On July 11, the Newberg School District swore in five new members. At that first meeting, the chair of the school district’s budget committee, Kat McNeal, made a public comment. Kat sounded the alarm, saying right off the bat that she had, “abstained from passing the budget committee due to many concerns.” 

That got our attention. When the chair of the Finance Committee expresses multiple concerns about the current school district budget, we want to know why. Not only is the wise use of taxpayer money by our public schools a moral responsibility, it’s a practical concern to make sure our tax dollars are helping our students succeed. McNeal called for the new members of the board to bring integrity and transparency to district finances. 

Just two meetings later, at the September 12 board meeting, Director Renee Powell asked that McNeal step down as chair of the Budget Committee, claiming a “conflict of interest.” Is Director Powell trying to silence the whistleblower? This topic–the fate of McNeal–is now on the agenda for the October 10 board meeting.

McNeal is knowledgeable and experienced, having served on the budget committee for ten years. She has been the chair of the budget committee for the past five years. Her tenure on the committee has spanned several superintendents and boards, including the Dave Brown-led board that caused the district so much turmoil. She was approved to be chair twice by that board, and has served countless volunteer hours assuring that the district’s budget is transparent, so that community members have a clear sense where the district is spending its money. 

This year, McNeal stated she abstained from voting to approve the district’s budget because of concerns she had about the district and lack of transparency regarding fiscal issues, its use of money for attorney fees, and the absence of a strategic plan–a document that should guide monetary priorities for the organization. 

McNeal has suggested that the district undergo a forensic audit to assure that money is being spent appropriately, and to compel the district to be forthcoming about its financial liabilities. 

Instead of heeding McNeal’s concerns and agreeing to transparency, Director Powell  suggested that McNeal needs to resign. 

“So it’s come to my attention that the Budget Chair Committee is in a lawsuit right now against the District,” Powell said on September 12.  “And I think that’s a conflict of interest. And so I think that shouldn’t the Board advise that she steps down, because that’s a conflict of interest.”

It’s true: McNeal is part of a lawsuit. McNeal and the other plaintiffs, all NSD parents, are suing the district and four individual board members (Powell, Director Trevor DeHart, former chair Dave Brown and former vice chair Brian Shannon), attempting to prove that these four intentionally and willfully broke public meeting laws. If they win, no money goes to the plaintiffs. Instead, they are asking that the individuals compensate THE DISTRICT for illegally spent dollars. 

Far from being a conflict of interest, McNeal’s actions are on behalf of the district and for the good of the district. 

This civil lawsuit has been ongoing for several years and is set to go to trial next month, in November.  Powell knew about the suit (being named on it and all) when McNeal was approved by the board two times. 

McNeal hasn’t kept hidden her role as Budget Committee chair, even as the suit has made its slow crawl through the court system. Instead, she has worked countless hours to make sure that district budgets comply with the law, as well as holding government officials accountable for how tax dollars are spent. She does this work because she is passionate about public education, and about assuring that our community’s children can get the best education possible. 

Which is why she has asked hard questions about the current budget, and about serious discrepancies that exist in the budget she was asked to approve–and declined. At the July board meeting, she highlighted several potential problems with the budget:

• The district didn’t have a strategic plan. They hadn’t had one for two years. A budget should be informed by a strategic plan, and that didn’t happen.
• Actuals that had passed and were audited for the past few years were not matching with actuals that were shown in this year’s budget.
• State funding to the district was suspended from January to May, and it’s unclear how the district made payroll without those funds. There had been talk about bond money being used during that time, but this is not reflected in the budget and she wanted to know if this was the case.
• There are concerns about taxpayer money from the school district paying for individual board members’ attorney fees. The budget shows money being paid to the Thenell group, even though that law firm was not representing the district or one of the district’s attorneys of record. Billing to another law firm, which represents both the district and the individual board members, did not clearly show that district money was only covering district fees and kept separate from the fees of individual board members.
• McNeal was concerned that even though the previous board already had one lawsuit about breaking public meeting laws, there were additional actions (like the creation of the parents’ rights policy in May) that also run the risk of more expensive lawsuits for again violating public meeting laws.
• A policy outlining the superintendent’s evaluation–and its connection to contracts–was removed from the district policies, opening the doors for a fairly extravagant superintendent contract, which we talked about here.

