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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2019)
PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 15, 2019 6 questions with Keizer’s school board candidates Keizer will have a choice grader and fi fth grader I am when it comes to who rep- invested in the daily needs and resents the city on the Sa- opportunities our students and lem-Keizer School Board this educators face and deserve. As an active, tenured, communi- May. Longtime Board mem- ty volunteer I feel the pres- ent and con- ber Chuck stant need for Lee is seek- support. With ing re-elec- more than 15 tion to the years of com- post he’s held munity, busi- since 2007. His ness and policy contender this experience, I time around bring a level will be Dan- of comfort in ielle Bethell, knowing my executive di- c o m m u n i t y, rector of the the challenges Keizer Cham- we are facing ber of Com- and the desire merce. to charge on Keizertimes for greater op- sent both can- portunity. didates the Chuck Lee same questions — Danielle Bethell (CL): I bring and asked for to the School their respons- Board 48 years es. We are pre- of experience senting them and expertise here in a ques- at the elemen- tion-and-an- tary, secondary swer format so and Career voters can get Technical Edu- to know them cation levels. I and the issues they are contemplating in the bring 12 years of commitment to the Board that has touched run-up to the election. Keizertimes (KT): What every aspect of our District skills and expertise do you and students. I was a leader in bring to the role of school the fundraising and passage of two successful bond measures. board director? Danielle Bethell (DB): I was the leader in the creation As a current Keizer/Salem of the Career and Technical parent I have a proven record Education Center (CTEC), showing my commitment to a national model of a public/ bettering my community. As private partnership that has a a graduate of McKay High 98 percent graduation rate and School, and a current parent grows a workforce for our re- of a Keizer area junior, seventh gion. I have demonstrated my “Mental health instability is a serious issue we are facing at all levels of our educational system.” commitment to Keizer and public service as an elected public offi cial for 19 years. KT: What motivated you to seek election/re-election? DB: I want to bring the voice of my fellow parents and our current educators to the forefront, highlight their challenges and work towards solutions. I want to shout their successes and praise a commu- nity committed to every child’s successes. I believe waiting for the problem to reach the top, through the fi lters of the sys- tem, often fail those calling out for help. Being on the ground level, as a parent, business owner and community voice. I have the necessary feet on the ground to hear fi rsthand what is needed; and work with the systems in place or work to build new systems to solve the problems our classrooms are facing today. CL: I’m motivated to seek re-election because over the years I’ve become commit- ted to the success of every student in Oregon’s second largest school district. I have a deep and sincere passion for the work of the Board and we have important unfi nished work to do. KT: What do you feel are the top three issues facing the school district as a whole? DB: Only three! Aside from the fact that I love this district and all who are work- ing their tails off to build the best minds around, we do face some challenges, and some far outweigh others. As a mom I am pained almost daily by the reports I hear or the in- teractions myself or my chil- dren face with others who are struggling within. Mental health instability is a serious is- sue we are facing at all levels of our educational system. CL: Budget, budget, budget – Oregon’s process for budget- ing and budgets so closely tied to the economy, makes school funding very unpredictable. With this extreme volatility, it makes long term planning for improvement diffi cult. Achievement Gap - While our graduation rates have been im- proving the rates continue to fl uctuate among our most vul- nerable and underrepresented students. Our efforts to ad- dress chronic absenteeism, add career and technical education programs, equity and access are examples of addressing the gap. Systems of Support – We must address the growing mental health and toxic stress issues of our students. We have heard at many board meetings from community members, teach- ers, and parents about the be- havioral outbursts that disrupt the learning environment. We are implementing a series of strategies to train administra- tors, teachers and staff that will help all students. Implement- ing and communicating this framework will take time and focus. KT: What can be done at the school board level to ad- dress those issues? DB: We need to bring more love into our schools and our communities. We need to meet parents at the doors with welcoming arms, not inter- rogations and frustrations of their interruptions. We need to ask them back into our class- rooms, and to be a part of the process. We need community in our schools and our schools out in our communities. The school board is excellent at making and navigating poli- cies. It’s time we create some policies that promote outside- the-box thinking. Please see SCHOOL, Page A8 Home-fi eld advantage. 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