We Believe:

Every Child Deserves a Comprehensive Education.   We believe every child is entitled to a complete education focusing on the whole child.  This includes arts, physical education, math, science, reading, world language, social sciences, technology, and vocational training.  We want students to leave our classrooms prepared to pursue any avenue of life they choose.  We develop critical thinking skills and prepare students to be productive members of society.  Education both prepares students for work and teaches them the value of lifelong learning.

Issaquah Teachers Are Highly Skilled Professionals.   Trained educators are most qualified to make instructional decisions and work with parents to determine the best ways to address their children’s learning styles.  A “one size fits all” model does not work for curriculum, instructional strategies, assessments or teacher evaluations. Students are best served when teachers determine what instruction and assessments will best meet the needs of their students.

We Commit To:

High Standards for ALL Students.   We are committed to holding all students to high standards for learning.  All students deserve to be pushed to their highest potential.

Building Lifelong Learners.   Education is more than job-specific training.  Education teaches students to be lifelong learners, and lifelong learners can adapt to the many changes they will face in their lives and in modern society. Lifelong learners continuously improve their problem solving and communication skills.

Constant Growth and Improvement in Our Instructional Skill.   Issaquah teachers seek meaningful professional development that will allow us to grow as educators and improve our ability to engage our students in vibrant and inspiring lessons.  We continually evaluate and improve our work by refining lessons and learning new ways to reach students.

Accountability.  We take great pride in our teaching, and we hold ourselves and our peers to high standards. Just as we take responsibility for preparing for our students, we teach our students to take responsibility for doing their best work and reaching their highest potential.

We Want to See:

Individual Attention for Students.   Teachers most effectively respond to the individual needs of the students in personalized learning environments.  Every child is a unique individual, and each individual receives the best education in small classes.

Time to Prepare for Greatest Student Learning.  Students learn most when a teacher is both prepared with engaging lessons and is able to respond creatively and effectively to the challenges of the day.  Teachers need time to reflect on their students, puzzle over instructional challenges, and create class activities. Sufficient planning time makes teachers more effective in responding to students’ needs in the classroom.

Respect for Professional Judgment.  Teachers are creative and critical thinkers who model lifelong learning for our students.  We continually question and evaluate the effectiveness of our teaching practices, and we discover better ways to reach our students. For students to reach their highest potential, teachers must be free to use these discoveries to select the most appropriate assessments and the best instructional practices to fit the needs of each group of students.