Newberg Neighbors for a Better School Board has come out of its hiatus to express support for McNeal, and to question whether Director Powell’s desire to make McNeal resign is just one more way to quell dissent in our district. Time and again, we’ve seen people ask questions of district leadership, only to find themselves silenced. 

McNeal is asking very good questions about our district budget. If the leadership really wants the best school district possible for our community’s children–and if they have nothing to hide–they should be willing to provide clear, compelling, well-documented explanations.  But asking a talented budget committee chair to step down is not the answer our district needs.

In the waning months of the previous Newberg School District’s Board of Directors’  tenure, the directors pushed through policy changes (a Parents’ Bill of Rights) and new contracts. Neither of these actions were transparent: all of it was done without stakeholder input, much less their knowledge. The policy changes have received a lot of attention, taking the focus off the district’s considerable financial issues, including the sweetheart deal the  superintendent and deputy superintendent received in their contracts. Training our focus solely on the policy change is a classic red herring.

red herring

noun

: something intended to distract attention from the real problem

To understand the basis of our deep concern about finances and the contracts, and to know why we are sounding the alarm, it is important to understand the history of the district’s “Parents’ Bill of Rights.” It is also important to understand both the unusualness of the current superintendent contract and the Superintendent’s history of financial dealings. In the coming weeks, we will be taking a close look at the history of the Parents’ Bill of Rights, the making of the current superintendent and deputy superintendent contracts, and some relevant history about Dr. Phillips.

For now, we are publishing a comparison of Dr. Phillips’ first contract with the new one passed in June without discussion by the a board who had weeks earlier been voted out of office. We believe this is important information for the public to have.

Please, take a look yourself and see what you think of Dr. Phillips’ contract.

Community involvement is the hallmark of those who want to make a positive difference. This action is manifested through action, skill, knowledge, values, and motivation. 

Another hallmark of those who support these efforts is witnessed when people with opposite opinions get together for a good faith conversation. During those discussions, it is critical to respect and acknowledge the other person’s point of view, even if we entirely disagree with it. 

In the last few months, people in our community have pleaded for unity. However, in order for people to attain this level of enlightenment, all parties must agree on the ground rules for these discussions. 

Honestly, therein lies the problem. 

Attendees at the June 13 school board meeting were treated to a fantastic performance by a middle school jazz band. Family members sat on lawn chairs scattered on the lawn outside of the district office. A few of the school board members came out to show their support for the band as well.

However, once the school board meeting started, the joyful ambience we felt from the concert quickly dissipated.

The meeting room was crowded. Included among the attendees were four of the five newly-elected board members who will be sworn in at the July 11 meeting. 

As the board worked its way through the agenda, we finally made it to the point where people who signed up were allowed to make a public comment. Chair Dave Brown announced that eight people signed up to provide a statement.

The first person to speak was Jose Ramirez Reyes. Jose represented Basic Rights Oregon. Encouraging the board to reflect on their work, Jose reminded them that their actions excluded many of the students in the district. 

What you don’t hear in the recording on YouTube is the vitriol that erupted from audience members when Jose shared his pronouns. Throughout his 2-minute statement, many audience members ridiculed and harassed the guest speaker. There are no microphones near the audience, and yet, if you turn up the volume on your listening device, you can hear several outbursts. They clearly sent a message of intolerance, harassment, and ridicule.

From my vantage point of sitting in the meeting, I heard jeers, heckling, and rude comments.

Jose’s statement was hijacked by several audience members, and derailed Jose’s thoughts and his sense of safety.

Do the actions of these people reflect a characteristic of collaboration, respect, or the intent to find peaceful ways to find unity? 

During this outburst from the audience, a woman in front of me leaned over to the man next to her, encouraging him to “not let his emotions show.” 

The rest of the public comments were riddled with promises of prayer, and declarations that the outgoing board members were chosen for this ‘specific time in our city.’ They were thanked for being dynamic, inclusive, and caring for each student. A few of the commenters recited verses from the Bible to prove their points. 

Applause was given by most of the audience for each of the remaining seven speakers. 

Does anyone else find this situation ironic? 

The heckling towards one man who shared his opinion came from the very same people who promised ‘prayers’ and used the holy scriptures to validate their opinion.

When someone shows you who they are, believe them. 

When actions speak louder than words, pay attention.

With more agenda items to discuss, half the audience left the meeting when the public comments were concluded. 

Three men huddled together in the back of the room. Then one of them moved to the front row of the audience section, just a few seats away from Jose. 

