Vote for Change

With just over a week left before ballots are due, we want to encourage anyone who has not yet voted and may be on the fence to vote. Ballots are due May 16.

Over the last few weeks, the Newberg Graphic has been printing letters to the editor that overwhelmingly support changes to Newberg’s school board. The letter writers include retired educators and administrators, parents and grandparents, and community leaders, all who recognize the harm being done to Newberg’s kids by the current board’s decisions. 

While we appreciate the work of the Newberg Graphic, we wanted these letters to reach the widest audience possible. So we reached out to many of the writers, asking if we could republish their words. Every writer said yes. 

Today, Newberg Neighbors is publishing three letters. First is a letter from Dr. Paula Radich, Superintendent of Newberg Public Schools for 13 years, from 1999 – 2012.  Dr. Radich was named  Oregon Superintendent of the Year in 2010 

The second letter is from Michael and Heidi Pender, long-time Newberg residents and parents of NSD students. This year their daughter choose to transfer to another district because of her concerns for her safety in Newberg.

The last letter is from Mark Ankeny, former board member (2008 – 2012) and grandparent to 5 current NSD students. 

In my 13 years as superintendent of the Newberg School District, I observed our school board regularly face issues that invited a diversity of strong opinions and passionate beliefs. The board’s goal remains the same: pursue consensus, reconcile differences and reach compromise — in the service of our students, parents and community.

Here’s what they had to say: 

Let’s Rebuild Newberg’s school community

To the editor:

Let’s rebuild our school community. It begins with a school board that places students at the center and promotes trust and transparency over divisiveness.

With five open non-partisan school board positions, we have a unique opportunity to turn the page, alter the composition of our school board and renew the board’s focus on students and student learning.

The five candidates I support are diverse:

-They include a Republican, an Independent and three Democrats.

-Three of five candidates graduated from Newberg High School.

-Two candidates are parents of Newberg High School graduates.

-Two candidates currently have children in school.

-One candidate will have a kindergarten student in two years.

-One candidate and his wife await the birth of their son – on Election Day.

-All five candidates are school or community volunteers.

Please join me in voting for Deb Bridges, James Wolfer, Jeremy Hayden, Nancy Woodward and Sol Allen for the Newberg School District board of directors. Deb, James, Jeremy, Nancy and Sol will serve our students, parents and community with transparency, integrity, and accountability.

Dr. Paula Radich, Newberg

Vote for integrity and positivity

To the editor:

We have lived in Newberg for over 30 years. We own businesses and raised our three children here, have been local church members, spent hundreds of hours volunteering in Newberg schools and consider Newberg our community, our people.

The last few years have been rough. We have often considered selling our home and businesses, leaving the chosen family we love, and moving to another community. As the parents of a Black daughter, Newberg has become an increasingly hostile and scary place for her to grow up.

One of the biggest influences on the safety of our children in this community over the past few years has been the direction the Newberg school board has chosen to lead our district. We had almost given up all hope that the ship could be righted until we saw the quality candidates willing to run in the upcoming election.

Across the board, these five candidates have pledged to build community, be collaborators and use critical thinking in all their decision-making. They are also openly non-partisan in their approach, which is fantastic because the job of school board director is intended to be non-partisan! They are transparent about their priorities—to support students, teachers and parents with the goal of making our schools better than ever.

We wholeheartedly give our support and votes to Sol Allen, James Wolfer, Deb Bridges, Nancy Woodward and Jeremy Hayden in the upcoming election. Please join us in voting for integrity, positivity and rebuilding our schools.

Michael and Heidi Pender, Newberg

Five School Board  Challengers Stand Out

To the editor:

As a former Newberg School District (NSD) board member (2008-2012) and a current grandfather to five NSD students, I am very concerned about the inattention of the current NSD board of directors to the challenges facing the district. Over the past four years the district has lost 624 students. This has resulted in losing over $6 million in annual support from the state. This revenue loss has reduced positions in the programs that keep students engaged in learning: choir, band, drama, sports and other co-curricular activities.

The board has not engaged with solving this problem but has focused on issues peripheral to educational excellence. Further, the chaos of the last two years has caused many excellent teachers, administrators and staff members to leave the district and work elsewhere.

We have a unique opportunity to elect five new board members to reverse this decline. We need school board directors who will focus the district on three important goals: making certain that all kids can read fluently by the end of third grade; retaining our excellent teachers, administrators and staff; and ensuring that the district offers programs that enrich the lives of our students. Meeting these goals will once again attract parents to send their children to our public schools.

Recently, I had an opportunity to hear the candidates express their goals should they be elected to the school board. Five candidates stood out as having the focus on improving our schools and making certain that all students learn. I encourage you to join me in voting for Deb Bridges (Zone 2), Jeremy Hayden (Zone 3), Nancy Woodward (Zone 4), James Wolfer (Zone 6) and Sol Allen (Zone 7).

My grandkids will benefit and so will your loved ones.

Mark Ankeny, Newberg