From staff reports:

The Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) has named the Federal Way Public Schools (FWPS) Board of Directors a “board of distinction” at the WSSDA Conference in Spokane earlier this month.

FWPS Superintendent Rob Neu said the award is a recognition of the bold choices the school board has made in recent years.

“Our board of directors is highly deserving of this honor,” Neu said. “They have made courageous decisions on behalf of all children we serve, and stood by those decisions through a difficult implementation. They have high expectations of all children — and high expectations of our staff. They walk their talk. All means all.”

Some of the board’s recent decisions include the Accelerated Academics policy, and the implementation of Standards Based Education and its grading component, Standards Based Grading.

In both instances, the board and FWPS administrators faced tough criticism from members of the community, but, after some time with each program, things have settled down as the students, teachers and families have adjusted to the new policies.

“These boards have excelled as school governance teams,” said Dr. Jonelle Adams, the WSSDA’s executive director. “They provided extensive documentation and our evaluation was rigorous. They are exceptional school boards.”

According to the district, boards apply to be considered for the title of Board of Distinction. There are five criteria that must be met:

• Providing responsible school district governance

• Setting and communicating high expectations for student learning, with clear goals and plans for meeting those expectations

• Creating conditions district-wide for student and staff success

• Holding the school district accountable for meeting student learning expectations

• Engaging the local community and representing the values and expectations they hold for their schools

The board consists of president Tony Moore, vice president Angela Griffin, Danny Peterson, Claire Wilson and Ed Barney.