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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 3, 2016)
9A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016 Education: ‘It gives us a bigger picture’ Brown: ‘The time Continued from Page 1A topics, such as the isheries tech- nology program at Astoria and vocational programs, keep them interested in school. Educators weigh in “We don’t want to sit in Salem and design systems in isolation from you and other Oregonians and other commu- nities,” Noor said to a group of mostly local educators gathered at the Barbey Maritime Center. Those gathered split off into groups, discussing Noor’s ques- tions and reporting back. As for the most import- ant characteristics in a school, respondents focused on the need for more resources to help stu- dents learn in different styles, an environment in which their min- imum daily needs are met and acknowledgment that many stu- dents are bound for vocational rather than college education after high school. Melissa Linder, the cur- riculum director for Asto- ria, said teachers need the time and resources to prepare qual- ity instruction, while students need more hands-on experi- ences in the community. Dr. Bruce Bobek, the Republican challenger to state Rep. Debo- rah Boone, D-Cannon Beach, said there needs to be more feed- back from higher education and employers on how prepared stu- dents are after they graduate. “What I would like to see is each district create their own accountability system that the state can approve,” Astoria Superintendent Craig Hoppes said, noting the Smarter Bal- anced Assessment is only given once a year, while the district has come up with several mea- surements of success in its stra- tegic plan. To ensure all students are successful, said soon-to-be Seaside Superintendent Sheila Roley, schools need to engage local nonproits, businesses and other groups to ensure wrap- around services. Patsy Oser, a former teacher and librarian and volunteer in local elementary schools, said schools should also connect with new parents to help prepare children for school from birth. Summer assignment The federal No Child Left Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian Larry Johnson, right, a re- tired industrial arts teacher of more than 30 years, said he came to the education forum Thursday to stump for more career-technical education in schools. Behind Johnson is Derek Brown, the director of assessment for the state De- partment of Education, gath- ering local feedback for a new education plan the state is creating. Behind Act, the education reform plan that began under President George W. Bush, is being replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act, Pres- ident Barack Obama’s revi- sion to education law that gives states more lexibility to improve student and school performance. Noor has been to 11 forums so far in Oregon and ends his tour Monday in Coos Bay. So far, he said, he has heard a consistent focus on the need for student and teacher engage- ment, a variety of high-interest, hands-on programs and close relationships between students and faculty. “We’re hearing consis- tencies about the … mental health needs of students, and the social/emotional needs that have to be addressed,” he said. After the tour, Noor said the state will try to synthesize the information into themes to inform the education plan that education oficials are drafting in July and August. The state receives federal guidelines for its education plan in October, he said, and will turn in a inal draft by November. While not all feedback will be relected in the plan, he said, the infor- mation he’s gathered at the forums will continually inform the state’s work on education. “It gives us a bigger pic- ture and a broader perspective on what’s actually needed and what’s happening in schools and communities across the state,” he said. Shipyard: Closure could hamper commercial ishing, economy Continued from Page 1A Leahy sent the letter Wednes- day to Robert Williams, the state’s project manager for the Astoria Marine cleanup, and to local, state and federal legislators. Wartime contamination The 90-year-old shipyard gathered most of its contami- nation during contracts to build vessels for the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War. Since the wars, it has pri- marily worked on ishing boats. In 2012, the shipyard avoided a listing as a federal Superfund site when the U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency gave the state cleanup oversight. The cleanup, which includes cap- ping contaminated soil at the shipyard and removing contam- inated sediment from the ship- ways, is estimated to cost more than $2 million and is expected to close Astoria Marine. Leahy’s letter referenced another written last month by Denise Löfman, director of the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce and a member of the community advisory group overseeing cleanup options for Astoria Marine. Her letter said the shipyard’s pollution is iso- lated and does not