This man was on his phone. I paid attention.

At the end of the meeting, I suggested to my friend that we walk Jose out to his car. As we left the building, I noticed two of the three men standing outside on the sidewalk. 

A group of us walked with Jose, making sure he made it into his car. We remained as one of the men drove his car slowly past our group. 

Here’s the thing. If our community wants unity, it comes from people coming together to agree on basic principles for conversations. People who are sincere about compromise and unity do not encourage the hateful behavior of others towards people they disagree with. 

We will only find unity when people come together in good faith to discuss issues and concerns without fear of being retaliated against. 

Instead of declarations of prayers and scripture, perhaps those in the audience would benefit from civility training where characteristics like courtesy, politeness, consideration of others, and respect might flourish.

Change is on the horizon. On July 11, five new school board directors will be sworn in, signaling the end of an alt-right board who has managed to dismantle a once-vibrant district, causing nearly 200 educators to leave Newberg, as well as numerous families seeking stable schooling for their children elsewhere.

It would be easy to exhale in relief that change is near, knowing that the community’s significant efforts to elect new directors—efforts made with children in mind—had paid off. Indeed, this very blog went dark after the election, because we felt with some certainty that a new day had dawned, and that the school board would soon be acting in ways that truly benefit the district’s children.

In the meantime, the current board has made several decisions that could have significant impact on the district long after the new board is sworn in. The agenda for the June 13 meeting is a wake-up call, a reminder that the current board is still operating, driven by a political agenda that could potentially harm children in our district; and motivated by a desire to fiscally reward district officers without accountability for whether raises are warranted.  

We wanted to call attention to several board decisions, encouraging people to show up for the June 13 meeting, make public comments if possible, and hold the current board accountable for their actions—actions that will potentially hamper the newly-elected board directors, and that have the potential to continue harming children and educators in this district.  

Here are two notable board decisions:

Parents’ Bill of Rights: Superintendent Steve Phillips and the district office hosted two meetings for those interested in revising parents’ rights policies for the district. Sixty people participated on Zoom for the first meeting in April, and then around 30 people participated in the second meeting on May 1, either in person or on Zoom. The meetings provided robust discussion about how a policy might be shaped to honor all parents’ rights, not just those who already had the board’s attention. The meetings represented a significant investment on the part of adults in our district.

And yet, there’s no evidence that Director Brian Shannon, the main proponent of his Parents’ Bill of Rights, has considered any of the feedback that emerged from these discussions, in part because—as he said at a policy meeting—the discussions hadn’t really gone the way he wanted. Instead, he’s crafted a Parents’ Bill of Rights to his liking, discussed it briefly at a policy meeting on June 6, and established that the Parents’ Bill of Rights Shannon champions will replace Newberg’s already extant policy about parents’ rights.

The new school board can, of course, reverse the policy. Two years ago, Shannon argued that policies should not be changed ahead of a new board being sworn in, but now is eager to take a different tact.

Superintendent Salary: We wrote earlier this year about the lack of transparency in the board’s evaluation of the superintendent. Without providing any kind of transparent review process, nor a sense of the criteria used to evaluate Superintendent Phillips, the board went into an executive session on April 25, emerging a short time later to announce that Philips was providing “outstanding leadership” in the district. 

It is possible that Philips is doing a good job with the district, but without any metrics or rubrics to show how he was evaluated, we’re just supposed to believe the board’s affirmations. And, based on those affirmations, Phillips is allegedly receiving a much more lucrative contract—we say allegedly, because no one has seen the specifics of the contract.

That’s not how any of this is supposed to work.

At the meeting on Tuesday, Phillips’ renewed contract is part of the agenda. Sort of. It’s on the consent agenda, meaning that his contract will be coupled with several other decisions (including new hires and resignations and a weird line-item about a new deputy superintendent) and will be voted on en masse. Continuing a superintendent’s contract–a considerable decision impacting the district’s future–should warrant discussion and careful consideration, not a rubber stamp. 

The lack of transparency continues: No one has a clear sense of how Phillips was evaluated. No one knows for sure whether he’s doing a good job or not, beyond the glowing reviews of board supporters, who claim he’s turned around a failing district. By all metrics, this is not true: the district has lost educators and students and money since Phillips arrived; an entire district office staff left because of toxic work environments; policies and decisions have been made without any community input.

