Thors., Feb. 8, 1876 (Sac. 1) S A N D Y (Ora.) POST - 13
Recall petition circulated
Orient committee seeks
administrators removal
The Citizens Advisory Committee ap
pointed by the Orient School District board
has recommended the board replace the
present superintendent and principal.
The committee, which was appointed by
the board last fall to look into problems at
the school, made the recommendation
during an executive session Dec. 12. The
report was accepted as public record Jan.
1«.
The committee interviewed or polled in
writing every employe In the school
system and every student above the fourth
grade.
Educators In Damascus, Boring and
Gresham were also interviewed and the
committee has met weekly since Sep
tember
The report, which was signed by each of
the 10 committee members, states:
“ It is our feeling that much of the
responsibility for the deficiencies of the
d is tric t in m atters of discipline,
curriculum and general policy lie with the
current administration.
"Moot of the problems at Orient
(discipline, teacher turnover, student and
teacher attitude) appear to be a direct
result of the poor leadership at the East
Building and is apparently condoned by
the superintendent of the Orient School.”
“ It is obvious under the reign of the
present administration this school will not
make the needed improvements.”
More than 29 parents met Tuesday night
to pick up petitions to recall school board
member Dean Gray.
“We want to change the board in such a
way to change the administration," a
spokesman for the recall committee told
The Outlook Monday “We don't think the
present board will make the needed
changes ”
Gray was selected, spokesmen said,
because he has seniority on the board—10
years- and has the next longest time to
serve.
"This isn't a personal thing against him,
but Just an arbitrary choice," said Peggy
Fetters, one of the parents working on the
recall. "People say they don’t want to hurt
feelings, but you can’t make changes
without hurting somebody "
Gray was elected to a four-year term in
May by a 39-vote margin, the group said,
pointing out he had to serve six months
before recall proceedings could be started.
The petitioners said 194 signatures are
required before the recall vote can be held.
If the petition drive is successful, the
election would be no leas than 29 days after
the last petition is submitted
Most people circulating petitions concur
with the findings of the board-appointed
Citizens Advisory Committee, which in
cludes Alex Anderson, Lewis Emerson,
Nancy Ford, Doris Fisher, Peggy Fetters,
Ron Gradin, Ken Gardner, George Kim,
Dorothy Hall and Marlene Hawes.
Both criticisms and recommendations
were made in the advisory report.
The report criticised the administration
for not giving adequate support and
guidance to teachers, especially new
teachers.
“ I've lived in this district for eight years
and I ’ve seen too many good teachers
leave the district,” Marlene Hawes said.
"Thia isn’t the first time we’ve had
trouble—this is maybe the fourth uprising
In the past the teachers tried to han e It
themselves and not get parents Involved^
She cited the 11 teachers which have
East Orient School In the last two y e s r. a .
an indication problems do exist.
"The teaching climate is poor because
progressive ideas are not acceptable to the
administration, Mrs. H a w « said.
ve
felt sorry for new teachers—they get out of
college all fired up and they Just get rained
on in this district."
The report said some teachers
pressed fear of reprisal by the present
administrators
"This problem is causing a serious
m orale problem w ithin the teacher
ranks,” the report states, "and in turn
creates an atm osphere in which
disciplinary problems are created rather
than solved ”
In the survey, many students said "there
are too many rules and the rules are never
enforced," according to the report. A
positive student handbook by the student
council was suggested as was an honor
system among students.
"W e trie d to m ake constructive
suggestions about discipline,” Mrs. Hawes
said.
The report also criticized the lack of
courses for the 741 students at the Orient
Schools
The Oxbow Unit of East County League
of Women Voters has also studied the
Orient School District, using the L W V ’s
“Know Your Schools" as criteria.
Ruthanne Jensen, who is involved in the
as yet incomplete League study, said a
paragraph in the “ Know Your School”
publication really got the unit interested in
the study, which began in September:
"There has been a tendency to leave
decisions on education to profesaionals at
the expense of community and citizen
input. Goals ought to be a product of both
'experts' and the community.”
“ I think that's what has happened in
Orient," she said.
Ruthanne said the survey wasn't without
positive things, but the school doesn't
measure up with other schools in the area.
Orient ha* no home economics, art or
shop classes in the middle school.
" T h e re are real lacks in the
c u rric u lu m ,” M rs. Jensen said. "A
coordinated science program is one. They
say they have programmed learning in
science, but the materials are stored in the
basement and they looked like they've
never been opened "
A lack of library for the West School
building was also cited in the League
study.
"There's probably not another school in
the area with no library for the prim ary
grades," she shook her head. “One second
grade class went over to the East School
library once last year.”
Another area which troubled the League
members was the lack of programs for the
exceptional child
“The administration refused a program
for exceptional c h ild re n ," she said.
"Parents wonder if their child just has to
sit in first grade working in a pre-reading
notebook even if she’s reading on a sixth
grade level.”
Although kindergarten is now funded by
the state, there is no kindergarten at
Orient.
"Enrollment dropped 100 students this
year—next year there'll be the space and
teachers for kindergarten,” Mrs. Jensen
said.
