Guest forum:   (July 3, 2003)

Creativity and Ashland's schools

By Susan Castillo
State superintendent of public education

What do the Zulu King and an African drummer have to do with one another? At Walker Elementary, the students from rooms eight and ten connected them all through an African extravaganza. I visit elementary schools all over the state but I have never been to a school quite like Walker Elementary. Theatre has huge influence in a community like Ashland because of its close proximity to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival but when I saw what an impact it had on the children at such a young age I was amazed. These kids were incredible! They are talented and enthusiastic and it shows in their extraordinary performance.

I got to meet the Zulu King and characters in the African alphabet during a performance of African Fête. It was the culmination of a year of hard work and creative learning. This year classes took time to celebrate the diversity and commonality of human kind. The students looked at the world and clearly understand how our relationships with each other and with the rest of our planet will go hand in hand forever. A drummer from Ghana was invited to share about his culture, and drew from the theatrical community to develop a top-notch children's performance.

Why go to such efforts to bring in new and exciting curriculum? The answer is not only to share a new cultural experience with the kids of Ashland but also because it raises test scores and achievement. This has proven to be true over the past five years, the scores in both math and reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress have steadily increased as the school integrated more diverse curricula. In a city like Ashland schools have a wealth of opportunity to add a creative dynamic that can be found right in their own back yard. I could see this strong link between the schools and the community in the short time I was there.

Success and improvement extend throughout the Ashland District. With innovative learning programs and small class sizes, test scores have shown steady district wide improvement in both reading and math. Across the district, teachers, parents, and community leaders are coming together to protect the success of our children.

This spirit of cooperation has made Oregon a leader in public education. Despite recent national criticism, over the last decade Oregon students have scored higher each year on tests in the third, fifth, eighth, and tenth grades. Third grade students have increased scores in reading from 52 percent to 82 percent and from 35 percent to 75 percent in math over the course of the past decade. As a state, we have demanded that all students meet higher standards, and they have met them.

Just as our children come together to take on new projects and meet new standards, we must all come together to maintain our schools' success. Economic times may be tough, but our schools simply cannot bear additional cuts. We must keep pushing local and state legislators to take a strong stand for schools. From Astoria to Ashland, each of us has a responsibility to secure the future of our children, our schools and our state. It's time to roll up our sleeves, dig in with our hands, and work together to find a solution.

Editor's note: Susan Castillo can be reached at superintendent.castillo@state.or.us.