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FEATURES
October 20, 2017
Financial inequality and the academic achievement gap High schoolers buy into a “pay-to-win” philosophy Isabel Funk features editor
Mercer Island students represent a typical group of high-schoolers in an affluent suburb: hardworking, ambitious, and goal-oriented. Due to the overwhelming factor of wealth in the Mercer Island School District, students benefit from extra services in order to bolster their academic abilities, high-school transcript, and college applications. The financial inequality within communities, especially on Mercer Island, often leads to a widening of the academic achievement gap. One of the numerous options available to Mercer Island students is Privett Academy. This private school near Mercer Island High School offers individual courses to high schoolers who want a smaller class size and individualized teaching. Classes at Privett Academy have a max-
imum of ten students, meaning that teachers can spend more time with each student. The personalized pace and smaller course load makes this an appealing option to students who struggle with the rigor and acceleration of Honors or AP level classes. Additionally, some students will turn to Privett when they cannot fit a class into their 7-period schedule at the high school. “I think Privett is easier than taking a course at the high school,” said Parker Kittilsby, a student at Privett Academy for his Pre-Calculus class. “But I don’t think it’s because they dumb down their teaching to the students. It is easier because, for the most part, you get to learn how you want to learn and go at the pace you want to go at.” However, taking classes at Privett comes with a hefty price tag, meaning not every Mercer Island student can take advan-
tage of the academy’s resources. The cost of a class at Privett with three or more students is $40/ hour. A class with two students costs $45/hour, and an individual class costs $56/hour. Not including the $40/month transportation fee provided for students coming from MIHS’ campus, a student taking a yearlong course will spend a minimum of $6,400 for one class. This cost means that Privett, while extremely beneficial for students with adequate financial resources, creates a barrier for some students’ access. This automatically puts a certain portion of students at a disadvantage who are unable to pay for specialized attention. Another option to support a student’s academic pursuits is private college counseling for expertise about the college application process. “[My counselor] has less students than the
school counselors, so he can really get to know his clients and give them very personalized assistance,” said Rani Woerner, a junior in the midst of preparing for college. “My counselor has given me advice on taking the ACT and SAT, found summer programs I was interested in, edited essays for summer program applications, and advised me on classes I should take and volunteering I should be doing,” Woerner said. A private college counselor can meet with students more frequently and give more specialized advice, giving the student more freedom. However, MIHS counselor Susan Sutherin has a different perspective. “I think if the student could embrace the entire college counseling program here, and if they had routine meetings with their high school counselor as well as take advantage of the counselor of the day to get their questions
answered, they wouldn’t need a college counselor,” said Sutherin. Many students also attend classes to prepare for their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), or their American College Test (ACT). At these classes, students learn studying skills for standardized tests, helpful hints and tips to be successful test-takers, and specific topics to focus on. “Considering that my score raised a couple hundred points since my first practice test, I think I am much better off after taking the class,” Charlie Fischer, a junior at MIHS said. Standardized tests supposedly create an equal playing field for high school aged kids across the country, but many of these expensive tutoring classes insure that students have a leg-up in the competitive world of test scores. Many Mercer Island students utilize tutoring services to help them with specific classes.
I think students hire private tutors in a subject because Mercer Island High School students tend to be very busy. We do have a free tutoring program after school but it’s right after school which usually conflicts with students’ schedules,” Sutherin said. In a regular class, teachers generally have 30 or more students to supervise. For further explanation and deeper understanding, many students will reach out to tutors for help in specific classes. The various forms in which families on Mercer Island invest in their childrens’ futures place many students at a clear advantage. Paying extra for tutors, college counselors, private courses, and testprep corresponds to higher grades, test scores, and stronger applications; practice widens the educational achievement gap and directly points to the entrenched culture of privilege on Mercer Island.
New therapy puppy at MIHS Crest: beyond the stereotypes Common misconceptions about the program
Sami Bender and Landon Cobbs staff writers
Every year the Mercer Island School District makes improvements to the school community, whether it be better lunch or new scholastic programs. This year, Mercer Island High School welcomed a therapy dog named Finley, a golden retriever, residing in room 311. Finley has been a moral support for many students at MIHS. His owner, Andrea Confalone, teaches Resource and adopted Finley this past summer. While the school day can be rough and stressful, Finley spreads a positive atmosphere throughout the school. The stress-reducing distraction is the main reason for having Finley. Maren Moll, a sophomore who shares a class with Finley, said “when [she] feels stressed about an essay, he always calms [her] down and reassures [her] that [she] can do it.” Thorough research has proven there is a 60 percent decrease in self-reported loneliness and anxiety when students used therapy dogs. Dogs have been found to increase levels of oxytocin, a hormone that reduces anxiety and blood pressure. People become less frightened
Joy Francke and Kate Francke staff writers
Photo by Spencer Klein Finley is available during passing periods and first lunch on regular days.
and more secure when they pet dogs. Because of the excessive demands on counseling departments in recent years, counselors have experimented with many different ways to alleviate stress within a school community. Dog therapy programs are a new and developing strategy to reduce student anxiety throughout the school day. Workload and overall stress has greatly increased in the 21st century due to more coursework and competition to succeed. Anxiety and loneliness on campuses has risen within the past decades, putting more demand on counseling departments to come up with new solutions. Explaining why she pur-
chased Finley, Confalone said, “I wanted to get another golden retriever with the intent of training [him] for therapy. From the moment I got him, I wanted to train [Finley] as a therapy dog. I’ve seen lots of kids have positive interactions because of Finley.” Confalone believes she has addressed concerns about allergic reactions. “I’ve promised [the school district] he would not be out and about in the hallways, which he is not. Finley is crated when not working.” Finley is currently going through dog therapy certification process, but because of his young age, he will not be certified until he passes several more levels of obedience training.
Crest Learning Center aims to offer a project based approach to learning in an accepting and diverse environment. However, since its opening in 1971, many students have become either unfamiliar with the program, or misjudge it as an option for Mercer Island students who struggle with academics or substance abuse. The alternative school offers several classes that are not offered in the main building, including ones in horticulture and creative writing. The program has also developed a learning facility that provides smaller class sizes, allowing teachers to focus on individual needs of students. Unfortunately, many students at MIHS are unaware of Crest in its entirety. “People think that Crest is where the dumb kids go,” said one student currently attending a block class at Crest. Instead of studying out of textbooks and listening to lectures, Crest is known for its kinesthetic
lessons with an emphasis on creativity and self expression. “Not the smartest, not the brightest people, but I haven’t met anyone that actually takes classes there so I’m not one to judge,” Niteeka Narayan, a freshman, said in response to Crest student rumors. The lack of discussion about Crest on Mercer Island could be attributed to the stereotypes many individuals feel are preconceived notions. “[Some kids] think Crest is where the drug addicts go, but it’s not like that,” said another student. Over the years, Crest pupils have been unfairly labeled as “druggies,” despite statistics proving that the majority of students in the school district do not use substances. “I believe misconceptions that people make about Crest could equally be made about any high school in America. My students have been called, dumb, drug addicts, stupid, underachieves, troublemakers, cringey, futureless burnouts, lesser than, invisible, unknown, low priority. It’s heart-
breaking, and entirely untrue,” said Michael Harper, a history, English, and Creative Writing teacher at Crest. Fortunately, despite the misconceptions, staff members attempt to highlight healthy relationships, community, fun, and work ethic in the school. “The goal of Crest is to help students reach their goals. I want every student that I teach to not need me anymore when they are gone. To be independent, civically empathetic, culturally responsive, people in the world who can criticize what’s wrong with it, and help move it towards something that’s a little bit better for everybody. That’s my personal goal. And at large, most of us teachers at Crest, we are in it for those reasons,” Harper said about his hopes for his students. In reality, regardless of the accuracy of its stereotypes, Crest offers many students an accepting and safe environment to pursue their passions, learn about the world around them, and build friendships, while accommodating their learning styles more effectively.