With just under a week left before ballots are due, we are continuing our series, Letters to the Editor. We appreciate people taking the time to write their stories and their perspectives and we want these letters to reach the widest audience possible. We reached out to many of the writers, asking if we could republish their words. Every writer said yes.

We also know most people are aware that the mass mailings and huge signs are merely propaganda. Most people want to know the truth about what is going on. We hope these stories will encourage people who have not yet voted to vote. Ballots are due May 16.

The first letter is written by Judy Tokstad, grandparent and educational guardian of two NSD students. Judy recently made the heart wrenching decision to transfer her black grandchildren to a safer, more diverse and encouraging district starting next year. 

The second letter is written by Claudia Stewart, retired, longtime district office staff. 

The third letter is written by former school board director Todd Thomas (2008 – 2018) and father of NHS graduates.

We hope you will read and hear their words.

To The Editor,

I have lived in Dundee for 30 years and have seen positive changes happen all around me. The beautiful wineries and neighborhoods surround us—but now election signs are everywhere. I try to read the signs as I am driving around and the one that truly stands out is the sign reading Dave Brown as the “parent’s choice” for the school board. Not only is that a broad statement, it is misleading and could not be further from the truth. There are many parents who are “Parents for Change” including myself. Living through the past 2 years and seeing the hate and disdain that has been brought to this community by the illegal actions of this school board is truly disheartening. We have had death threats called into the district office by people supporting the board as they threaten others. We had visitors flying their White Supremacy flag at our city flagpole and other white nationalists publicly complimenting the board. I received a flier in the mail yesterday reading “education not indoctrination”, a scary lie at best. Our teachers and schools are not in the business of indoctrination, they are in the business of providing an education that will prepare students for the global workforce. Please vote to change this board, support our teachers and students and send a clear message to the haters— you are not welcome here!

Judy Tokstad

To the editor:

“Newberg school board members at odds.” Newberg Graphic, July 17, 2021

“Debate over antiracism resolution in Newberg the latest in series of school board culture battles.” Oregon Live, Aug. 4, 2021

“Despite calls to hear from students and staff, Newberg school board approves ban on Pride and Black Lives Matter flags.” OPB Aug. 11, 2021

“Oregon school board votes to ban Black Lives Matter, Pride signs from district buildings.” NBC News, Aug.12, 2021

“Dozens in Newberg rally against hate amid ban on political signs.” KGW, Sept. 22, 2021

And so began the agonizing months of news headlines and media stories that devastated the reputation of our public schools and sowed division in our community.

Across the country, the actions of the Newberg school board became the fodder of stories on school culture wars: a racist ban on political symbols, protests, lawsuits against the board, a popular superintendent fired without cause, a recall campaign, an exodus of hundreds of administrators, teachers and students.

Nearly two years later, the Newberg School District faces sinking test scores, a declining graduation rate, falling enrollment and a divided community.

The school board members credited with this collapse are still in place. School board leadership remains just the same as it was in July 2021.

It’s time to stop the tear down of our schools built by generations of families, educators and community members.

There is no better time to rebuild our Newberg school community than the May 16 school board election. Five candidates with a vested interest in our public schools and a laser focus on kids achieving a high-quality education are on the ballot.

Deb Bridges, Jeremy Hayden, Nancy Woodward, James Wolfer and Sol Allen have earned the respect and endorsement of parents, teachers, business leaders and the community. They are a better choice to rebuild our school community. Please give them your vote on May 16.

Claudia Stewart, Newberg

To the editor:

Don’t forget to exercise your right to vote at the May 16 election to rebuild the Newberg public school community. Rebuilding begins with placing the students at the center of all decisions. The current board’s divisive approach is not good for the kids, the schools or the community.

I served on the Newberg school board for 10 years (2008 – 2018) and four years as board chairman before resigning and moving to Carlton. It wasn’t easy work but the board members, regardless of the individuals, always shared the common goals of pursuing consensus, reconciling differences and reaching a compromise while serving the kids, parents and the community. All of this while focusing on the primary board responsibilities: superintendent oversight, budget management and policy review and update.

