Green Schools, Financial Sustainability, and The Power of Teaching and Learning

An Interview with Pat Hynes

Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash

“The power of teaching and learning is in personal relationships — a very old-fashioned technology — and anything we do that supports those relationships will make the difference we seek.” — Pat Hynes

Pat Hynes is a teacher, a lawyer and a community organizer. She earned a J.D. from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia. She has been a public school elementary teacher since 2002, and served on the Fairfax County School Board from 2012 to 2019. In recent years, she has become an outspoken climate action advocate and a champion for environmental education, solar schools, and financially sustainable school funding models.

Why is outdoor education important?

Outdoor education, done right, is experiential and collaborative, getting students out into the natural world solving problems and creating. Ideally, the classroom extends naturally into the school yard and beyond at least once a week, even if only for time to read and write. Nature is inspiring and kids should have time to quietly take in that inspiration and develop a personal connection with the natural world.

Why are solar installations at public schools a good idea?

For practical reasons, we must convert immediately away from fossil fuels for energy. Schools provide ideal conditions for that conversion, with large flat roofs and open yards for geo-thermal or solar array installations. In addition, students of all ages benefit from real-world planning and problem-solving when they are brought into the work.

Why is good school leadership (Principals) important?

At this point in history — as we face a climate crisis that is clearly upon us — principals should wield very little power over energy-related decisions at their schools. School system leadership should provide top-down expectations and support when it comes to fossil fuel independence. Curricular matters are more appropriately a partnership between the community — through elected and appointed policymakers — and school-based educators. Principals play a key role in supporting classroom teachers and students in how green education is implemented, within a framework of clear community goals and transparent reporting. The FCPS Get2Green framework is an excellent model.

How do you approach school funding — from a budgeting perspective, Capital Improvements perspective, and tax portfolio perspective?

Schools belong to their community and every community benefits from great schools. Every elected official with a hand in school funding — local, state, and federal — should prioritize transparent, active community engagement on school funding, both operations and capital development. Community consensus on educational goals should be clear to policymakers and every creative funding solution should be considered and proposed to the community. Ultimately, elections matter, so education funding must be a high-priority campaign issue every election.

Do you think environmental education has increased in importance over the past decade? If so, why?

Yes. I see growth at the classroom level and at the central office level. Students, parents, and educators push for more across the board. I think there are many motivators for that, including personal commitment, the quality of the learning experiences and the desire to prepare our students for the critical environmental workforce we need.

Why does it make sense to give students permission to skip school to participate in protests, marches, and other activism?

A primary goal of public education has always been to produce engaged, effective citizens. That takes practice, so it is part of any school system’s work to encourage informed activism. One excused absence a year is minimal support. Students who wish to do more will make a mature decision about choices and consequences, which is also practice for the demands of effective citizenship as adults. I think FCPS has struck a good balance with this new policy.

What do you think about the role of young people in the climate movement right now?

Young people are leading, which is laudable, of course, but should not be necessary. History has chosen all of us who are alive now: we must all be climate warriors. If not us, no one. If not now, literally never. I am always blown away by the passion and power of young people, now more than ever. But I have no patience for people in my generation who lazily praise young people for “saving us.”

What do you think about the notion of a school building as a learning tool? How can students learn from school buildings?

We have excellent examples across the US and right here in Northern VA of buildings that teach. Discovery Elementary School in Arlington is one such example, designed to be carbon-free, off the grid, and to process all of its water runoff on site. Students at Discovery have multiple opportunities to learn from those smart solutions. Every school should be built that way.

What do you see on the horizon for education?

Hard to say! What I hope for is a greater emphasis on climate curriculum at every level, K-12, and much broader incorporation of workforce development for the green and blue economies.

What does the future of school look like?

To be honest, over a century of school reform movements have produced very little structural change that lasts. An example is the push for computer devices in schools. As a fifth grade teacher in a system that provides 1:1 technology, I insist that students read paper books and write in paper journals every day. They use their technology to research, create, and produce. The power of teaching and learning is in personal relationships — a very old-fashioned technology — and anything we do that supports those relationships will make the difference we seek.