School board candidates respond

When it comes to elections, the Mid-county Memo has a non-editorial endorsement policy. What we do instead is ask all candidates the same set of questions and then publish their answers. Since the Memo circulation area encompasses most of one school district (Parkrose) and portions of three others (David Douglas, Reynolds and Portland Public Schools), we sent every school board candidate in contested school board races the same three questions (the PPS zone had no elections this cycle).

Here are their answers:

Parkrose Pos. 2 Director, two-year unexpired term ending June 30, 2019
(I) Sara Kirby, Karen Carter

1. Do you see yourself primarily as a representative of the community or as a representative of the school system and district?

Kirby: I see myself primarily has a representative of the community; however, I believe board member conduct reflects on the school system and the district.

Carter: I see myself as a representative of the community, but most importantly, as a representative of the students.

2. What special strengths do you bring to the board?

Kirby: I’m empathic, reflective and thoughtful. This allows me to listen for understanding and see issues from multiple perspectives. I’m also an associative thinker; I can connect how small parts fit into a larger system. I use this in my work as a senior solid waste planner at Metro, and my professional skill set includes project management, group facilitation, research and data analysis. My work experience helps me be a more effective board member in understanding the importance of the roles and responsibilities of the board, superintendent and staff and how we all work together to achieve the goals of the district.

Carter: In my work, I lead and develop people, facilitate change and work with large budgets. In my eight years in the Parkrose community, I have been a classroom volunteer, [served] on the board of a Parent Teacher Organization, and [acted as] president of the Music Boosters. I have also volunteered at the district level in two advisory committees. These experiences allow me to bring leadership skills and a great understanding of the needs of students and staff in our district to the board.

3. What goals do you hope to achieve if you are elected?

Kirby: School board members only have power as a whole board, not as individual members. In this sense, I hope to work well with my fellow board members to set goals around continuing to improve student achievement at all levels. One example of this is continuing to offer more opportunities for high school students to attain college credit while at PHS. Individually, I plan to continue to use my role on the board to advocate for our students with local, state and federal elected officials. Our schools are facing another potential round of major budget cuts. It is unacceptable for our kids to continue to be shortchanged.

Carter: Student and staff safety: We need to ensure that students are physically and emotionally safe at school and that teachers have what they need to support them and each other. Reduce class size: Class sizes are much too large, and this impacts learning. We also need to ensure our teachers have sufficient support staff to help them, especially with special needs students. Student wellness: The state has put physical education mandates in place but [hasn’t] provided funding to meet them. We need to get creative to make this happen so that we teach students at a young age the value of exercise and proper diet. Graduation rates: While rates have improved in the last few years, there is more work to be done. We continue to have a disparity in these rates, and the goal is for ALL students to graduate.

Parkrose Pos. 4 Director, four-year term ending June 30, 2021
Sonja Mckenzie, Kori Basquez

1. Do you see yourself primarily as a representative of the community or as a representative of the school system and district?

Mckenzie: If elected to the Parkrose School Board by the residents of the community, I would see myself as their elected representative whose mission is to serve and support the goals and mission of the community. As a parent in Parkrose, I know the importance of feeling that your concerns are heard and valued.

Basquez: Parkrose School Board members are an essential part of the school system and larger community, which are mutually inclusive. Thus, school board members have a responsibility to be accessible and value the complexity of the district, including diverse perspectives. As a mental health professional, I vow to be an equitable advocate for Parkrose youth, as well as parents, educators, and district employees.

2. What special strengths do you bring to the board?

Mckenzie: My strengths are my experience and connection to the community. I have eight years of service on community boards and councils, discussing innovative ideas, collaborating and resolving complex issues in our schools in the Portland metro area. I am an experienced educator, student advocate, parent volunteer and community stakeholder. [I was] previously appointed to the Boise Eliot Site Council and elected as a Boise Policy Council Representative in PPS. Currently, I serve on the East Metro STEAM Leadership, Parkrose Middle School Advisory Board, Multnomah County Library CAC and iUrban Teen STEM Industry Advisory Council. My years of service and community engagement make me the candidate with the hands-on experience to continue the important work that needs to be done on the Parkrose School Board. I am ready with the experience to begin the job as director on the school board on day one!

Basquez: I have worked for 11 years in nonprofit mental health and maintain a passion for community service and volunteerism. I currently serve as supervisor at a mental health agency working with adults who maintain severe mental health challenges. I also serve as a mental health investigator on contract with Washington County, Oregon.

