Central Kitsap teaching 'pioneer' JD Sweet retiring after 47 years

JD Sweet wasn't going to compromise the mission. Just ask Sweet about the list he created before joining Central Kitsap High School in 1977 as its lone Black teacher.

“When I first got into the idea of being a teacher, I made a list of five things that I was willing to get fired over," said the 70-year-old Sweet, who'll retire this summer. “I carried that list with me for about 10 years in my wallet. I never shared it with anybody and never will."

The revelation of that list's existence speaks to the fact that even before dedicating his life to professional education, Sweet knew the type of teacher he wanted to be. It didn't exactly follow the typical blueprint.

“I’m going to be all about the kids," Sweet said. "I’m not going to be concerned about parents, or colleagues, or administrators or community. I’m on a mission to teach kids."

Segregation leads to inspiration

As a kid born in Arkansas in the 1950s, Sweet saw first-hand a world operating within the grips of segregation and racism. It set the stage for his pursuits later in life as an educator and activist. He'd be someone to speak up and speak out when necessary.

"That was really the foundation for everything I've been," Sweet said.

With his father serving in the U.S. Army, Sweet's family moved to Fort Lewis (Joint Base Lewis-McChord) and he attended Silas High School (formerly Wilson) in Tacoma. Sweet recalls two staff members in particular, college counselor Kenneth Moe and history teacher Connie Lassiter, inspiring him to be the best version of himself.

"Those two people, a white guy and a Black woman," Sweet said. "They really just saw something in me... There were many others at Wilson that really believed in me, pushed me in the right direction."

After high school, Sweet attended Claremont Men's College in California, where he initially gravitated toward studying law before the idea of education took hold. He volunteered at a local elementary school while working to obtain his undergraduate and Master's degrees.

“The vibe was good, I loved interacting with the kids," Sweet said. "I brought something to the table.”

Lost on the way to Bremerton

Sweet taught one year in California before his position was cut due to Proposition 13, which prompted his return to Washington. He pursued teaching jobs in Seattle and Tacoma, but neither school district was hiring. Sweet turned his attention to Kitsap County and wanted to apply for a teaching job in Bremerton.

Sweet never made it to Bremerton. He got lost during his drive and called a friend for directions. That friend ended up steering him toward Central Kitsap, where Sweet applied and began his teaching career on Oct. 4, 1977.

Twenty-five years after Central Kitsap School District hired its first Black teacher , Ester Wilfong, in 1952, Sweet considered his addition on the staff at Central Kitsap High School to be "uncharted territory" for many people at the time.

“There were a lot of staff that still referred to Black people as colored," Sweet said. "(For many students) it was the first time, I'm sure, they had a Black person in a position of power and authority over them. I was the teacher, they were in my class. For a number of them, that was a struggle. And for some of their parents, that was a struggle."

Sweet also remembers Black students being hesitant to engage him, feeling like they were in a position to choose between this new, unproven teacher and their white friends.

“The kids that accepted me the most were the military kids of color," Sweet said, "because they were used to being around diversity.”

Working his first year in Central Kitsap on a probationary contract, Sweet said he wasn't going to rock the boat, knowing "they could fire you for any reason, any cause." But once that probationary year concluded and Sweet earned another contract, the authentic Sweet that students know today began to emerge.

“I’ve tried to be provocative without being over the top," Sweet said. "I’ve tried to really push the idea of intellectual curiosity. I’ve tried to get kids to question authority.”

Controversial ideas worth studying

Sweet spent most of his career teaching at Central Kitsap High School, although he's spent the past three years at Olympic High School. He's taught numerous history classes/world affairs, as well as psychology and social studies. He's served as a teacher on special assignment at Fairview Middle School, helping train district personnel on equity/diversity issues. He's been an advisor for numerous student groups, including The Family, Unity and Tribe of Many Feathers.

Asked to describe his style in the classroom, Sweet pondered: “Loud, high-powered, bring the energy, high standards.”

"Mr. Sweet’s classroom had expectations of collaborative learning with heated, but respectful debate," added Wyndi Westhoff, a 1992 Central Kitsap graduate who now works as a reading specialist at Silverdale Elementary School. "He would intentionally play all sides of an issue, requiring his students to understand varying points of view. He had, and continues to have, an infectious way of making you want to learn more."

Sweet also wasn't afraid to take risks or make unconventional choices in the pursuit of knowledge.

One of the standout moments of Sweet's career was likely his most controversial. It happened in late April 1985 when he invited a member of the Communist party, Satchiko Anderson, to speak to several of his classes. Although the school district approved Sweet's request, the situation created quite a stir since not everyone was thrilled about having a supporter of the then-Soviet Union's major political party enter into dialogue while visiting a school district in a Navy town — during the latter stages of the Cold War, no less.

"It was huge," said Bram Wessel, a 1985 Central Kitsap graduate who took several classes taught by Sweet. "I remember like it was yesterday."

In a story published by the Kitsap Sun at the time, one of Sweet's teaching colleagues used the word "manure" to describe the guest speaker's message. Wessel saw it as an example of Sweet presenting students with a controversial subject, forcing them to think independently, critically.

“All these parents are freaking out about this," Wessel said. "If communism is bad, don’t you want us to figure out what’s bad about it?”

“The kids handled it far better than the community," Sweet added. "And part of the reason was students were prepared. We had read stuff before, we had looked at it. They had questions ready to ask this person. They were ready for the dialogue and weren’t intimidated or afraid or swept up in anything. That was great. That was probably my greatest moment of educating students.”

Several years later, the school district turned down Sweet's request to have a member of the Ku Klux Klan speak to his students. Sweet understood the decision, but he never strayed in his desire to explore what some might consider to be touchy topics.

"There are a lot of people who believe that if you put something in the classroom, if you teach something, that people will be contaminated by it and then that will become who they are. I don’t believe that," said Sweet, who spent time last week guiding students through an assignment covering the Holocaust. "I believe if you present ideas, you present both sides, you have intelligent conversations, down the road kids are going to make their own choice. But it’s going to be an informed choice, not based on a parent or community prejudice or bias, and not based on ignorance."

Retiring, but not done with educating

Although his time as a classroom teacher is ending, Sweet isn't ready to full retirement just yet. He'll continue working with his wife and fellow educator Elizabeth Blandin in "New Phase New Ways," a consulting business focused on cultural competency and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training. If Olympic needs a substitute teacher over the next couple years, he won't hesitate to sign up.

Sweet also looks forward to dedicating more time to his comic book series "The Ring Masters," involving the interstellar travels and adventures of five Black youths.

“There’s a lot of white kids saving the universe," Sweet said. "I want some kids of color saving the universe.”

While Sweet considers all the students he taught as the stars during his 47 years as teacher, others see him as a pioneer and a trailblazer within Central Kitsap's educational universe.

"His legacy isn't just measured in years of service, but in the lives touched and the minds inspired," said Rachel Rummell, Olympic High School staff member and one of Sweet's colleagues for the past two decades. "As he embarks on a well-deserved retirement, JD Sweet leaves a legacy of learning, advocacy, and a profound impact that will continue to shape the CK district for years."

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Central Kitsap teaching 'pioneer' JD Sweet retiring after 47 years