I just finished reading an article about the opening of the new Jenks Math and Science Center near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The article is very positive and describes the school as a wonderful place for education. As an architect, it makes me happy to see an article that describes the new school positively. It’s apparent that many people in the community are very proud of the accomplishment. Not only is it a place that students love to be in, but the building itself is a teaching tool. The building is a lesson in energy efficiency–equipped with wind turbines and geothermal–it serves as a hands-on example for sustainability.
Despite the article describing this to be such a wonderful new asset to the community, many commented on the article, implying that this is a waste of taxpayers money and describe it as being a monument. Lucky Ed says “Preachers often judge their accomplishments by how large a church building they can get built. Seems like school superintendents do the same. Would rather pay for good salaries for good teachers and scale back on monuments.” This mentality is pervasive throughout many communities. In some communities this voice is so loud that they are not able to build any new facilities or do any major transformations to their existing facilities. They are content with just fixing the roofs on their 50-year-old schools that were designed to accommodate compartmentalized subjects and a memorization-based curriculum.
I am afraid for our society. I can’t understand why people think if a school looks nice and is inspiring to be in, that it’s a waste of taxpayer’s money or it’s a monument to some superintendent. I guess buildings don’t matter, right? Let’s just build inexpensive pole barns for our children to be in all day. They don’t care, they’re just kids. As long as we get “good” teachers and pay them a “good” salary, the kids will learn, right?
Yes, times are tough. The economy sucks. I can understand that some people feel upset about paying more taxes. This point-of-view, however, is shortsighted and selfish, it puts the community in a downward spiral. What happened to the pride of being part of something bigger than ourselves individually? Community is about pooling together resources for the common good of all. It’s about elevating everyone. When I was a kid, I went to a school that other people paid for. It’s my duty now to pay for a school for the next generation. Not only will I be fulfilling my obligation, but I will also make my community better and more desirable. I certainly wouldn’t be proud of pooling my community’s resources for just a pole barn. That mindset is taking society back to the dark ages. Don’t we want communities that we are proud of?
I still see hope. There are communities that “get it” and are capable of building facilities that inspire our children to learn. Jenks got it right. The new Math and Science Center is a testament to what communities can accomplish.
A true testament to the fact that buildings impact education is what occured at Jenks starting the day students and parents came to the campus to pick up their schedules and undoubtedly will continue for many years when new students enter this high school. When students found out they weren’t registered for a class in the new Math & Science Building or after hearing from their friends who had classes in the building, went to the office to find out what they needed to do to take classes there. That said, this building is geared toward higher level math and science classes, the most basic of classes taught being geometry and the rest having names that intimidate me, also an architect, like ornothology, zoology, astronomy I and II, geo-science, biotechnology, genetics, advanced placement environmental science, AP Calculus B/C, Calculus III/Differential Eqauations, and AP Statistics, to name a few. This is clearly a specialized building with specialized programs. And guess what? Kids WANT to go there! They don’t have to be dragged there, don’t skip school because it’s boring or no fun. Every school district should be so lucky to have programs and facilities that support those programs that cause students to feel the burn in their belly to accomplish what they need to, to go this unique school. I will gladly pay my tax dollars to give any child that.
Consider this: Would you put a cancer researcher in a 1970s science lab and expect great things? No. Then why would you put the leaders of innovation and possibly the people that rid the world of presently incurable diseases in one? You may call them children today, but they won’t be for long.