Editor, Townsman:
I was principal of West Elementary School from 2005 to 2019, and before that I was an assistant principal and teacher at the school. West is a wonderful learning community of hardworking students, dedicated teachers and engaged families.
The building, however, is old and presents many barriers to 21st century education.
The classrooms provide limited space for teaching and learning. The teachers are constrained when planning groupings for teamwork, differentiated instruction and collaboration. These activities have been delegated to heavily traveled corridors.
Students using accommodations such as “speech to text” sit out in the hallway for “privacy.” Opportunities for co-taught classes and grade-level gatherings have been limited…
