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“There is more to aviation than just being a pilot,” said Jake Bailey, a teacher at Foss High School. 

As a high school science teacher, Bailey gets the opportunity every day to introduce students to the aviation industry. This is a passion of his and, as a second-career teacher, a way for him to use his experience to inspire students. 

Bailey spent 24 years as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, with 12 years as a helicopter pilot. He retired from the Marines in 2018 as a lieutenant colonel, while stationed in Korea. 

“In the Marine Corps, they put a lot of emphasis on leading, instructing, and mentoring,” said Bailey. “So, teaching after I retired was a natural choice for me since I wanted to come back home to Washington and settle down.” 

After his official retirement, Bailey quickly earned his teaching certificate with endorsements in physics and career and technical education (CTE).  

At Foss, Bailey found ways to infuse what he learned as a pilot into his course work for students. In his physics course, he often blends aviation physics with the 11th grade adopted curriculum, Patterns Physics. 

“I focus on aviation because that is my experience, but exposing students to the industry is the goal,” he said. 

Bailey is passionate about making connections for students inside and outside of the classroom m. 

“He cares deeply about students and helping them succeed,” said Andrea Pham, Foss High School principal. “Often times science can be hard for students, especially physics. Jake allows students to have a real-world experience in his classroom, and he works tirelessly to help students realize their potential.” 

Students can earn college and private pilot licensing credits 
Last year, Bailey taught his first Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Private Pilot Ground School course at Foss, which prepares students for two of the three mandatory requirements (oral and written exam) to obtain a private pilot license. The third requirement is to a complete a flight training program. 

“Students may decide not to be a pilot and may show an interest in the various ways to work in the industry,” said Bailey. “They learn about the weather, airport operations, aircraft mechanics and engineering, and route planning.” 

This is exactly what his course offers – a well-rounded knowledge of what’s included in piloting an aircraft, from weather to engineering to physics. 

In addition to the Private Pilot Group School course, Bailey has been teaching an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Practical Flight and Certification course at Foss since 2022. This course focuses on flight regulations, operating requirements and procedures for safely flying drones. 

For both courses, students who pass with ‘C’ or higher earn dual high school and community college credits from Green River College (GRC). The college credits earned are eligible for the GRC Aviation Technology program. 

“My hope is that students walk away from my course with a better understanding of the industry and where their interests might fit,” said Bailey. “Who knows? The inspiration for a future meteorologist might begin right here in my class.”   

Anytime a student can earn free college credit, it’s a good thing.  

“These classes can often inspire a student who might not think they are ready for college to realize they are ready,” said Pham. 

Planning with Maritime | 253 
Thanks to the efforts of teachers like Bailey, courses like the Private Pilot and UAS courses at Foss and the Marine Tech and Robotics course at the Science and Math Institute are paving the way for Maritime | 253 programming. 

Maritime | 253 is a new partnership between Tacoma Public Schools and the Port of Tacoma to prepare students for jobs in the maritime industry.  

A focus area for Maritime | 253 will be preparing students with hands-on training in navigation systems and marine engineering, like operating drones underwater.  

“Many people understand drones as an aircraft that operates only in the sky,” said Adam Kulaas, Director of Innovative Learning and CTE, “but drones are also used for underwater for research and to inspect waterways and ships for repair.”