Thanks, Terry

by Tom

Five years ago, Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson was running for re-election in what was to be her second-toughest campaign. She was challenged by Judith Billings, who had the job before Terry took over in 1996. My mom called to tell me that there was going to be a debate between the two candidates at our local community college and she wanted me to take her to watch it. So I did, and on the way over she asked which candidate I was supporting. "Billings," I told her, but mostly because she had the support of the WEA, and I've always been a union guy.

We got there and walked up towards the front, because my mom wanted good seats. Terry immediately came over, said hello and introduced herself to my mom. My mom liked that. And then the debate started. I have never seen a contest so lopsided. (And I've been to a ton of Mariners games.) When we got back to my car to go home, my mother turned to me. "Can you honestly sit there and tell me you're not going to vote for Terry Bergeson?" It wasn't just her poise and her command of the facts that blew Billings away, it was her passion. And it was that passion that characterized her twelve years leading our state's public schools.

If I had to pick one word to describe the teaching environment I found when I started teaching in the mid 80's it would be "loose." I encountered teachers teaching pretty much anything they wanted. I knew one that spent six weeks teaching a unit on Teddy Bears. Seriously. Grades were either completely subjective or were based on systems created entirely by individual teachers. No one was telling anyone what to do or how to do it. The world I entered was anything but standardized.

That began to change when the Washington State Legislature passed an important school reform bill in 1993, but it really turned around when Bergeson and her passion took over as SPI four years later. Out went the teddy bears and in came the standards. Teaching might not be as fun or permissive as in the old days, but it's a lot more satisfying. Thanks largely to Terry, we have high standards in this state. Teachers know what to teach and they're held accountable for it. As far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing. And the results speak for themselves: Among states that test at least half of their high school students, Washington State now has the highest SAT scores in the country.

Speaking of tests, no discussion about Terry Bergeson would be complete without a word or two about the WASL. (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) This test, mandated by the legislature back in 1993, has become both a high school graduation requirement as well as the test used to determine each school's NCLB status in our state. Much has already been said about the WASL, both pro and con, and opposition to its high-stakes use is probably what led to Bergeson's defeat in the last election. But to the end, she remained passionate about high standards and the tough tests that go along with them. And as a teacher who's actually seen the test and watched his students taking it, let me just say this: You can't have high standards without a tough assessment. Whether it's being used properly is the subject for another post, but the test itself is very good. It really does measure the standards that we're being told to teach.

But Terry Bergeson didn't just push for high standards and a tough test with which to assess them. What separates her from the rest of the school reform pack is that she understands teachers and what they're going through. She knows that you can't just demand better teaching and expect it to happen, because believe it or not, most teachers are already doing their jobs as well as they know how. During her time in office, Bergeson became one of our state's most passionate supporters of National Board Certification, a proven process that raises the capacity of teachers. She pushed hard to get a substantial bonus in order to encourage classroom teachers to go through this career-changing process, seeing it as a smart investment in the education of our kids. And it worked; Washington State is tenth in the country in the number of NBCTs, and fifth in the nation in the number of new NBCTs.

And now she's left the building. There's not much else to say except thanks. Thanks for your passion. Thanks for the last twelve years. And Terry, you can thank my mom for at least two votes.

6 thoughts on “Thanks, Terry

  1. Lisa McKeen

    It’s long overdue, but I have to say that Terry Bergeson made me a better teacher. She did that by challenging my vision and understand of what students were capable of, by inviting me to the table to have open, honest discussions, and by never giving up on the vision of us doing our best teaching so that students could do their best learning. I am afraid of what will happen now that we are focused on assessment that is cost effective, rather than just effective. I am afraid that we will lose sight of our goals. I will miss Terry and her drive.
    Lisa McKeen

  2. Mark Gardner

    From discussion in my faculty lunchroom, I thought I was the only teacher in the state who was voting for Terry–especially after the WEA endorsement. My vote, too, was based on my face to face interactions with her, which gave me much more perspective about the challenging position she was in. I believe she carried out the directives given her by the legislature, the voters, very competently and with her trademark passion. She was given a tough job and had to promote something which would challenge our system and force it to grow–just like when we challenge our kids, they sometimes resist. Growth, real change, requires pain and it is easier to focus on the pain rather than the growth that is the result. The fact that she caused our system “growing pains” is proof of her power as a educator.

  3. Linda Johnson

    Tom, your tribute to Terry really captures her leadership. I’d like to mention, she not only led teachers to develop higher expectations and standards BUT also provided Washington State teachers the opportunity to develop an assessment specifically focused on our standards. Also, teachers were able to participate in scoring the assessment. This was very wise on Terry’s part! She knew this would provide teachers with quality and meaningful professional development needed to help students meet our expectations and standards.
    I believe Terry will historically be our strongest and most effective Superintendent of Public Instruction. Thank you Terry for your passion, committment, determination, vision, and dedication to teachers and our students.

  4. John

    This is a nice tribute, Tom. No matter how you feel about what she did and what she stood for, nobody who ever spent any time in her presence can deny that she worked tirelessly, passionately, and thoughtfully to improve education for the kids in this state. She did understand the challenges of teachers, and she always wanted to learn more about those challenges so she could help overcome them. Thank you Terry!

  5. Nancy Flanagan

    Tom, your honest and thoughtful post ought to be read by teachers and school leaders everywhere–especially your observation that standards and a fair assessment, tied to those standards, are cornerstones of good educational practice. It’s far more important to use assessments to continuously re-shape what we do as teachers than to compare scores, as well. I am sure this post will be forwarded to Ms. Bergeson, and will mean more than other honors and awards. Thanks for writing.

  6. Travis A. Wittwer

    Once again, you have delightfully set to words a great idea in education. This time, Terry Bergeson, who has done so much for Washington’s education. Every time I meet her, I am taken by both how personable she is when discussing educational reform or philosophy as well as how committed she is to getting things done. I even remember needed some information on NBPTS and no one was able to get that to me so I emailed her. She emailed me back with just what I needed. Now that is style. Thanks, Terry. A wonderful twelve years. Very wonderful indeed.

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