Oregon school board leaders push districts’ priorities in Hill visits
03/09 -- School board members from Oregon came away from the Federal Relations Network Conference better informed about the federal issues affecting their districts and reassured that their members of Congress have a better understanding of how their decisions affect local schools.
During visits to lawmakers’ offices, Oregon board members “were really surprised how well trained and prepared” they were, says David Williams, legislative and public affairs specialist at the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA).
Williams says OSBA sent 14 people to the conference, and the discussions with lawmakers “were scripted just like NSBA’s video,” which offers tips and scenarios on how to be an effective lobbyist. When one congressman “tried all sorts of diversionary tactics” to avoid committing himself to supporting the stimulus package, Williams says the Oregon school leaders “recognized the tactics and adjusted on the fly.”
Williams doesn’t know if that lawmaker will ultimately vote for the stimulus, “but we gave him a lot of food for thought. We got him to look at some of the smaller things in the stimulus and understand the impact on his district.”
The economic stimulus legislation is OSBA’s number-one priority, since “Oregon, like a lot of states, is in pretty dire financial straits,” Williams says. With a projected deficit of up to $750 million in the state’s current biennial budget, “we’re looking at severe budget cuts.”
At a briefing to prepare the Oregon board leaders for Capitol Hill visits, Williams urged them to stress the importance of the stimulus package in saving jobs. “And,” he said, “we need the money to be as flexible as possible, so we can use the money to fill holes in our budgets.”
Both of Oregon’s senators -- Ron Wyden, serving his third term, and newly elected Jeff Merkley, both Democrats -- spoke at an OSBA-sponsored breakfast meeting.
OSBA President Annette Mattson was particularly looking forward to working with Merkely, who lives in and attended school in her district, Portland’s David Douglas school district.
For Mattson, “the stimulus is huge.” Her school district has grappled with finding enough money to serve a mostly low-income and growing enrollment and meet its special education obligations with a “very limited ability to raise funds for capital construction.”
Many of the schools in Mattson’s district were built in the 1950s or 1960s and need to be modernized, she says. Also, the district needs a new elementary school, a new wing for a middle school, and a new career and technical center.
The large increase for special education funding in the stimulus is particularly important to OSBA Vice President Scott Pillar, a member of the High Desert Education Service District. High Desert serves seven districts and is looking at a 20 percent funding cut.
Another key priority for OSBA is to have NCLB reauthorized with “more logic and more rationality,” Williams says. Modifying the law to allow all states to use a growth model would be very helpful for Oregon districts.
Liisa Reid, a member of the Greater Albany, Ore., school board, urged lawmakers to provide more flexibility for NCLB, which is “too rigid, with everything based on a single measurement.” Some of her district’s schools have failed to meet AYP goals primarily due to a single subgroup, such as students with disabilities.
Reid, a first-time FRN attendee, has had positive experiences in the past lobbying with state legislators. She believes advocacy is important for school board members because, “if we don’t provide the perspective on our local district, someone else will. And it could be someone who is less informed or doesn’t have the best interests of students at heart.”
Reproduced with permission from
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