With the upcoming Northshore School District (NSD) school board elections, I feel compelled to advocate for change. I’ve seen, first hand, the damage that has occurred because of the ‘challenge’ program that went into effect at our junior high schools several years ago.

The ‘challenge’ program succeeds in one thing; allocating an uneven amount of NSD resources per student to a program that addresses social divides more than educational/learning success. This is a disservice to all of NSD’s students including the students currently in the challenge program. This campaign is misguided and is not the best way to help our students achieve the skills they need for success.

The bigger picture and real challenge is to address changing the whole system so that we can incorporate the neuroscience of learning in all of our schools. We need to differentiate teaching for all of our students.

Please consider a different direction of supporting teachers and students rather than obstructing what will be the future of education. Your current focus has a limited life span. There is overwhelming data, based on the neuroscience of how we learn, that is proving there are more effective ways to teaching students how to learn and solve problems.

I want NSD to be a leader in education. Continuing to support ‘challenge ‘programs and ‘teaching’ to the state tests has nothing to do with teaching students how to learn and persevere when they are faced with real challenges.

Please, as NSD community members, elect the people that educators are supporting.

If you choose to include my comments, you can use my complete name.

Cyndee Wiese, Bothell