"On the poaitive side, the student-
teacher ratio 1* good," she added.
The committee reported some students
have expressed a need for some creative
activities besides choir and band
The advisory committee found that 00
eighth graders who don't participate in
choir and band have two study hall periods
a totaj
w minutes each day.
advisory report suggested mini-
enrichment courses, possibly taught by
paren(
The
n ll interviewed by The Outlook
>dinin|alration
than
enthuaiaatic a bout parents in the school
two afternoon study periods, that
wou)(j a Wock of time when a student
cou, d ,earn t y p ln g .. M ra
H awes
Other m ini-course* suggested were
guitar, French, Spanish, acting, dancing,
arts and 4 H
"The questionnaire sent to the parents
about being a volunteer listed task* so
menial nobody would want to do them,”
Mrs. Jensen said. "The administration's
idea of a volunteer is lunchroom duty or
school bus monitor ’’
“A crafts program could be started,”
one father suggested "Shop class could
include using hand tools—you don’t need to
buy power saws. The school needs
recreatio n and en richm ent classes
summers and weekends ”
The report cited poor communication
between the administration and parents,
school, students and staff.
The patrons are seldom notified when a
board vacancy will occur, Mrs. Jensen
said.
"Every board member was either ap
pointed by the superintendent or asked by
him to run," she added.
The group believes the administration
still thinks of the school as “just a little
country school" and needs to move into the
1970s.
"We had a home ec program in Gresham
way back when I was in school in 1948,"
Mrs. Fetter* said. “The administration is
just mentally isolated to programs that
are stardard in other schools.”
"Orient isn’t a little country school
anymore," Mrs. Jensen added. "More and
more professional people are moving into
the area and they have high expectations
for their schools."
Shop Sandy!
It's Handy!
School board member*, the persons who he continued, “and whether or not one
represent the residents of a school district, agrees or disagrees, it is a good report."
are charged with determining policies to
Doris Fisher and Peggy Fetters were the
be implemented by the administrators of original appointments made to the com
the school
mittee by the school board chairman.
The five members of the Orient School
Don Broadsword, in his sixth year as an
Board have served from 17 months to 10 Orient board member, is also a member of
years. They serve without salary
the Gresham Union High School Board.
Each of them appointed two Orient His term on the Orient Board expires June
District patrons and alternates to serve on 30
the Citizens Advisory Committee which
“And I do not plan to rerun,” Broad
began its study of the school district last sword said.
September
He stated that the committee report was
The report of findings and recom given at Q,e January meeting without data
mendations from the advisory committee aiHj that the board asked for other data,
was submitted to the Orient Board in “We do not operate on hearsay," was his
December and read into the minutes of the comment
Jan. 16 board meeting
"We
have problems last summer,
The Outlook requested to read the report
two or three things such as progress
at the Orient School District’s ad- reports going home to the parents were
ministration office Monday, but was initiated last September," Broadsword
refused by Jean Stevens, deputy clerk. She said.
said the report could not be released until
A resident of the Orient community for
the minutes of the January meeting were 14 years, the board member said his only
approved by the school board at the interest in serving was “for kids and
February meeting.
education."
The Outlook talked with members of the
He pointed out that if unification of the
Orient School board about the report.
Orient District into a grade l through 12
Board Chairman Bob Skipper said, “You district was not approved as proposed by
should have been able to see it.”
the M ay 1976 deadline, there is a bill now in
He went on, “It is a good report. The the state legislature to make school
committee members were asked to do a district unification mandatory.
task and spent much time and effort on it.
" It is off and running." he commented.
It was well done with dedication and
Broadsword appointed Lewis Emerson
sincerity. The report was presented to the to the committee.
board in December."
Dean G ray, the senior board member of
“The report was accepted at the the district, has served 10 years. He was
January meeting and is a m atter of elected last year to a four-year term. He
district record and public information. The has lived in the Orient School District for
report was discussed at the January 17 years.
meeting,” the chairman said.
“We are in the discussion stage on mini
Bob Skipper, who has been an Orient courses and are making a survey to find
resident for eight years, came on the out what is wanted. There isn't any point in
school board in August 1973. He was offering mini-courses that nobody likes or
elected its chairman last August.
wants," was his comment on the lack of
“ I believe the people in this community home economics and shop classes at the
w ant a good, progressive education school.
system, and I feel they haven’t been
"We have a full house,” he said in
getting it,” the board chairman said.
reference to the 741 students enrolled in
" I support the feeling of the community?’ the district, “and we would have to use
existing classrooms for room and space
for the mini-courses "
Ale» Anderson, chairman of the citizens
committee was appointed by Gray.
Bob Thompson, a resident in the area
since 1961 and a board member for eight
years, said he would reserve comment
"until everyone has had an opportunity to
study the report.”
"We are going to implement as many as
possible of the recommendations," he
added.
Thompson said that four proposals for a
playshed and equipment to serve as an
activity center at East Orient School were
brought before the board at its January
meetings. He said that when a decision is
made on the definite type, it probably will
be included in the budget for this M ay.
