Congresswoman Susan Davis recently visited award winning Parkway Middle School to be interviewed by student reporters from Parkway’s media and broadcast program.
Davis is the representative for the 53rd congressional district, which includes La Mesa and Spring Valley. Parkway Middle School is part of the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District (LMSVSD) and was named a California Distinguished School earlier this year.
Davis was greeted by Parkway principal Mary Beason and two student ambassadors. Principal Beason highlighted how the teachers created a workable plan to substantially improve student testing results while preserving a thoughtful and inclusive approach to learning. The resulting scores, paired with the overall culture of learning and community partnerships were enough to win the distinguished school award for Parkway.
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Representative Davis met students from Parkways Builder’s Club, a Kiwanis Club/student partnership group, which does community service events in the local region, and from the school’s yearbook class. In addition to the students, representatives from the Fletcher Hills Kiwanis Club, PTA, and other community groups were on hand to welcome her.
After being presented with a distinguished schools pin, Parkway ASB plaque, and school spirit t-shirt, Davis was taken to visit the school’s media class, taught by Bruce Cornish. The media students rotate between acting as news anchors for the morning school news broadcast, running the camera, sound, and editing equipment, and creating independent short news stories for future broadcast. The media lab even has its own studio.
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Two student reporters conducted an interview with Davis, which was shown to the school on the following day. Davis noted that although she has been interviewed by students before, she has never been part of a middle school news TV broadcast.
After the interview, the congresswoman visited a history classroom and engaged in a lively and thoughtful question and answer session with the students. Davis encouraged the students to “Be willing to be daring in your lives.” She clarified that she wanted them to make good and safe choices but hoped they would be open to learning about new things and trying new educational and cultural experiences.
Before Davis left the school, LMSVSD Superintendent Brian Marshall, and school board members Dr. Emma Turner and Jerry Lecko discussed both the danger of further sequester cuts to federal education funding and the ongoing need for meaningful revision to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)/No Child Left Behind (NCLB) with her.
Link to interview posted to YouTube:
