Joan Jett Loves Rock 'n' Roll—And Scriber Lake High

Students at in Edmonds were treated to a day to remember on Monday when rock and roll icon Joan Jett spoke at a school assembly. She urged them to follow their dreams—and to get their GED, at the very least. Joining her was her longtime manager, Kenny Laguna.

Jett’s visit to the Scriber Lake, the only alternative high school in the Edmonds School District, was arranged by teacher Greg Lange. He said he saw The Runaways, a 2010 movie based on Jett and her first band starring Kristen Stewart, and realized Jett’s early life was similar to that of many of his students.

Jett, who lives in California, was in Puget Sound after performing Saturday at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma.

“She had a vision for herself,” said Lange, who is in charge of the school’s dropout prevention program. “I had a heartfelt feeling that she could have been one of my students 35 years ago.”

Scriber Lake students had been studying rock 'n' roll and Jett in particular for the past few weeks.

They no doubt learned a lot. Although Jett, who is now 52, was in her 30s when her Scriber Lake audience members were born, her iconic songs are part of the American landscape and impossible to ignore. As the leader of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Jett had eight platinum and gold albums and nine Top 40 singles, including the classics “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “Bad Reputation,”  “I Hate Myself For Loving You” and “Crimson and Clover.”

Principal Kathy Clift introduced Jett to hearty cheers and whistles. Jett presented herself as an authentic rock/punk star, sporting black gloves, black jeans, black tank top, black hoodie and black high-top tennis shoes. A silver chain dangled from her hips.

Jett connected with her young audience when describing her introduction, as a teenager, to music as a member of an all-girl band. She teared up when recalling how some music critics savaged her, but kept on thanks to the support of her fans. “There were struggles, and times when I was not in the best of shape.” But her determination and the support of Laguna, who helped form Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, kept her going.

She urged students to follow their passions. “I wanted to be an astronaut, an archeologist, a scientist,” said Jett, who dropped out of high school. “I didn’t want to bail on school, but I was in a rock band. But getting a GED was important to me, and I’m really proud that I got one.”

During a Q&A, a student asked how much Jett really loved rock 'n' roll. It is her song “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll,” released 30 years ago and No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in a row, that is her anthem.

“I know it’s a cliche, but I do love rock 'n' roll,” said Jett, who signed autographs and donated copies of her latest CD, Greatest Hits, to students. There were also plenty of hugs to go around.

Jett told students that both American Idol and Dancing With the Stars have invited her to perform. She turned them down, but not the chance to visit Scriber. “This event just spoke to me,” she told the students. “Why? Because you’re here. And you asked. American Idol isn’t rock. Dancing With the Stars isn’t rock. You guys are rock 'n' roll.”