Eugene School District Director Position 6 Choose 1
There are 197 public school districts in Oregon, each governed by a board of education. School boards set goals, establish policies, oversee the performance of district schools, and negotiate contracts. The state Board of Education sets broader educational policies and standards that local schools are required to follow.Qualifications: Candidate must be a registered voter and a resident of the district for at least 1 year. Employees of the district are not eligible unless employed as a substitute driver. ORS 332.016 and 332.018(2)Term: 4 yearsCANDIDATE FORUM: The Eugene City Club held a forum for Eugene School District candidates on April 18. You can listen to the audio of this forum here https://auth.thevoterguide.org/oauth2/passwordless/fI9CV1Pt14Mkfd0t_JPnlFHpBSoiU2qoM-QNRwSXm7w?postMethod=true&tenantId=3248b36e-a737-7418-e1ec-034f9e5112e4&client_id=6ca22b38-f361-4b50-9074-882efea6c39b&metaData.device.type=UNKNOWN&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fadmin.thevoterguide.org%2Flogin%2Fcallback&rememberDevice=true&response_type=code&scope=offline_access%20openid or here https://www.klcc.org/show/city-club-of-eugene.
Biographical Information
Town Where You Live
Eugene, Oregon
County
Lane
Term
4 years
Term Expires
6/30/29
What skills and experience do you bring to school board service?
Decades of experience as a teacher and a teaching assistant offer me an important vantage point from which to consider board decisions. I have worked with students at all levels from preschool through undergraduates, with my most recent experience teaching high school students courses in which they earned a combination of social studies and English Language credits. Additionally, I have been a committed volunteer in 4J for two decades, putting in over 7,000 hours on the ground in a dozen different schools. My volunteer work in our schools set me on the trajectory to serve in my current volunteer role as a board member - I have continued my commitment to being present in our schools.
What is your understanding of the District’s obligations to comply with federal and state education policies?
State and federal policies often serve as both guides and mandates for school districts. School districts must follow state and federal law - not doing so can compromise funding for school districts. However, there are strict procedures dictating how these federal and state level policies and laws become enforceable mandates. It is critical we access legal counsel with expertise in education law to ensure we operate within legal parameters. When these strict procedures for establishing law are bypassed and declarations and directives are made by federal and state leaders, we must diligently consider if these directives contradict established law. It is imperative that we resist threats of de-funding when directives are unlawful.
How would you address the issues facing the District’s schools that you consider the most urgent?
Eugene School District has access to an incredibly rich and diverse pool of expertise. Before making any major decisions it is critical that we collect information from our experts, our stakeholders. These experts include, but are not limited to, the following: our staff - including classified and licensed staff, administrators, and other leaders; our students; our families; our community partners; our Board of Directors; and our Superintendent. Once we gather data we are well-positioned to make decisions. These broadly informed decisions allow for collective decision-making and demonstrate we value our community. This supports our goal of bringing the community alongside us as we both address our challenges and celebrate our triumphs.