On Tuesday, Phillips’ newly-crafted contract will be approved. Rumor is, the contract will be extended for three years. Who knows if this is true or not, but in the yawning void of information, people connect the dots. And, given the superintendent’s tight relationship with the current board, it could be that he’ll receive a lucrative salary increase—one that will take more money from the classroom. It could also be that the terms of his contract will make Phillips harder to replace, if future boards use appropriate evaluation tools to see whether his leadership truly is as “outstanding” as Director Dave Brown says.

Again, this is not how any of this is supposed to work. But following protocol, being transparent, and accepting accountability has never been part of the current board’s plan. Thank goodness, this will all change in July, and hopefully, at that point, the new board can begin a new, far better, era in Newberg. Until then, it’s important for us to pay attention, for the sake of Newberg’s children.

So many people we know wept when election results were finally made public on Tuesday night, announcing that a conservative slate of candidates, including three incumbents, lost their bid for the Newberg School Board. 

Some were crying tears of joy, for sure, but for many of us the relief of winning was complicated by grief: grief for what our community’s children have endured the last two years. Grief for jobs lost here because of a toxic environment created by the school board. Grief for parents who worried about their children’s well-being, about their safety and security. Grief because, as one former employee said, the board treated people’s lives and livelihoods as a political game. 

Turns out, when you intend to cause havoc in a school district—something to which Board Chair Dave Brown admitted on Wednesday—real people are going to be hurt, and badly. 

During an interview with KGW TV, Brown had this to say about his two-year stint as board chairman: “I feel like the Lord’s got a plan. But somebody had to…you know, throw the brick through the window and kinda get this conversation going.”

The violent rhetoric, polished with a veneer of self-righteous piety, suggests that the board cared little for the people whose lives they wreaked: not the children, who became pawns in a cultural war; nor the parents, many of whom were silenced by a board rallying for “parents’ rights”; not for educators, whose longtime commitment to this community was rewarded with specious claims about indoctrination; not for LGBTQIA people and people of color in our community, who were specifically and repeatedly targeted by the board’s decisions and its rhetoric. 

If Brown was throwing a brick, it was through the classroom windows of every school in our district, and the shrapnel caused irreparable damage to children and educators alike. Now, Brown and his cronies can wipe their hands of the dirt and walk away, and everyone else will need to spend years cleaning up the damage. 

So there were tears on Tuesday night into Wednesday: of joy, and anger, and pain. Acting as though the last two years never happened will be difficult—impossible, really—and the damage wrought by the board’s bricks will linger. For some, the last two years’ trauma might be life-long.

We need to acknowledge this reality, and mourn with those who mourn, providing the empathy and support they need to heal from this trauma. 

Still, this election gives us so many reasons to have hope: 

• We saw our community rally around its children, working hard to assure they are nurtured and loved into adulthood. 
• We saw grit and determination in our educators, who continued to show up for children, in our district and elsewhere. 
• We saw some community and business leaders step up to provide resources that allowed candidates to focus on campaigning. 
• We saw the fierce courage of women like Brandy Penner, Rebecca Piros, and Ines Peña, who slowed the board’s damage and stood up to its bullying.
• We saw our young people igniting their passion, voting in large numbers for a better future.
• We saw countless community members give up spare time to canvass, phone bank, write letters to the editor, and lean on neighbors to vote. 

Friends, there is so much yet to do. Having a strong school district will require that we continue the good work we’ve started; the damage that’s been done will not be repaired overnight, nor will our wounds be easily healed. 

But the only way forward and to begin healing is together. Despite the pain and trauma the last few years have caused us, we have found each other, and know that our community can be stronger, and can achieve far more, when we work together. 

Thank you for coming alongside us the last few months, and for helping to tell the stories about what was happening in our district. We’re looking forward to seeing what the next part of our shared journey will look like, using care and compassion as our guide. 

At the Newberg School Board meeting on May 13, Director Brian Shannon used his comment time to push back against what he sees as a false narrative: that parents have left the district because of this particular board’s poor leadership. Shannon insists that a consistent trend of parents leaving the district has nothing to do with the board, and instead reflects a larger trend he asserts started in 2017. 

We’ve heard this before. Ad nauseum, in fact. According to board directors, nothing is the board’s fault, and earlier leadership, from the board to the district office, can be blamed for the current state of Newberg schools. 

