualified providers, and how to make the protocols work for childcare providers.

Darcy Weisner

Darcy Weisner taught school for 20 years before serving as an assistant principal in Spokane for three years, Walla Walla High School principal for four years, and as superintendent in Clarkston for four years. He is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Support at ESD 123 in Pasco.

Weisner’s concerns focused on providing support to both staff and students. He said that many teachers are lost in the first year because they feel unsupported. Weisner echoed Hernandez’ concerns for students who come from adverse backgrounds and advocated a trauma-sensitive approach to teaching and student engagement. He stressed the importance of developing trust and safety among students.

“The most important thing is that educators need to love kids where they are at and inspire them to do more so they can move to a different place,” he said.