Four attributes of my service on the Newberg school board were maintaining a clear focus on student achievement; being open, transparent and accountable; maintaining ethical standards and listening to learn. Unfortunately, those board qualities have been nonexistent over the last two years.

Newberg-Dundee voters are fortunate to have five competent candidates committed to moving the school district forward with the utmost transparency, integrity and accountability. Newberg School District students need your vote for Nancy Woodward, Sol Allen, Deb Bridges, Jeremy Hayden and James Wolfer on May 16.

Todd Thomas, Carlton

As we’ve shared stories about the current state of Newberg schools, we have consistently asserted that this month’s school board election is not about partisan politics, but about the need to return competence, transparency, and accountability to the Newberg-Dundee School Board. 

With a little over one week until voting in the May 16 election ends, we remain convinced that Newberg schools need new leaders, and that the board will be stronger if its members have ideological diversity. The five candidates we’re supporting have also been persistent in this messaging, affirming that a board is stronger in its diverse perspectives, and that the election has little to do with political positions, and everything to do with assuring our children have the best education possible. 

For the incumbents who insisted they were getting back to basics, and taking politics out of schools, though, the last few weeks have shown that the election is less about children and schools, and more about using fear-mongering rhetoric to convince voters that only the “Save Our Schools” candidates can save children from indoctrination, having abortions, gender reassignment surgeries, and fentanyl use.

Oh, and also, only the incumbents can save our schools from the devil him and herself, according to the material being sent to voters. 

Republican voters in the district have been bombarded with propaganda over the last several weeks, a flurry of postcards advocating for Save Our Schools candidates. Calling it “propaganda”  might seem too harsh, certainly, but given the fear-mongering, that word fits. Several Facebook accounts included photos upon photos of these cards, all with specious and unsupported claims meant to scare voters. 

Having seen some of this disinformation, we have questions:

• Where are the metrics showing that the current board has brought academic excellence to the district? (The reality: by most metrics, the academic success of our students has actually declined)
• Where are the metrics for superintendent excellence, transparency, and accountability? (The reality: there has been no transparency in how much the superintendent is paid, nor how he was evaluated, nor whether he has met board goals, which have not been made public.)
• Can the current board provide one instance where educators indoctrinated students into changing their gender, choosing to be queer, renouncing their parents? (The reality: the board has never provided a specific example, only using this as a scare tactic to goad voters.)
• Where is the financial accountability touted in these flyers?  (The reality: lawsuits have cost the district thousands upon thousands. The district did not receive state funding for several months because they were out of compliance. They still have not released a budget for next year. 

We could say more, but you get the idea. 

Who is paying for this propaganda and what investment do these actors have in our district? Why are out-of-district political organizations flooding money into this district? What do they hope to gain by scaring voters? 

One would hope that the Yamhill Advocate flyer might be a bridge too far, given its baldly immature graphics literally demonizing members of our community by photoshopping devils’ horns on their heads. But no, instead of renouncing a person who has caused so much strife in our community, someone decided the dehumanization of several nonpartisan candidates was just fine, and threw money at the Yamhill Advocate to have the problematic flyer printed and mailed. 

If the incumbent candidates want to get politics out of school, they might start by calling out the harmful rhetoric of the Yamhill Advocate. And then, perhaps, actually start telling the truth, rather than offering up disinformation and calling it good. 

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

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. 

First up is Terry McElligott, a long-time employee of Newberg Schools, who served in a number of capacities, from classroom teacher to principal to working in the district office, guiding curriculum adoption. 

Here’s what she had to say: 

Return honesty, integrity to the school board

To the editor:

In the voters pamphlet and at the public candidate forum, incumbent school board members stated that “Newberg School District has a full staff of teachers.” Really? Here is what the candidates failed to share with you:

– Fifteen teachers employed by Newberg School District have no record of having a license in the Teacher Standard and Practice Commission, the Oregon agency that tracks the license and qualifications of each teacher employed in the state.