Except we’ve shown time and again over the last few months how easily it is to disprove this narrative, with data, with the board’s own words and actions, with the stories of those directly impacted by the board’s poor decision making. 

On the day before voting ends, we want to share one more story, from a parent whose children have been directly affected by the Newberg School Board’s decisions. If you aren’t yet convinced that something needs to change, perhaps this parent’s story will provide the conviction you need. 

A note about this story: Over the past few months, as we’ve shared stories from the Newberg School District, we’ve been criticized for not sharing the identities of the writers. But people in Newberg are paying attention; they see what happens when someone critiques the current school board: a subset of board backers write defaming “exposés,” based on a whiff of a rumor. Or call employers, trying to get critics fired. Or take to social media to make spurious claims. 

Why would anyone want to tell their story without anonymity in this kind of climate? 

The story we’re sharing today is from someone who has seen too clearly what the current school board has done to Newberg schools. The writer has children in the district, and says “This has been the worst school year we have experienced in Newberg Schools and, despite what the School District wants to say, it is not because of the pandemic and this is not happening everywhere.” 

We’ve met one-on-one with this person, and we’re convicted by their passion, their rage, and their sadness. Here is part of their story:

Before the current board: We used to feel proud to say that our children attended a specific Newberg School. We felt supported. They felt supported. In 2020, when the Newberg School District made the anti-racism stance, I felt even more proud. It opened up honest conversations in our home about being an ally, about why places have to proclaim their stance against racism still today, and why we need to continue the fight. 

When you have to explain to your white appearing children that there are people who think their cousins are less-than. That there are grown-ups that see their cousins and automatically think a certain way. That their auntie has to talk to their cousins about safety things that white and white-appearing families do not even give a second thought to? Ringing a doorbell? Listening to music with headphones on? Sleeping? Getting pulled over? 

And then to have that all trampled. “Why are people protesting mom, I thought Newberg Schools were an ally for Black people?” 

About the stress teachers face:

I appreciate that Dr. Phillips is taking a stand with discipline now, but it’s too late for some of these kids. Some of them have actually been rewarded for their behavior. Do you parents know that there are 2nd graders on the playground talking about “horse p*rn”. What the actual f…. what about the frequency of derogatory name calling? The N Word anyone?

 Raise your hand if you’ve ever been called when someone punches your kid, kicks them, asks them to “suck their —“? Sexual harassment? Nope. When asked, teachers have no idea because they have an immense amount of pressure on their shoulders. I cannot even imagine their stress. The principal has no idea and railroads over communication in avoidance. Phone calls with the counselor, pointless. When asked, “how are you helping children through this?” The answer is they’re not. 

About the parents’ bill of rights:

 [The current school board] all say that “the parents need a bill of rights!” “No one should parent our child but us!” *angry mob voice* But what are you doing right now? Right now, in this moment. Are you so wrapped up in the politics that you’re not even seeing what’s happening?

Don’t tell me that you got your 8 year old a phone and then in the same sentence say that some random people running for school board are inadvertently “grooming” your child. Stop it. Have you ever been on YouTube? Instagram? SnapChat? Have you ever looked at your child’s search history? How many of your kids heard “horse p*rn” on the playground and went home and searched it and didn’t talk to you about it first? 

Some children do not have the luxury (because God forbid I say privilege) of a family that cares about them. Teachers are the first line of defense for some of these kids. Not the school board. Not the local child-less blogger/fear monger. Not Donald Trump. Not President Biden. Not the governor. Not the mayor. Not CPRD. Not your church. Teachers. Teachers are. 

And they are not lining up to work here. They just aren’t.  How come a school in the district still has 4th and 5th grades combined and 2 1/2 teachers between them? What even is that?  Last week, the principal was the substitute teacher. She is wearing one million hats because her bosses are focused on a parents bill of rights? Gender affirming care? Election results? Campaigning? Stopping the abortions that are happening in the hallways of the kindergarten? Stop it. You have to sign a permission slip for the school to even administer an inhaler and you really think they’re handing out hormones like candy? No. Hard stop. 

But this is all about the children right? Save the children! (but don’t feed them, teach them our country’s history, give them health care and mental health care, make sure they have clothes, make sure they feel loved, or dare I say even live…) 

I apologize for the rant, but I cannot process what is happening in our community. The new discipline policy is not coming from the fact that our children are any worse than any other kids in any other generation.

 But the hard fact is that it starts at home. Love your babies. Talk with them. Teach them. Talk to others around you. In the long run, every one of us have the same agenda.

