Page 2
The INDEPENDENT, October 16, 2008
The
INDEPENDENT
Published on the first and third Thursdays of each month by
The Independent, LLC, 725 Bridge St., Vernonia, OR 97064.
Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410.
Publisher Clark McGaugh, clark@the-independent.net
Editor Rebecca McGaugh, rebecca@the-independent.net
Mentor Noni Andersen
Printed on recycled paper with vegetable based dyes
Opinion
Vote yes on Measure 5-192
In 1998, Columbia County voters passed a five-year
levy to fund our county’s Columbia 9-1-1 Communica-
tiosn District service. When 9-1-1 came back five years
later, in 2004, they hadn’t needed all the money ap-
proved in the 1998 levy so they lowered the rate they
asked for to fund 9-1-1 through 2008. How often do you
see that kind of fiscal responsibility anymore? Five
years ago, Columbia County voters (probably you in-
cluded) voted to renew the levy at the reduced rate of
.29 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
We all know how much gasoline prices, grocery
prices, water and sewer rates, etc. have gone up in this
past five years. Yet, 9-1-1 is still asking only for the
same .29 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value
(about $58.00 a year on a house assessed at
$200,000). 9-1-1 says it can operate on that and even
improve service. They have won awards for their budg-
ets and fiscal responsibility so, if they say they can
make do with that amount of money, it’s believable.
It’s good to know you can call 9-1-1 at any time of the
day or night when you, a friend, a loved one or a neigh-
bor needs help, and it will cost you less than it did in
1998. If you, your loved ones, friends and neighbors all
vote yes, 9-1-1 can keep working for us. Each day Co-
lumbia 9-1-1 gets about 10 calls per hour, or 230 calls
per day, from people who need help here in Columbia
County.
This 9-1-1 levy is too good a deal to pass up – please
vote yes on Measure 5-192 and keep the good Colum-
bia County service we get now.
And speaking of what happens during emergencies,
last week Vernonian Tim Jensen was driving on Hwy
47 when someone coming towards him lost control of
their car and hit our local fellow. Jensen was driving a
Jeep with a hard top. The top flew off, the seat belt
broke at the buckle and Jensen went flying out of the
vehicle as it rolled. In his words, he landed and then lay
there with his head in the mud and water (it was rain-
ing that day) and the blood. That’s when his roadside
angel for the day showed up and held his head in her
lap, and out of the water, for about 20 minutes until the
ambulances and emergency vehicles got there.
Jensen was Lifeflighted out but is now home recover-
ing. We want to thank the Good Samaritan who
stopped and helped. So, thank you, Kelly Davis.
Out of My Mind…
by Noni Andersen
Several of this November’s state ballot meas-
ures spring from the fertile mind of Bill Sizemore,
who earns his living by (surprise!) getting meas-
ures on the ballot. He so often tells educators
how to do their jobs, how to pay teachers and
even how their unions should operate, that it
would appear he must be qualified to do so. Ap-
pearances are deceiving.
Sizemore isn’t a teacher and doesn’t have a
degree in education. He does seem to have a su-
periority complex so deep and abiding that he
knows how a classroom should be run. I’m not a
teacher, either, but as a daughter, sister, spouse,
daughter-in-law and friend of past and present
teachers, I have been a closely connected ob-
server of that very complex profession since be-
fore Sizemore was born.
Those decades of observation have led me to
seriously question the efficacy of standardized
tests as a measure of successful teaching and
ask how teachers can be evaluated for “merit
pay.” Good teachers want students to develop
the kind of intellectual curiosity that becomes a
springboard for lifelong learning. While academ-
ic performance at grade level is a necessary
standard, it is only part of a much broader meas-
ure of success.
Let’s compare two imaginary situations:
Teacher A has a class of 25 fifth graders in a
school district where the average annual income
is $74,000 per family with one parent working.
They aren’t rich, but they have some discre-
tionary income and time to volunteer in the
school.
Teacher B has 25 fifth grade students in a
school district where the average annual income
is $44,000 per family with both parents working.
They aren’t poor, but they have little discre-
tionary income and little time to volunteer.
Now, assume that these imaginary teachers
and students have comparable abilities: Which
teacher will be more successful on the basis of
standardized tests? Studies have repeatedly
shown that parental involvement in the school is
a major element of academic success. So, with
all other elements being equal, parental involve-
ment will determine that Teacher A is more “suc-
cessful” than Teacher B.
The example above doesn’t account for cir-
cumstances that adversely affect students, such
as inadequate school supplies, uncomfortable
classrooms, learning disabilities, illness, poverty,
etc. Each teacher’s classroom is unique.
There are a few exceptional teachers, and
there are a few inadequate teachers. Regardless
of the chosen profession, most people are not
exceptional, but they work hard and should be
paid well. We expect teachers to educate our
children regardless of conditions, including over-
crowded classrooms, lack of support staff or
preparation time, and much, much more.
Teachers aren’t left unobserved; they are reg-
ularly evaluated by their supervisors. Consider-
ing the responsibility we ask our teachers to
shoulder, they nearly all deserve merit pay, but
not on the basis of standardized tests.
Please vote No on Measures 58 and 60.