– Seventeen licensed teachers are on emergency, restricted, conditional assignments or reciprocal licenses, meaning they are not highly qualified for their positions.

– Mountain View Middle School and Edwards Elementary are each short one counselor. Edwards borrowed counselors for most of the year and just recently hired its own.

– Science and humanities classes at Chehalem Valley Middle School have been taught by an array of rotating substitutes throughout the entire year.

– Seven educational assistant positions remain open and unfilled for the current school year affecting the education of students at Chehalem Valley, Joan Austin, Newberg High School, Crater, Edwards and Dundee.

– Two psychologists working with vulnerable students are telecommuting from out of state over Zoom and three speech language pathologists also work with students over Zoom.

As a principal who led both Joan Austin Elementary School and Mountain View Middle School, this is neither a “full staff of teachers” or moving us toward “having the best public school in the state of Oregon,” as stated by the incumbent candidates.

Questions parents should ask the district leadership and school administrators:

– What is the staffing situation at my child’s school and how does it directly affect my child’s education?

– What proactive hiring strategies has the superintendent outlined and put in place during this spring and summer to ensure licensed employees will be teaching in-building and in-person? This is critical for special education students working with psychologists and speech teachers.

– Are Individual Education Plans (IEPs) being followed and are students receiving all minutes and services outlined in the plan? This is a legal and binding agreement among parents, school administrators and district administrators. What is the recourse if this plan is not followed?

– What is the Professional Development Plan with workshop sessions at regular intervals throughout the school year for all licensed teachers and administrators to improve instructional strategies together to drive academic improvement?

It is time to have school board members who are invested in students and parents. When your ballot arrives in the mail, five candidates with a vested interest in public education will listen to all constituents and demand a strategic plan to serve all students. Vote for Deb Bridges, Jeremy Hayden, Nancy Woodward, James Wolfer and Sol Allen.

Honesty, transparency and leadership are on the ballot. Your vote can bring back integrity and academic focus to the Newberg School District.

Terry McElligott, Newberg

Today, we’re posting a teacher’s story in their own words, narrating their experience in the Newberg-Dundee School District and explaining why they had to leave. The teacher reflects the passion of educators who feel like they have no choice but to leave, despite their love for children and this community. Stories like this are being replicated throughout our community, resulting in the loss of almost 200 educators from Newberg-Dundee schools.

Here’s their story in its entirety:

When I was fresh out of teaching school, I received my first job at Newberg School District. I was SO excited to begin the calling I’d had my whole life. I couldn’t believe I was FINALLY going to be working with kids every day! As we all know, time washes away the rosy color on our glasses, and we begin to see clearly. The reality is, on good days, being a teacher is hard. On the bad days, it can cause tears, anger, stomach aches, heart aches, sleepless nights, and the ability to make you question your career choices. I have seen, heard, and experienced things that no one ever prepared me for in all of my education classes. But never, even in my wildest imaginations, did I think I would experience what we were/are experiencing in Newberg because of the decisions the ultra-conservative board made to pursue their own agenda. 

First came the banning of BLM and LGBTQ flags. It was confusing and felt like it came out of left field. Why? Because I didn’t know one teacher who displayed such a flag in their room. Why were they banning something that doesn’t seem to be an issue? Then came the firing of Dr. Morelock. We were exhausted from coming off a pandemic and trying desperately to bring normalcy back to our students and to ourselves. Now we have no leader and no real explanation of why the board fired him except “he’s doing a bad job.” It was a sucker-punch that left many reeling.

Things kept getting worse. Bad adult behaviors, infighting, scandals, spying, firings, mass resignations, student behaviors escalating to a level I had never seen before, a sub crisis, staff and student mental health plummeting, and so much more. Outsiders began calling us groomers and accused us of indoctrinating. The worst part was that the people claiming so had never been in my (or any other teacher’s) physical or Google classroom to corroborate their belief. I’m not sure many of them even had students in our schools. I actually quit saying “It can’t get any worse” because I knew the next time it did I would be further disappointed and disgusted. It was embarrassing to tell people where I worked.

