Salem-Keizer Education First

02/12/2024

You will receive an email soon with meeting details. If you registered to testify remotely, the email will include a link or phone number to join the committee meeting.

01/11/2024

Salem-Keizer has some fantastic programs!

Salem high schoolers are training to be pilots, aircraft mechanics and fly drones in a new hangar at the airport.

11/16/2023

https://www.kptv.com/video/2023/11/15/student-attacks-teachers-worsen-salem-keizer-data-shows/

Back in late August, FOX 12 Investigates reported on how Salem-Seizer School District, Oregon’s second-largest school district, leads the way in student-caused teacher injuries.

11/10/2023

A recent letter of no confidence in Superintendent Castaneda was issued and signed by 35 current and retired educators of Salem-Keizer Public Schools

“To whom it may concern,

We are 35 current and retired teachers and staff from twelve schools and programs in the Salem/Keizer School District. We are writing to express our deep concern and disappointment regarding the actions and approach taken by our new Superintendent, Andrea Castañeda.

From the start, Superintendent Castañeda has displayed a lack of comprehension and empathy towards the educators and community members she is meant to serve. Her immediate alienation of these crucial stakeholders has created a rift that we believe has grown too vast to be mended. As educators, we understand the importance of building trust and rapport with our students from the very first moment of them walking into our rooms. If we were to act like our Superintendent, entering the classroom with pre-conceived notions and judgments about a student we had never met, it would immediately jeopardize the potential for success and growth in that student.

Similarly, as the leader of our educational community, Superintendent Castañeda has lost a foundational moment to build trust and establish a positive connection with both educators and community members by engaging in misleading public relations messages and employing intimidation tactics to circumvent established systems. Her approach has divided many, and it is concerning that she seems focused on exacerbating the long-lasting impact this could have on our district by continuing to try and drive a wedge between us and the community we serve through the media. Rather than fostering open lines of communication and collaborating with experienced professionals, Superintendent Castañeda has chosen to exert pressure in an attempt to impose compliance. Trust, once lost, is incredibly hard to rebuild, and it is paramount for any leader of an educational organization to understand and prioritize this. Andrea Castañeda does not.

The size of the Salem-Keizer School District necessitates a leader who is equipped to handle the complexities and challenges that come with such a responsibility—a leader who understands the importance of building relationships, listening to the concerns of educators and community members, and working collaboratively to address these issues.

We urge the Salem/Keizer school board, and relevant authorities to seriously consider the implications of Superintendent Castañeda’s actions and approach, and to take the necessary steps to address these issues. Our students, educators, and community deserve a leader who understands the importance of building trust and fostering positive relationships, and who is equipped to lead our district towards a bright and successful future.

Sincerely,

Adam Williams

Anne Bolen

Brent Adams

Bryan Hawes

Carrie Litchfield

Casey Gill

Chris Bowman

Chris Brenizer

Connie Repplinger

Cristian Barrientos-Morales

Cyndi Swaney

Darren Hunter

Dawn Valentine

Devon Reseburg

Erich Herber

Heather Burns

Heather Rutkowski

Heather Woodward

Jayme Paylor

Jeremy Kressner

John Robinson

Kendra Liggett

Kerry Fox

Lindsay Everitt

Marianne Silvestre

Omar Montes Alvarez

Peter Piexoto

Ranada Young

Rhyan Sonis

Roxana Gonzalez Soliz

Sue Luft

Susanne Boehkle

Suzi Spencer

Travis Chetock

Virgil Paylor”

05/09/2023

02/28/2023

Accountability.

Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old detransitioned woman, announced Thursday she is suing the hospital that facilitated her s*x change as a child, the first official lawsuit of its kind in the United States, the Daily Wire reports.

02/26/2023

02/14/2023

Graduation rates for 2022 were released last week. The Oregon Department of Education touted the second highest graduation rate in Oregon history for 2022. But what no one is talking about is that the Oregon Legislature passed a bill in 2021 removing graduation requirements that stated students had to have a 10th grade proficiency level in reading, writing and math.

Oregon is dumbing down our education system which is failing our kids. We should be focusing on academics and helping all students achieve instead of lowering the bar to tout better statistics.

We must demand better so our kids can compete against students from other states and countries in the workforce and higher education.

Read the article: https://www.opb.org/article/2023/01/26/oregon-high-school-graduation-rate-ticks-up-slightly/

01/09/2023