I’ve come to believe prevention is key in terms of reducing mental health and addiction issues. I am seeking the position of Parkrose School Board director because I believe access to quality public education is the great equalizer in promoting best outcomes, including social and academic achievement, as well as larger life success.

3. What goals do you hope to achieve if you are elected?

Mckenzie: My goals are to provide on-site support to students so that they feel safe in their school environment; ensure that vocational and career technical training is made available to our students; support the work in progress to increase parent-school communication; and support policies that enforce diversity, inclusion and equality for all students.

Basquez: I am opposed strongly to voucher programs and any diversion of funding from Parkrose Schools. Thus, my goal is to improve and sustain adequate funding streams for Parkrose Schools. I will work to create a culture that supports the needs of all students, embraces diversity and advocates for LGBTQ youth as well as cultural and racial minorities. I will also promote the needs of teachers and district employees, including supporting access to competitive salaries and opportunities for continued professional development.

David Douglas Pos. 1 Director, four-year term ending June 30, 2021
Timothy Crawley, Ana del Rocío

1. Do you see yourself primarily as a representative of the community or as a representative of the school system and district?

Crawley: Both. A school district board member must be able to balance the interests of students and families as well as administrators, teachers and the greater school system and district. Representation is such a difficult task because it often involves harmonizing, or at least aligning, disparate beliefs and opinions. Cultural understanding, awareness, thoughtfulness and timeliness are all necessary strengths needed to be effective as a representative. I try always not to dismiss a viewpoint or claim, as doing so will weaken the ultimate solution.

del Rocío: I am the daughter of working-class immigrants and the first in my family to graduate from college. I see myself as a daughter, a mother, a professional and a community member. As a school board member, I would be accountable to the wider community that DDSD serves, as well as to the educators, staff and community-based partners that work hard every day towards bright futures for our children.

2. What special strengths do you bring to the board?

Crawley: I am an attorney and negotiator in the field of conflict resolution, trained to navigate and bridge extremely divergent opinions and issues. I will advance solutions underscored in inclusion and equality. I bring a cultural understanding and awareness supported by my work in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I have been involved in the field of education while at the Middle East Policy Council in Washington D.C. and with the Federal Reserve. And I have a strong background in liberal arts that allows me the flexibility of cross-disciplinary work and adaptability.

del Rocío: Not only is the DDSD board currently missing a teacher’s voice, but it’s also missing a majority of people with young children in schools—in other words, people with a direct stake in the outcomes of their decisions. I am a former teacher, and I’m also a mom of two young children, including an incoming kindergartener at Cherry Park Elementary. I would bring both the parent and teacher perspectives, which are crucial to engaging in the robust level of policy-making that our children deserve.

3. What goals do you hope to achieve if you are elected?

Crawley: We must prioritize inclusiveness as a form of education and community strength and technology as a tool for positioning our students for cutting edge opportunities. I will work to strengthen the connections between David Douglas and our local community. And I will work to strengthen the connections between school board members throughout our region and state by promoting best practices and cross-pollination of programs and ideas and furthering our inter-district communication.

del Rocío: I’d like to see the successes of Earl Boyles’ Early Works Initiative expanded to other schools to give all children a chance to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. I also aim to bolster the district’s parent and family engagement and support programs that allow high school students to graduate from high school ready for college and careers. Finally, it’s important to me that all DDSD schools be equipped to make all children feel welcomed and included, regardless of their race, class or gender.

David Douglas Pos. 2 Director, four-year term ending June 30, 2021
Stephanie Stephens, Joshua Gray

1. Do you see yourself primarily as a representative of the community, or as a representative of the school system and district?

Stephens: As a governing body, the ultimate goal of the school board should be success for every student. I believe the responsibility for success is shared—students, parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders, neighborhoods and civic organizations all play a vital role. School board members must balance the interests of many different perspectives, listen to all voices and ultimately decide what is best for our children, always keeping in mind we are stewards of taxpayer resources.

Gray: I feel I am a representative of the community. I do not represent a certain class, nationality, age or group of people; I represent a large whole of individuals within the David Douglas School District.

2. What special strengths do you bring to the board?

Stephens: I have nearly 20 years of public policy development, budget management and community-building experience. As the cofounder of a nonprofit that unites diverse communities, I know how to bring people together to solve complex problems and achieve results with limited funding. In addition, I am a professional grant writer and fundraiser, which will be an asset to the district. I am also a mom of twin first-graders, and I am committed to their education, to the academic achievement of all students and to the district’s long-term success.