But it did get worse. Really. Great. Staff. continued to leave. Baffling decisions kept coming from the board and the district office. My teaching partners – my friends –  gave their notices. Partners who were exceptional at teaching and caring for kids. Together, we regularly increased student state and district scores. My school was decimated with resignations. I understood why they were leaving. And yet…my plan was to stay. My tipping point? That will remain personal.

Leaving was an agonizing decision. I wanted to stay for the kids I’ve taught and loved all these years and for those who were still to come. I wanted to stay to fight for the students who couldn’t fight for themselves. I wanted to stay so that I could continue to do what I’ve always done, even though many in our community believed that my days consisted of teaching everything but what I actually did teach. I wanted to stay because I know that many POC and LQBTQIA+ don’t have the ability to leave when things get tough. If I’m being completely transparent, I felt guilty for knowing that and STILL leaving. Critics have said that those who resigned abandoned the kids we claim to love and support. They don’t get it, and I’ve made my peace with the fact that they are never going to. 

Unfortunately, my problems didn’t end when I gave my notice. NSD didn’t play nice with my resignation. Teachers in Oregon are required to give a 60 day notice, and districts can choose to hold them or not. I know and accept that – if it makes sense. NSD decided to hold me and many others, yet some they let go. That made no sense. At the time of my resignation, I had a position that did not have direct responsibility for students. Children would NOT be sitting in a room without supervision/learning if I wasn’t there. The day we had our district Welcome Back! assembly, we were told to be ALL IN and were given poker chips to remind us of our commitment. I cried. I wasn’t ALL IN. I didn’t want to be ALL IN. I wanted to go to my new district and start the year with my students. It’s my understanding that some districts tried to negotiate with the NSD district office for a trade of employees – we’re holding your employee, you’re holding our employee; let’s just trade and be done with it. NSD’s response? Nope. To this day, I don’t understand why you would want to keep people who don’t want to be there for SIXTY days. Was it retaliation? I don’t know, but it sure seemed like it.

My current district was nothing but professional and supportive. They repeatedly told me how excited they were to have me and that even though this was not an ideal circumstance, they would take care of everything until I could arrive. Even after I fulfilled my 60 days, problems from NSD continued. I won’t go into them here; suffice it to say it was bad. My new district jumped into action to help me resolve it. I’m saddened that my final experience with a district that I dedicated many years to was so negative. If you want to hang onto the staff who have remained in Newberg, vote for a new board. In spite of what the district would like you to believe, it has not been an easy year. No matter what “side” an employee falls on, the turmoil is taking its toll. It has to stop.

In the end, I do wish the best for Newberg and its schools. I pray for healing, and I pray that all the things that make Newberg such a great place will shine brightly again. If you are on the fence about how to vote, please think about my story. Think about the many stories that are not being told. Vote for Sol Allen, Deb Bridges, Jeremy Hayden, Nancy Woodward, and James Wolfer. Level heads and a balanced approach have to prevail.  

Do you work in the Newberg school district or did the Newberg school board compel you to leave this district? We would love to hear your story, and can publish it anonymously on our site. Your voices, and your words, matter to us, and to the transformation of our school board. Feel free to email us at betternsdschoolboard@gmail.com.Newberg deserves better. Your vote by May 16 matters.

Two weeks ago, thanks to a FOIA request, we learned that 197 educators have left Newberg schools in the last two years. A persistent narrative in our community is that this exodus follows national trends, and also that those who resigned, leaving Newberg for other districts, showed a lack of resilience and dedication to children. 

Attend any school board meeting (and we have), and you will no doubt hear claims that “The district is fully staffed!” and “The district is finally doing great!” and “We are achieving academic excellence!” And while board supporters clap and offer fealty to the board in glowing public comments, the reality on the ground is far less positive.  