Asked if some of the heat between the
board and committee was generated by
personalities, Thompson said, " C o m
munication between people can obtain the
best results."
He explained that it is inappropriate for
a school board to discuss personnel
matters in an open meeting.
».
’ •
Thompson appointed Ken Gardner and
Rodney Gradin to the committee.
This year marks the end of Thompson's
term on the board, and he is not running
for re-election.
"Someone else should take it,” was his
response
Ron Fortune has been on the Orient
School Board since October, 1973, and has
lived in the area seven and a half years.
About the citizens’ report he said, “We
have the report and are looking into it, but
the report is a confidential matter until
acted upon by the board. We also are
considering budget matters now.”
Fortune said be was a t the December
meeting with the advisory committee but
was absent from the January meeting due
to a death in his fam ily.
Dorothy H all and George Kim
appointed to the committee by Fortune.
Early tax filers get refunds soon
T a x p a y e r* expecting ta x
refunds w ill receive them much
sooner if they file their returns
now, Ralph B. Short, district
director of Internal Revenue
for Oregon, said today.
“I f you file now, there’s a
good chance you'll receive your
refund in four to five weeks,”
be pointed out. “I f you file
later, you may have to wait as
long as eight weeks,” he added.
January is a relatively slow
month at IRS service centers,
be explained, "which means
returns can be processed and
refunds issued faster than later
in the filing period.”
"D u rin g la te M a rc h and
A p ril, how ever,” said M r.
Short, "returns come in at an
accelerated ra te and the
processing cycle t a k « longer,
which delays refunds."
“So if you want that refund
fast, file early,” M r Short
advised. "A fter all, it’s your
money.”
Taxpayers also can speed the
processing of their return by
using the pre-addressed label
and the special envelope in
cluded in the tax package they
received in the m ail, the IRS
spokesman said.
"Another tip I can offer
taxpayers,” M r. Short said, “ is
to give some thought now to
setting up a record-keeping
system for next year. You’d be
amazed at how much this helps
in filing a ta x return.”
N E E D A SITTER?
TR Y TH E CLASSIFIEDS
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooaooooe«
HAVE YOU HAD
TROUBLE LOCATIHG
US?
We've moved
to Second S tre e t
W IN T E R HAS graced this hare tree and
blberaatfag blackberry v ia « alongside
TenEyck Road sear Sandy.
(Post Photo)
sugg«ted," but that hasn’t happened.”
ex-
Clackamas College
tells new budget
• STEAK & KING CRAB $ 2 "
! Reg. *3.79
O rie n t b o ard com m ents
G ood on Sun.. Mon..
T u m , Wed., Thun..
O NLY
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1
Repeating last year’s con-
cern for inflation and citing
several new uncertainties for
the fiscal year 1975-76, D r John
Hakanson,
president
and
budget officer for Clackamas
Community College, presented
his budget message to the 14-
member Budget Committee,
Monday, Jan. 27.
Hakanson stressed that the
proposed budget is as frugal as
the demands of inflation and
«rpwth w ill permit Pm . .d -
ditiona of full-time staff are
proposed and growth it planned
to consist m ostly of con-
solidations and expansions of
existing curriculums.
The proposed budget is based
seven Board of Education
members and seven citizens
appointed by the board, elected
Mrs. Betty Dunlop. Estacada,
c h airm an. Gene F ra n k lin ,
---------------
M
ilw a u k ie .
was
elected
secretary.
,
.
B ra k e KOyilOTOS
Q ra n a o m e e t
O f» » /“
S B f
Brake of Michigan,
" iU keynote the Oregon State
«ran*
’• « * * » » ta
’ ¡" J *
.
in e Corvallis school is one of
«»roe held throughout the state
I
upon a projected enrollment J *
tinuing education effort of the
!
Hakanson estimated that the 8ran«e
were in La
■ tax rate for the proposed 93.1 G r* nd*
Medford
Com« in and get
ra-aequaintad with us
at our naw address
I growth of ten per cent.
I
Alaska king crab legs and broiled-to-order steak.
With baked potato or french fries and Slzzler toast Included
I
• 3737 S.E. 02nd Av«., Portland
• 5025 S.E. 28th Av«., Portland
• 14601 S.E. Division St., Portland
• 305 W. Burnalda 8t., Grsaham
«8017 Highway 00, Hazal Dali, Vancouvar
million operating le v , m . ,
, g T .¡S
| increase to 91.79 or 91 80 per turers attend the schools each
I 91,000 of property value In- year, said state grange lecturer
! eluding both the levy and Alta
Monmouth.
> existing bonds.
Am on«
° thu7 L
I
The rote ia still well below the P™S™m.
ba Kenneth W.
I high of 9195 which the college F ltzg eral^ editor of the Oregon
.
,
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iwo.71 he said
The
G range B u lle tin , and W .C ,
Budget’ Committee. Harris, Oregon State grange
, both of Portland.
ladudM the college *
GreshamOfficeSupply
202 N.E. 2nd *vs.
Srasham SS6-40M