Gray: As a father, I bring strength, understanding and leadership with me into my position. I’m interested in the safety and well-being [of all students], as well as community outreach programs to assist everyone within the community so that they will be strengthened and be able to grow together and thrive together within the David Douglas School District with assistance from the school board.

3. What goals do you hope to achieve if you are elected?

Stephens: My number one priority will be to help increase graduation rates by placing fewer mandates on teachers, enabling them to emphasize personalized learning; utilizing greater community-based partnerships; and instituting specific programs targeted to at-risk populations.

With a budget deficit looming, we will need to find creative ways to retain our music, P.E. and library services. Finally, our David Douglas schools should be—and are—vibrant hubs of our neighborhoods, and I hope to help spur more parent and community engagement within them.

Gray: I hope to reach out to those who feel that they have been neglected. I hope to be able to assist them [in creating] programs that I can guide and push them to be a part of the process. I don’t think decision-making stops at the board; I think it is a group community effort, and I would be seeking input, knowledge and guidance from members of the community. Also, as an individual who was bullied growing up, I’d be working with schools and principals to address the matters of individuals that are abused, who are neglected and who are intimidated or harassed within the schools [as well as assist with] community matters of individuals who are dealing with items of insecurity and personal matters, which could affect their schooling work. It’s time to allow the kids to be kids and take the politics out of school.

David Douglas Pos. 3 Director, four-year term ending June 30, 2021
Dennis Secrest, (I) Christine Larsen

1. Do you see yourself primarily as a representative of the community or as a representative of the school system and district?

Secrest: I represent the community, first and foremost. With our changing demographics, the challenge is keeping pace with the needs of our population and their concerns. Recently, the school board was reluctant to issue an inclusion letter to our families and schools assuring everyone that our kids would be safe from ICE officers during the school day. If I were on the board, I would be a voice in making sure our community feels safe.

Larsen: I believe that school board members should represent the community—in this case, the residents that live within the David Douglas School District boundaries. There is also an element of representing the school district in cases where a board member would meet with groups on the state and federal level to make sure they understand what we need to provide a high-quality education.

2. What special strengths do you bring to the board?

Secrest: After 14 years in management, my special strengths are communication, listening and a fiscal responsibility to balancing budgets. I believe I am well suited to hearing all sides of an argument and bringing people together for a common goal. I know not everyone will be happy, but everyone will be heard, and I’ll be clear on where I stand. I’m also passionate about balancing budgets and finding ways to pay for things that aren’t always clear. As a one-income family (my wife is the earner), you must be creative when faced with a challenging budget.

Larsen: I am a parent of a school-age child, and I believe that it is important for parents to be involved in the educational system. When issues are presented, I look at them through the lens of a parent first. My background is in accounting and administration. This is a strength when we are consistently dealing with a shortage of school funds from the state.

3. What goals do you hope to achieve if you are elected?

Secrest: The goal I hope to accomplish is to involve the community more. I want everyone in our community to feel safe going to our schools. I want to get real healthy choices in our cafeterias—meaning a juice box is not the equivalent of a fruit—with actual veggies available. I would also address the imbalance of our teacher-to-student ratios, whether that involves more student teachers, instructional assistants or parent volunteers.

Larsen: If I am re-elected, I will continue to work to ensure the district is providing educational programs and services to the students and families of the district that give our children the tools they need to become productive adults in our community.

Reynolds Pos. 1 Director, four-year term ending June 30, 2021
Sara Gonzales

1. Do you see yourself primarily as a representative of the community or as a representative of the school system and district?

I see myself as a representative of the community who is willing to listening and share input to the decisions that are happening in the district. I will continue to educate myself to be able to understand the school system and district. I will continue advocating for the education of all generations, including parents who in one or another way can get involved in their kids’ education for the betterment of our society and economic system. This includes advocating for an education that will teach job skills and will connect high school students to better local, national and international jobs and higher education.

2. What special strengths do you bring to the board?

I love to ask questions about how we can implement new methods and avenues for students who are struggling at school. I always do my extra mile in all my projects including my job, profession, education, family and volunteer work in public service. Critical thinking can make the difference [between success and failure]; my priorities are to increase the graduation rate; help find resources for families who mobilized during the school year to avoid dropouts; and collaborate with local public and private organizations who work with the same vision, mission and objectives that support all students, regardless their background and economic status.