But don’t take our word for it. We’ve already shared the story of a teacher, who reflected on Director Dave Brown’s leadership, and the toxic environment the board has created; we heard from a parent volunteer, who’s seen special education students suffer without appropriate services. 

Today, we are sharing the story of a first-year teacher who has decided to leave the district, her dreams about helping students in Title I schools tarnished by leadership that has not provided her—or her students—the resources needed to succeed. “We are working with a failing system with insufficient supports in place,” the teacher admits. “We’re not set up for success, not with specialists spread so thin and educators taking the brunt of this reality.”

Having recently graduated from college, this teacher came to Newberg hoping to make a difference with marginalized students. She feels affinity for her colleagues and the families with whom she works, and it bothers her when peer educators are unfairly maligned for not doing enough. As she talked with us about classroom activities she did recently to help prepare students for state testing, we could hear her passion for students and her creative efforts to help students achieve positive academic outcomes. 

While the current school board has taken aim at Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), insisting that teachers need to focus on “reading, writing, and math,” this teacher realizes that academic success can only be achieved when students are socially and emotionally regulated, and that it’s impossible to focus solely on academic basics if other basic needs are not also met. 

Students are struggling: she often has to clear her classroom because of dysregulated students who pose a (physical) risk to other students (and teachers). Without enough support staff, the work of keeping students safe too often falls to her. There is a cycle of students exploding, getting sent to the office, being sent back to class,  just to do it all over again. Attempts to get struggling students the services they need go unfulfilled, because there is a skeletal crew of counselors and specialists able to intervene. This is an unsustainable model that leaves staff members overworked and prone to burnout. 

It’s easy to decide that struggling students are “bad kids” or that they have “bad parents,” without recognizing the underlying causes of so much classroom disruption. And those underlying causes cannot be addressed if there aren’t the supports in place—both in our schools and in our communities—to provide assistance when and where it’s needed. “It’s disheartening to hear these are bad kids,” she said. “They aren’t provided the support they need, and it’s hard as their teacher to captain the ship when the entire system is sinking.” 

In the midst of so much chaos, she wonders about the current board’s focus on parents’ rights and their insistence that they are “protecting” kids from indoctrination. She admits that classrooms aren’t safe—but not in the way the board imagines. Without more resources to help struggling children and the educators who help them, classrooms aren’t safe places because of physical threats and the potential of trauma. 

“When they talk about parental input and student safety, I have to wonder whose parental input they are talking about,” she said. “Which students are you trying to keep safe? And what are you protecting them from?” She has observed that some parents in the Hispanic community also feel unsafe, “scared to say anything because of how they’ve been responded to.” 

At the April 11 meeting, Director Renee Powell insisted “we all want a positive, thriving, and a growing school district with children and educators who enjoy coming to school in order to learn and teach, and who feel respected.” 

The teacher agrees with this sentiment and desire, yet there remains a sore disconnect. “I’m a positive person,” she said. “But I cry on the way to school every day.”

Like her colleagues, though, she “still gets up and still goes to work, because I love the students. If I didn’t care I wouldn’t see this through to the end of the semester.”

School board directors have consistently suggested that some teachers—especially those choosing to leave the schools—don’t care. “We all care,” she concluded, “and hate hearing that we don’t.” 

If we can agree that, “we all want a positive, thriving, and a growing school district with children and educators who enjoy coming to school in order to learn and teach, and who feel respected,” we need sustainable change and action. 

We have the power to make Powell’s vision of a better district a reality. Newberg can once again be a place where educators are supported and can focus on students, and where students can get the support they need to flourish. This election really is about that—and not the political ideologies Powell and her compatriots fear.

Do you work in the Newberg school district or did the Newberg school board compel you to leave this district? We would love to hear your story, and can publish it anonymously on our site. Your voices, and your words, matter to us, and to the transformation of our school board. Feel free to email us at betternsdschoolboard@gmail.com.Newberg deserves better.Your vote on May 16 matters.