Community High School

Alternative Ways of Thought

If you threw on a ten gallon hat, a couple of six shooters and crossed a couple of bullet belts over his chest, CHS’s Interim Dean Peter Ways would not look out of place in a western film. In a way, that is what he is: an administrative gunslinger.

Like the gun-toting vigilantes of these westerns, Ways got into this business to protect the little guys – in his case, the teachers. As a former English teacher at Pioneer High School, he knows the struggles of these individuals. “Teachers didn’t have enough of a voice in what impacts them,” Ways said about his reasons for getting into administration in the late eighties. “I was very frustrated with the way the school system ran.”

And for a time he was content.

Ways found himself enjoying the administrative work as well. “As you go up the hierarchy of the school system you get more and more challenging problems. I’ve always found that fun,” Ways said.

However, Ways soon found that his position invaded him to much the politics of the school system. Ways found himself losing sight of why he got into this business. Ways would not see himself subjected to the deterioration of his moral fiber. “I found it eroded my personal values,” said he.

As tensions began to mount Ways found himself falling on the losing side of more and more issues. Ways was an advocate against building another comprehensive high school. “Talk about falling though the cracks, there’s these gapping holes,” Ways said while laughing. He explains that at a larger comprehensive high school people can simply get lost both physically and mentally, by becoming disconnected from the school. “Pioneer feels more like a city. CHS feels more like a home,” Ways said.

However when it was all said and done Ways had to do his job, even when he didn’t agree with it. “I did argue with folks, but once the arguing was done my job was to go out and promote the decisions that were made,” Ways said.

The rift between then superintendent George Fornero and Ways was growing. Ways was upset about the complications with the new high school as well as the school districts growing budget problems.

Ways was there during the height of the turmoil with the districts offices. Ways saw Fornero “crash and burn,” as he described it, and Ways was there to welcome the new Superintendent Todd Roberts. Ways recalls when he first met Superintendent Roberts, “I said, ‘Welcome to the bridge of the Titanic.’” It was out of all this turmoil that Ways knew he wanted to get out of administration and back into the school buildings.

During his time in administration Ways had become friends with CHS’s old Dean Judy Conger. Ways was alerted though this friendship of Congers plans to retire. Ways knew he wanted the job. With experience as an assistant principal in the urban setting of Seattle and work as a principle in a Seattle suburb Ways was ready to get back inside the school building.

Because of Congers unexpected retirement late in the summer there was not time for the nationwide Dean Selection process which is now being undertaken. However there was still a need to fill the job. Ways applied for a one year Interim Dean Position, which he was given.

Ways sees himself as having limited authority of Interim Dean describing himself as “low key as a leader this year,” because he is new and not in a permanent position.

_That’s what he is: an administrative gunslinger_

However Ways said he would love to hold the permanent Dean position. As such Ways has views of where he would like to see CHS go. “Partly I’d like to see CHS just like this [10 years into the future],” Ways said. Ways cites the small communal atmosphere as well as the institutions of Forums as some of CHS’ strongest attributes.

At the same time Ways would like to see almost everything change. Ways sees a CHS were the students are invigorated to go and do more. Wither this is in though political activism, which he strongly supports, or simply working harder in the class room. Ways wants CHS to be a place where the business of change is not left to someone else but actively pursued by students. Ways wants to see CHS as a school were the one thing lacking is apathy.

Ways realizes that not everyone shares his views. “The right way is some balance between what I believe and what you believe,” Ways said. This feeds into the reasons why Ways sees himself as a good candidate for CHS’s Dean. “I’m genuinely open-minded and I genuinely value other perspectives. I have the experience of being a minority, and I’m somewhat outside the main stream,” Ways said. Ways seems himself to be a CHS student; he can usually be seen around the hallways talking with students or out on the back lawn throwing a Frisbee.

Ways holds a realistic view of CHS; he is not blind to its problems. “The most glaring statistic is simply the racial make up of this school,” Ways said citing that 80 percent of the student body is white. “We’re a micro-chiasm of that issue [Race in America],” Ways said. Ways devotes time in every staff meeting for Multi-Cultural issues and is working with Joe Flynn CHS’s diversity consular.

The biggest difference with Ways is that he connects with the students. Ways office door can usually be found thrown open, a stark difference from old CHS Dean Conger. Ways touch can be seen all over CHS from messages left of chalk boards to sponsoring hair contests at the [date] Town Meeting. So far students seem very receptive. “He’s a cool cat,” said CHS freshman Jamal Hunter, a member of Ways’ Forum. Hunter said that he likes Ways’ personality the way he carries himself saying “He really makes you feel comfortable,” Hunter said.

With the opening of a new comprehensive high school and a growing budget crisis CHS is being challenged for its usefulness. One thing is sure as long as Ways is around CHS he will be glad to saddle up and ride for into the sunset to battle for the survival of CHS.