Our teachers deserve better classrooms

     During the past month, I have had the opportunity to lead community members through the high school exploring the nooks and crannies of our 50 year old building. Many agreed that it was time to reinvest in a new building. All agreed, regardless of the bricks and mortar, it was the teachers who made the difference in education.

Whitefish High School is blessed to have high quality committed teachers who work hard to best serve their students. They are, however, hindered by the terrible conditions of their building. Along with their students, they struggle each day with frigid classrooms, leaking ceilings, windowless classrooms, and failed and leaking plumbing. More importantly, they are unable to employ many contemporary teaching strategies as their obsolete building is not properly wired for today’s technology or configured for current teaching methods.

Despite these terrible conditions, they make the best of their environment with great spirit. One of our math teachers recently laughed about how her frosted over windows were actually a benefit as her students can use their fingers to write their math problems in the ice. In an isolated windowless room, a Spanish teacher has decorated the ceilings and walls to replace the claustrophobic atmosphere to a festive setting.

While our teachers approach this problem with the best of attitudes, they will be significantly better able to serve their students with the right building and the right tools. In the proposed facility, teachers will be able to collaborate offering combined, project-based classes in science, math, English and social studies to name a few. They will be able to organize learning and presentations to an entire grade and to deliver critical standardized tests in an environment actually conducive to success. Specialized technology studios will create the opportunity to provide expansive virtual learning offerings to augment WHS’s high quality core curriculum with expanded choices in foreign languages, advanced placement classes and other electives not typically available in a small school.    

While our current teachers have learned to adapt as best as possible to their current facility, there is a new issue on the horizon. A large percentage of the faculty will be retiring over the next several years, requiring the recruitment of new, high quality teachers. The current building is, however, a major detraction as it lacks the design and technology that young, talented teachers expect.

Unfortunately, this dilemma will be diminished to some degree if the community decides not to support the current bond request. There are many families in the lower and middle schools for which repair of the high school facility is critical to their decision to keep their kids in Whitefish. Failure to fix the building will increase the defection rate to Glacier and other area high schools. Because of Montana’s school funding system that fixes available funding for schools at $6,500 per student, the loss of nine students results in the loss of the funding for a teacher. This creates the potential for a vicious cycle as remaining parents realizing that the faculty ranks are shrinking along with student population will feel additional pressure to choose an alternative school.  

While some say that a good teacher can teach in a barn, our teachers deserve better than their decrepit barn of a school. Their ability to use their talents to the greatest extent will be dramatically enhanced in the right facility. As a result, the children of Whitefish will get what they deserve: the best education possible.

Whitefish is lucky to have such high quality teachers. It’s time to invest in them as they invest their careers, passion and energy in the future of our community, our kids.

— Dave Carlson is the

Whitefish High School principal