Tuesday, September 9, 2008

In his Sept. 1 column on the repair and renovation of District public schools, Jay Mathews presented a false choice: that schools can afford either great teachers or impressive facilities, but not both. But there is a national movement that proves to taxpayers, administrators and educators that both can exist simultaneously.

Environmentally friendly "green" schools transform the most neglected teaching tools, the buildings themselves, into 21st-century learning centers for increased economic, educational and environmental performance.

Far from the hollow facelifts Mathews criticizes, "greening" improves the operation of school buildings, rendering them cleaner, healthier, sunnier and more productive for students and faculty members alike. According to several studies, green schools increase student performance 20 percent, decrease behavioral problems and student absences, and increase faculty retention.

Green schools also meet the bottom line by maximizing energy efficiency, costing school districts less money in upkeep and allowing them to invest more in our children. A green school requires 33 percent less energy, emits 35 percent less carbon and uses 32 percent less water, saving a district as much as $100,000 a year -- enough to add two new faculty members in many areas. With one fifth of America going to school every morning, it's more important than ever to help schools reap the benefits of great facilities and great faculty in one setting.

SEAN S. MILLER

Director of Education

Earth Day Network

Washington