********

We appreciate that the parent took the time to provide perspective and to remind us what this election is all about: the children in our community. The writer’s pain is clearly evident in this story, because—like all of us—this person wants what is best for their children, and knows that the current board is not serving anyone or anything save for their own dogma. 

Today we acknowledge and celebrate Newberg school board candidate Nancy Woodward by posting her experience running for the Newberg school board. We heartily support Nancy and her vision of a better, more diverse, school board that represents all of Newberg’s students and treats everyone, even political opponents, with respect.

By Nancy Woodward

Running for the Newberg school board has given me the opportunity to meet many residents who live in the school district. I have discovered streets and roads where I had never driven. The natural beauty of our community is inspiring. Seeing the many flowering trees, shrubs, the vineyards, the forest areas and the parks makes me thankful for the beauty of where I live.

As the election date draws near friends have asked me if I think I will win a seat to serve on the school board. My reply is I have no idea, but I do know that the community is very split regarding who they want to be elected. There seems to be no middle ground. Issues are discussed in black and white, right and wrong. I have contemplated that there needs to be consideration of the middle ground. I know that misinformation about positions regarding issues has been spread.

In state and national politics when an election happens there is a majority and a minority party.

Unfortunately, in Newberg politics it seems that it seems to be them against us and the winner takes all. Considering that the school board, City Council and mayor’s election are considered nonpartisan, it is worrisome that in Newberg elections are turning into “winner takes all” elections. That means that almost 49% of the population could feel like they are not represented.

In my opinion that makes for an unhealthy community. Whoever is elected and serves on the school board must offer opportunities to invite concerned parents and citizens who disagree with a board decision to meet so issues can be discussed. The idea of all or nothing representation needs to end.

A concern I have is that people who disagree with a controversial position are being labeled as being bad. Holding different opinions doesn’t make a person good or bad.

One evening I was canvassing in a neighborhood. I knocked at a door, introduced myself and gave the resident some campaign literature. As I was leaving, a delightful young boy was playing with his remote car in the driveway and he greeted me.

I continued down the street, knocked on a few more doors and arrived at a home that obviously had children because there were scooters and other play equipment by the front entrance. As I was knocking at the door the young boy ran up to me and said no one was home at that house. I said to the boy that he must have friends who live here.

The boy then handed me the campaign material that I had given to his father. I said, “Your parents didn’t want the information?” The boy said. “My mom said you are bad.”

I smiled and thought I love children because they are so unfiltered and refreshing. I said to the boy, “Thank you for giving me the material but I really don’t think I am bad.” I told him that I worked in schools for many years as a school librarian and I like children. The boy left to run back up the street and as I walked out to the sidewalk, I saw his mother waiting for him to come back. I waved at her and was surprised to hear the boy yell at his mother, “She’s not bad, she’s really nice.”

As I reflected on this experience I felt sad, not because I was called bad, but because I fear it is a reflection of how in our community people are labeled good or bad as a person rather than accepting that good people can have different opinions.

This past weekend I felt rather low after some campaign literature was sent that I considered quite offensive. My reaction was that I need to defend myself and set the record straight. I am a person of faith and was blessed when I attended a worship service on Sunday. Every song, the scripture reading, and the message that was shared seemed to be just for me. In this election I can only control my actions.

Is this really an opinion piece? Maybe not. I want all registered voters to vote. If you disagree with a candidate’s opinion, please don’t label any candidate bad. Vote for a candidate because you, the voter, think that candidate will best represent your views and best serve the needs of the students in our community.

I believe in the inherent good of each person. As a community we need to be better so our children can learn that we can disagree with each other and still respect each other.

The fate of Newberg’s future is now only five days away. That might seem hyperbolic, but we sincerely believe that the May 16 school board election will decide what our community will look like going forward: Will our children get the education they deserve, and will families decide Newberg is a safe place to live? Or will Newberg schools continue to struggle with inadequate board leadership, causing even more families to choose another community where their children can flourish? 

We are hoping (and some of us, praying) that the election results will set Newberg on a new course. No matter what happens, though, we want to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work of so many people in our community, driven by their love for Newberg’s and Dundee’s children. Without the organizers, the canvassers, the letter writers, and the supporters, the cause of a better school board would be lost. 

That kind of commitment gives us hope.

And there’s still time to make a difference!