affect sur- rounding property or the Lewis and Clark River. Leahy wrote that a mor- atorium would allow time to study the costs, funding needs and options for moving a ser- vice like Astoria Marine to a short-term or permanent loca- tion while the business contin- ues operating. Leahy wrote that Clat- sop Economic Development Resources supports the efforts of Port of Astoria Executive Direc- tor Jim Knight, who is seeking state support to study the feasi- bility of moving the agency’s Pier 3 boatyard — and poten- tially the shipyard — to land the agency leases from the Depart- ment of State Lands on the Ski- panon Peninsula in Warrenton. Knight recently sent a white paper explaining the need for the shipyard and said he is meeting again with the state next week. Building support Leahy said he put Astoria Marine at the top of the agenda at the most recent board meet- ing of Clatsop Economic Devel- opment Resources, where mem- bers decided they needed to do something. His letter was endorsed by a broad swath of county business and govern- ment leaders who serve on the group’s board, which includes Clatsop County Commissioner Dirk Rohne. Rohne said the county com- mission had, under Peter Huhta- la’s leadership, worked to move Astoria Marine’s cleanup from federal to state hands in the hopes of having more inluence over the process. “The environment is not going to improve by virtue of it being closed,” Rohne said. “There’s no beneit.” Rohne and Leahy said the county would face a cascading impact without a service like Astoria Marine. Many isher- men have said they might have to leave without a shipyard nearby to get their boats repaired. If the boats leave, Rohne said, that could cause seafood processors to follow suit. to build the boat is before the tide rises’ Continued from Page 1A tax credits for low-income households; and establish- ing tax credits for corpora- tions that dedicate a portion of their tax bill to the Oregon Growth Fund for small and minority businesses. Cost estimates weren’t immediately available as dis- cussions with lawmakers, who will ultimately decide the plan’s fate, were just begin- ning. But oficials in Brown’s ofice say it’s a framework to start with, an effort to lock away at least some of what’d otherwise be discretionary money for the Legislature. “The time to build the boat is before the tide rises,” Brown, who remains neutral on IP 28, said in a statement. “As I consider the develop- ment of budgets and policies for 2017-19, my Corporate Tax Implementation Plan pro- vides a framework for plan- ning that advances my priori- ties: improve our high school graduation rate, continue eco- nomic growth statewide and protect Oregon jobs.” The measure — a gross receipts tax hike proposal that would apply to busi- nesses with $25 million-plus in annual sales and is awaiting inal approval for the Novem- ber ballot — speciies that all revenue it generates would fund education, health care and senior services. But there aren’t any guar- antees. Lawmakers can spend the revenue however they want because IP 28 would change state law, not the Oregon Con- stitution — a structure that its public union-backers say they chose to avoid pigeonholing future budget decisions. Education, health and senior services would almost certainly beneit from IP 28. It sends proceeds to the gen- eral fund, the bulk of which already funds those areas, especially education. But what portion of the proceeds — especially with other fund- ing challenges facing the state, such as pensions and transpor- tation — and how it’d be spent beyond that is unclear. Katherine Driessen, spokes- woman for Our Oregon, the union-backed nonproit behind IP 28, said Brown’s proposal is a good irst step that “addresses education, and we look forward to working with the gover- nor on an implementation plan that addresses health care and senior services as well.” Rebecca Tweed, cam- paign coordinator for the busi- ness-backed opposition cam- paign, said Brown’s proposal doesn’t address the broader issues with IP 28 and instead, “demonstrates that IP 28 includes no strategy and no accountability for how the state would spend the $6 bil- lion it would generate.” Brown also needs the sup- port of the Legislature, where feelings on IP 28 are mixed, even among Democrats. State House Speaker Tina Kotek, who supports IP 28, was out of town and unavail- able for an interview, but her spokeswoman Lindsey O’Brien issued a statement on Kotek’s behalf. “If Oregonians approve the measure in November, legis- lators will work with the gov- ernor in 2017 to make sure it’s implemented as voters intended,” O’Brien said. Senate President Peter Courtney said they’ll tackle budget and revenue issues next session, as they do every year, but he still opposes policy-mak- ing through citizen ballots. “I’m still hopeful that all the players will get in the room,” Courtney said in an interview. “I know time’s run- ning out, it doesn’t look very good ... I just want to avoid the battle. 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