9 move forward after 34 apply for 4J's 2 open school board spots
A huge number of applicants stepped forward to apply for the two vacant positions on the Eugene School District 4J's School Board. After hearing from all 34 hopefuls in a three-hour work session, the board chose nine to move forward.
After multiple rounds of voting on Wednesday night, applicants who received at least two votes from board members were moved to the next round, 15-minute interviews that will take place at Monday's work session.
The applicants moving forward are: Deborah Dailey, Tom Di Liberto, Thomas Hiura, Michelle Hsu, Daniel Patrick Isaacson, Jennifer Jonak, Keerti Hasija Kauffman, Andrew Ross and Carlos Sequeira.
"These are times when people who are very interested in participating in local government," board chair Judy Newman said in an interview Thursday. "It was very heartening to see all the qualified people that really care enough to want to put their hat in the ring to serve on the school board. It's volunteer and a lot of hours."
Board member Gordon Lafer said that Wednesday's meeting demonstrated how many community members are "running into problems" but still believe that the system is changeable.
"When people run into problems and they think it's hopeless, they don't apply to join the board," Lafer said in a Thursday interview.
The two empty positions are open following the resignations of two elected members, Martina Shabram and Mary Walston. Shabram left because of other time commitments. Walston cited the need to focus her physical and mental energy on coming surgical procedures following a life-threatening illness, according to her resignation letter.
The remaining board members are charged with appointing new members to complete their terms, which end June 30, 2023.
Previous Reporting:Martina Shabram resigning from Eugene School Board, citing time commitments
School board positions are nonpartisan and are not connected to any specific region. Board members must be registered voters and must have lived in the district for at least one year immediately preceding their appointment. Employees of Eugene School District 4J and of charter schools within the district are not eligible for appointment.
District residents were invited to apply between March 31 and April 18. A total of 38 community members originally responded and submitted an application, but four applicants withdrew before Tuesday's meeting.
Originally, the board planned to move forward six candidates but differing opinions about who should move forward led them to picking more for the next round's pool. After applicants have their 15-minute interviews at Monday's work session, the board will vote at a special meeting on Wednesday.
Meet the candidates
Here is information about each of the candidates and the most important issues confronting the board in the next two years, according to their applications, which are available online.
Deborah Dailey has lived in the district for 44 years and is self-employed. Her previous experience includes 20 years as a 4J employee, being a school volunteer and parent and grandparent of 4J students. Her key issues include prioritizing the importance of listening to the ‘quiet voices’ in the room to stay attuned to what we aren’t hearing and re-engaging students, youth and families that have been impacted heavily by the pandemic.
Tom Di Liberto has lived in the district for 34 years and is a retired teacher. He taught in the Spanish immersion program, participating on curriculum task forces and the Eugene Education Association; and volunteering and substituting after his retirement. His key issues include looking closely at how 4J deals with student mental health and achieving educational equity with a more in-depth community conversation
Thomas Hiura has lived in the district for 21 years and is an online English teacher. Their previous experience includes: attending 4J school from preschool to graduation, working as North’s head A/V and theater technician; and starting equity-focused clubs. Their key issues include choosing the right superintendent who is trustworthy and earning public trust as the district enters another year impacted by COVID-19.
Michelle Hsu has lived in the district for nearly seven years and is a librarian. Her experience includes: being parent of 4J students, volunteering in school libraries and 4J events and cataloging the print collection for the Chinese Immersion School library. Her key issues include ensuring schools are safe spaces for everyone as defined by the collective school community and teacher retention and engagement.
Daniel Patrick Isaacson has lived in the district for nine years and is a small business owner. His experience in the district includes: being the parent of a soon-to-be 4J student. His key issues include the transitioning to the “new normal” regarding the pandemic, from internal issues (budget and resources) to hybrid ones (mental health and access to education); and equity and equality.
Jennifer Jonak has lived in the district for four years and is an attorney. Her experience includes: being a parent of 4J students, volunteering for schools, serving in leadership roles on PTO and the Parent Council with Village School. Her key issues include the mental health of students and increasing access to education/support for students of color, special needs and/or who do not come from advantaged backgrounds.
Keerti Hasija Kauffman has lived in the district for 10 years and is the director of International Partnerships, Teaching Strategies. Her experience includes: being the mother of students. Her key issues include a continuation or increase of trauma-informed classrooms, educators and schools and make sure students have options and connections for post-secondary careers and occupations.
Andrew Ross has lived in the district for 31 years and is a retired attorney. His experience includes: being a parent to 4J students. His key issues include enabling the school system to thrive on a limited budget and enabling traditionally marginalized populations to experience their school as a place where they are safe, heard and belong.
Carlos Sequeira has lived in the district for nine years and is an educator and works in school administration. His experience includes: a parent to students who did not attend 4J, but help him “relate with parents and student’s experiences navigating the school system.” His key issues include setting a vision where all students, staff and the parent community belong and addressing mental and emotional health in schools.
Read the applications:Eugene School Board Applications
Superintendent search ongoing
The search for a district superintendent continues. Newman shared that the board hopes to have finalists for the position visit in mid-May to give presentations and to be interviewed by panels. Time is of the essence. Newman shared that the longer the process takes, the more applicants will get jobs elsewhere.
"My hope is that we can move it along because we, of course, would like to have our options of qualified candidates," Newman said.
The search for a permanent superintendent started in March 2020 after Gustavo Balderas announced he was leaving to be the new superintendent of Washington's Edmonds School District. Cydney Vandercar has been the interim superintendent since being appointed by the board May 6, 2020. Earlier in the year, she was one of two finalists to be Greater Albany Public Schools' new superintendent. The district hired its other finalist, Andy Gardner.
In February, after months of public conflicts, consultants from the superintendent search firm Alma Advisory Group told the board that they would have to find a way to work effectively through their differences and reconcile. The strife could affect getting candidates, they said, and the hiring timeline would likely have to adjust because of it.
Previous Reporting: Superintendent search firm's advice to Eugene School Board: Deal with internal conflicts first
Lafer noted that part of the disagreements within the board are a result of the diverse perspectives within it, which haven't always been present and may have led to so many people applying to be part of it.
"There's been a lot of talk about how much conflict there's been in board meetings," Lafer said. "And that's true, it would obviously be good to have less conflict, but the flip side of that is, it seems like a more porous organization and more people can imagine, 'Oh, I can get in here.' "
Contact reporter Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick at Tatiana@registerguard.com or 541-521-7512. Follow her on Twitter @TatianaSophiaPT.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: 9 finalists picked from 34 for open Eugene 4J school board spots