On Saturday morning, canvassers will be walking our neighborhoods, reaching out to voters who haven’t yet submitted a ballot. Canvassing with Oregon Cares PAC runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and you can find out more information here.

After canvassing, there will be a rally at the Newberg flag pole, sponsored by the Newberg Education Association. Our teachers have been on the front lines the past two years, seeing first-hand how the current school board has undermined their work, disparaged them during meetings, even accusing them of indoctrination (at least according to election materials). 

The NEA “Get Out the Vote” rally runs from 1-2 p.m. on Saturday. Bring your families and your signs, and celebrate the tremendous efforts our teachers have made, against all odds. 

The canvassing and the rally can be one way to reflect a unified vision for Newberg, as so many of us, from diverse ideological perspectives, have joined forces because we care for our children, for our community, and for our future.

We acknowledge that whatever happens on May 16, there will be a lot of work to be done. But, we want to affirm that because we are better together, our combined efforts will make Newberg schools a place where all children can flourish again.

Earlier this week, the Willamette Educational Service District (WESD) announced that Dr. Joe Morelock had just been named its next superintendent, replacing Dave Novotney, who is retiring. 

In some ways, this announcement might seem of little importance to Newberg voters, even though Newberg schools contract with WESD for some services. But when you connect all the dots, WESD’s decision to hire Morelock should give voters another compelling reason to reject the disinformation being spun out by the current board and their supporters. 

The school board’s constant refrain this year has been that Morelock left the district in shambles, and that he deserved to be fired in November 2021. That no-cause firing has cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars, but it was necessary, the board says, because Morelock was so bad. 

At the candidates’ forum in early April, Board Chair Dave Brown insisted that Morelock had to go, and that Novoteny, who stepped in as interim superintendent for Newberg schools, had told Brown that Morelock left a mess. 

Here’s part of Brown’s answer to this question: What are the key features of a good working agreement between the school board and the superintendent?

I would say I’ve worked under three superintendents in my time here and, uh, they’re all quite different. They are…uh…one was fired, Dr. Morelock. That’s true. I like Dr. Joe. Uh, I thought he was the wrong fit for this district. I still feel that way. Dr. Novotney came in, did a great job for us. Didn’t charge us one dime for 6 months to come in here and work. He runs Willamette ESD, which is in charge of 22 school districts. Uh, extremely professional lifetime career person. He was appalled at what he saw when he come to Newberg and saw some of the things that were happening. It was hard. We had to sit down and have a lot of long talks. I drove to Salem every week for months and uh..he he did everything he could to leave us in the spot to make a decision on the next superintendent. 

It’s possible that Brown heard Novotney say the district was in disarray; and that this assertion could cast blame on Morelock, justifying the expensive no-cause dismissal. 

A more likely interpretation of Novotney’s assessment of Newberg schools was that the board itself had caused the chaos, and Novotney volunteered as interim superintendent to avert a complete disaster. 

While Brown and other incumbents want voters to believe Novotney was “appalled” by what Morelock had done to the district, Morelock’s hiring at WESD suggests Novotney trusts Morelock’s ability to run a complex educational program overseeing 21 school districts. 

But don’t take our word for it. Let’s hear from Novotney himself. In a press release, Novotney said “Dr. Morelock is an exceptional leader whose dedication to equity-based leadership and experience in expanding educational opportunities for students is exactly what our students, families, and partner districts want to see in the next leader of WESD. He believes in the mission and vision of the WESD, and he has a proven track record that matches our core values. I’m confident that Dr. Morelock will lead the agency in an exciting direction and take the Willamette ESD to the next level.” 

This doesn’t sound like someone who would need to be fired because of incompetence, or because he’d ruined a district’s finances, or because he caused families to flee Newberg schools. 

Instead, Morelock’s ascendancy to this new role serves as a stunning reminder of the talent Newberg lost when its school board decided to fire Morelock, without cause or even a plan, sending the district into chaos. 

Brown wants us to believe that he alone has saved our schools, heroically driving all the way to Salem (!) once a week (!!!) to meet with Novotney and revive a sinking district.

The WESD announcement this week suggests an alternative narrative: that Morelock’s firing was one part of a cascade of failures that can only be righted when Brown and his co-conspirators lose their positions on May 16. 

Please vote for James Wolfer, Nancy Woodward, Sol Allen, Deb Bridges, and Jeremy Hayden for Newberg School Board.