3. What goals do you hope to achieve if you are elected?

First, I have to educate myself in the education system and learn how the Reynolds School District operates in comparison to others in Oregon and other states, because my role is to represent students, teachers, parents and all staff who work for the district, so it is really important to be part of the student’s diversity within the district, continuing to ask questions and sharing input to reach the outcomes that constantly require the evaluation of current and new methodologies. I will collaborate and work as a liaison for and with the students, teachers, parents, and Reynolds School District staff.

Reynolds Pos. 2 Director, four-year term ending June 30, 2021
Matt Craven, (I) Diego Hernandez

1. Do you see yourself primarily as a representative of the community or as a representative of the school system and district?

Craven: I see myself as a representative of my community and the district. The community has a voice in how they want their children supported, and it’s the board’s responsibility to collaborate, take the information and create a functional plan of action that will serve our students, parents and community equitably.

Hernandez: I primary see myself as a representative of the community and students, especially our very diverse communities.

2. What special strengths do you bring to the board?

Craven: My strengths are bringing people together, finding solutions and executing the plan which will bring the greatest results. With 20 years in human resources, I have extensive experience working in cross-functional teams in a culturally diverse organization. Although there may be differences in opinions, I will listen, collaborate and make decisions based on facts, which benefits the community.

Hernandez: I graduated from Reynolds, I am a former educator and I have served on the Reynolds School Board for four years. I have a strong equity focus. I am a state representative who serves on the Education Policy Committee and the Ways and Means Sub-Committee on Education.

3. What goals do you hope to achieve if you are elected?

Craven: Transparency: There’s a perception [that] decisions are being made behind closed doors. The community deserves to know what decisions are being made and have a say in how the district is being shaped. I want to ensure the actions/decisions of the board are socialized to the community.

Collaboration: With the perception of a lack of transparency, there’s also a perception of a lack of collaboration. As challenges arise in the district, the board, citizens and district leaders need to work together. I will advocate for collaboration to ensure decisions are made with inputs from all parties.

Accountability: There’s pressure on the district to drive results and have all the answers. The success of our children in school takes a partnership between the parents, teachers, students and the district. As a board member, I will do what I can to voice the importance of being involved and ensure all parties are held accountable.

If we can do this, we can start the foundational process of increasing academic achievement within the district, preparing our students for lifelong success.

Hernandez: My goals are to collaboratively work with my fellow elected colleagues on holding our superintendent accountable to achieving our district yearly goals, to prepare for our next bond, to represent our growing diverse community and to bring local stories to the capitol and more funding and resources to our K–12 system.

Reynolds Pos. 7 Director, two-year unexpired term ending June 30, 2019
Richard Brown, (I) Stevie Chao, Ricardo Ruiz

1. Do you see yourself primarily as a representative of the community or as a representative of the school system and district?

Brown: I consider myself a representative of the community. To be even more specific, I see myself as a representative of the parents who have children attending schools in the Reynolds School District and have not seen the graduation rate improve. Our African American on-time graduation rate is under 50 percent, so I also see myself as a representative of other parents of African American and biracial students who are deeply concerned about how our school systems are failing those children.

Chao: As a board member, I am a representative of the community I serve. My main role is to hold the district accountable for the safety and education of our children. All other responsibilities are directly related to that role.

Ruiz: I personally see myself as a primary representative of the community. [I have] been living and have gotten in involved in my home place of Rockwood, a neighborhood in the city of Gresham. I have played an instrumental role in redeveloping local parks and bringing futsal courts and youth programming to the community.

2. What special strengths do you bring to the board?

Brown: I have a Master’s in Public Administration from Portland State University. In addition, because of my job as a business systems analyst, I have gotten good at listening to people describe a process or problem and then working with them to come up with a solution that maximizes efficiency and improves outcomes. I think I can use those same skills on our budget and graduation rate problems. I do not see the school board as a stepping stone on a path to higher office. I am not part of a nonprofit or local government who sees a position on the school board to network. I am just a father with a regular job who wants to help make sure the schools our children attend stop failing them.

Chao: With the proposed 2017–19 budgets coming from Salem, it is no secret that tough decisions will need to be made in the district over the next couple of years. My abilities to listen, think critically and work with others to find solutions will be needed to help make those decisions and to keep the district accountable to the adopted budget.

Ruiz: [I am a] fluent English and Spanish speaker and writer, a Reynolds graduate [who attended school in] the Reynolds School District since kindergarten (1999–2012) and an active community member advocating for safer neighborhoods, parks and schools. [My being a] recent graduate helps in having a youth’s perspective in the decisions that are to be made.

3. What goals do you hope to achieve if you are elected?

Brown: My main goals would be improving the graduation rate and coming up with more ways our school can help support students and parents who are economically disadvantaged.

Chao: My goals are to support programs that enable, motivate and encourage our students to graduate; support programs that reduce or remove the hurdles that prevent graduation; ensure that the bond projects are completed on time and under budget; work with the other board members and district staff to adopt budgets that support the district’s goals and community expectations; and continue personal learning so I can be as effective as possible as a board member.

Ruiz: [Foster] effective communication between our growing diverse communities. Implement and continue to improve dropout prevention programs [while] supporting best practices for increasing graduation rates and maintaining students in school. Grow our resources [while] focusing on activities that include sports, arts, music, library media and technology activities for our middle school and elementary school students. Make sure the community is aware of how we go about our budget, and make sure we use our dollars for the right things that help our students, teachers and families grow.

Unopposed incumbents’ answers:

Parkrose Pos. 5 Director, four-year term ending June 30, 2021
Erick Flores

1.What are the school district’s priorities?
Sustain and increase graduation rates; continue to close achievement gaps; reduce class sizes and increase math achievement.

2. What are the school district’s must important and measurably goals?
Graduation rates in all demographics. These are measured and compared year to year against regional and comparable schools in Oregon.

3. What’s going very well, and what most needs improving in your district?
The District has consistently closed Achievement gaps within demographics and we have historical high graduation rates despite having 20 percent less teachers since the recession. Graduation rates for AVID [Advancement Via Individual Determination], five-year cohort and homeowners are higher than years before. On the other hand, math achievement could be higher and Parkrose could become a regional math leader; the district is in process of adopting a new  math curriculum and that will provide us with the opportunity to modernize our methods and foster a new math culture at all levels and within all staff and community. Parents, just as teachers and assistants, need to support students within their capacity (homework, additional math practice, daily routines, healthy living habits, etc.). Schools work the best when parents are involved!

Director, Pos. 6, four-year term ending June 30, 2021
Andrea Valderrama

1. What are the David Douglas School District’s priorities?
As we move forward through this year’s funding cycle, the concern for budget cuts grows. Currently, our highest priority is ensuring adequate funding for our programs, classrooms, and staff. The following are three of the highest priorities we are advocating for to be fully funded
A. Safety. The district takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure and advocate for the safety and well-being of all students and families in the district. This means providing exceptional classroom, healthcare, food, physical education and arts services so that all students can learn and achieve their educational goals.
B. Density. As the City of Portland continues to grow, a significant portion of families are moving to our district. Symptoms of this growth include larger class sizes and a higher need of affordable housing for families. With over 76 languages spoke at home and over 61 percent of the district’s student population being students of color, it is imperative that the district prioritize meaningful family engagement with families of color, in addition to culturally appropriate curriculum and staffing.
C. Modernization of facilities. As the reality of a budget shortfall from the state becomes more and more evident, the need to discuss a local funding mechanism increases. We also know that the Pacific Northwest is overdue for an earthquake, and seismic retrofitting and upgrading of our facilities is essential to modernize our facilities and provide the best learning environment possible for students and teaching environment for teachers.

 2. What are the school district’s most important and measurable goals?  
A. Student graduation and college readiness rates. In addition to our rolling goal of increasing graduation rates, college readiness (whether it be a four-year, community college, or CTE training program) rates are critical in determining how successful our students are after their 12th year in the District.
B. Family access to wrap around services and poverty rates. We know that having adequate access to social and healthcare services directly impacts a family’s ability to engage with their children and ensure economic stability.
C. Workforce recruitment and retention rates. The diversification of our workforce is a priority, in addition to a robust process for recruitment and retention.

 3. What’s going very well, and what most needs improving in your district?
Programs like our Earl Boyle’s Early Learning Hub and CTE programs like the Maker Space at the HS are going well. There is always room for improvement in any program, and improvement could be seen in the any of the priorities previously mentioned.

This post was updated 5/3/2017 with answers from unopposed school board incumbents.