4J School Board Meeting Notes  - October 18, 2023 

The meeting can be view at this link. All timestamps below can be accessed by scrolling through the video at this link. 

Superintendent Andy Dey’s Remarks - Timestamp: 5:45

1. Discussed the LETRS reading program which the District is using.

• The teaching of phonics - the sound-letter correspondences in English - is very important to teaching students how to decode words while reading. It is a key skill. Likewise, learning to read involves many other concurrent skills. I support a reading program that incorporate phonics as one component, not the component. There is some debate ongoing over this which I will continue to follow.

Nine Public Speakers were selected: Timestamp: 10:00

1. Paul Bodin: Friend and retired teacher, Volunteer for Philosophy of Children in participating schools since 2013. Teaching kids philosophical discussion techniques with teachers observing.

2. Delaney McMahon: Teacher/track coach: Our classified staff who also serve as athletic coaches deserve payment

3. Rocky Stewart: Cal Young Office Mgr and Track coach: member of OSEA classified union bargaining including pay for coaches. Should be paid like certified coaches.

4. Alexis Krivchuk

5. Indigo Amarys: Community person and member of The Education Justice Action Team: concerned about dissolution of Equity Dept. Public must be informed of the changes initiated and the reasons.

6. Les Phillpo:  Sheldon HS teacher/ coach: some coaching staff must take personal leave in order to attend sporting events because they are not paid. All 4J staff should be treated respectfully 

7. Jenny Kneale: YG parent and teacher: speaking for students who should not be left in limbo; need a timely and permanent location decision.

8. Chelsea Hardrath: Parent of YG and NEHS students. YG and KMS co-location was temporary. Not shift to Willard; 45 min roundtrip drive is hard on working families. Must stay in North Region.

9. Harry Sanger: Parent. Former Board member O’Rourke commented in RG article that I attended a meeting armed. It’s lie, I did not. Also urged less restrictions on speakers. 4J no clear vision. Top priority should be YG location in North Region.

Employee Groups Updates

1. Lisa Jenkins-Easton, OSEA President: 4J classified employee Sally nominated to OSEA State Board. Classified employees equity issue for pay as the 18 district coaches.

2. Sabrina Gordon and Imelda Cortez, EEA President and VP: Members support our classified employee colleagues in bargaining. Dept of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: no authentic input into decision to disband it. Was Equity Tool used in this decision? Wonder how Dist came to decide the Dept was not moving the dial for marginalized students. [Audience applause]

Board Chair Maya Rabasa: Advocating for more short breaks to stay fresh for entire meeting 

Individual Board Members

1. Tom Di Liberto: Thanks for speakers and emailers. Happy to meet our student Board representatives. Thanks to the following for onboarding training with 25 mins each with three different groups: Communications (Jenna, Sherry, Debbie); Facilities (Kyle, Art, Steve, Ryan); and Business Operations (Collina, Matt, Brooke). Attended NEHS new building grand opening. Excellent News: Attendance is increasing. Condolences to 4J students and families with connections in the Middle East.

2. Judy Newman: I echo what Tom just said. Gratitude to voters who approved the Bond Levy to build NEHS. Student 

3. Jenny Jonak: Thanks to all speakers tonight.

4. Ericka Thessen: Thanks to speakers; we are not scary to you. The true gem of NEHS is students, staff. CTE teacher Tyler Tjernlund is an amazing educator. Visited CHS library: librarian interactions with students. Library is the safe place for students.

5. Rick Hamilton: While we cannot make promises to our public speakers, but know that we are listening. Doing our due diligence. We share concern with your issues. I will follow through with my campaign promises.

6. Chair Maya Rabasa: Also thanks to public speakers and our employee groups for your input so we don’t function in a vacuum. Thank you for trusting us with your stories. NEHS opening the culmination of lots of efforts. Thanks for the hoodies.

Board Break at 54:00

Board Members’ Individual Reports - Timestamp: 54:50

Board Members celebrated opening of the new North Eugene High School building and wore commemorative sweatshirts - Timestamp: 1 hr 10 min

• Congratulations and thank you to former School Board members who worked hard to help voters pass the Board Levy that paid for this new building: Jim Torrey, Anne Marie Levis, Mary Walston, Eileen Nittler, Evangelina Sundgrenz.

Information Items  

1. Student affinity groups: District Administrator presented Purpose of Groups; other district staff were introduced - Timestamp: 1hr 12 min

2. Textbook Adoption Cycle 

Action Items

1. Ongoing scheduled meetings with Employee Groups (EEA teachers, OSEA classified, MAPs Admin) - Timestamp: 1hr 42min 50sec 

• Chair Maya Rabasa: 2 of 3 groups have requested regular meetings as was done in the past. Proposal: monthly meeting with 4 Leadership (Bd Chr, Bd V-Chr, and 1 rotating other Bd member and Supt Andy)  meet with reps from all 3 employee groups plus monthly meetings with same 4 Leaders with reps of EEA, and again monthly with reps from OSEA.

• Board member Jenny Jonak motion: To approve Maya’s language but to add caveat to EEA meetings to keep Contact Bargaining separate; seconded by Maya.

• Discussion

  • Member Judy Newman likes the idea of regular meetings, but urges postponement to learn more about these meetings; what are other districts doing? how can we keep bargaining issues separate. Like to wait 2 weeks till next meeting. Member Tom Di Liberto: agree that we need more time; I know something about past practices of meetings. Extremely important; I lived it as a teacher. But can’t rush it. Member Morgan Munro: questions about how we rotate 3rd member; how we keep bargaining separate; must be transparent to public. Chair Maya Rabasa: I am confident we can set proper parameters to bargaining issues; this is important to hear from our employees regularly. Member Rick Hamilton: I agree with Tom, we want to do this without violating and practice.

  • VOTE to Table 2 weeks till Nov. 1: passed 6-1.

    • 4J used to meet regularly with its teachers’ union to build trusting relationships, to share ideas, to stay ahead of problems. Several past Supts stopped this, but it is clearly beneficial to the health of the our public schools to meet with our employees. This Board can figure out how best to accomplish this.

I believe later in the meeting the Board voted on the hiring of more school librarians: changing the previous Board’s direction to hire 3 more elementary librarians to recommending that the Superintendent find funding to accomplish this. Delegating the authority to the Supt makes sense. I trust that he will find a way to fulfill this pressing need identified by the previous Board - led by fromer 4J Board Member Gordon Lafer. Since we all agree that reading is a critically important skill to learn in school, having librarians in schools to assist students in finding, reading, and loving books is smart. Too often reading is defined by standardized test scores….. reading should be a passion for all our students. The school librarians I worked with when I taught in 4J greatly enhanced this.

The Board’s next meeting is Wednesday, Nov. 1:

Notice of 4J School Board Executive Session

The board will convene in executive session to consider records that are exempt by law from public inspection pursuant to ORS 192.660 (2)(f)

Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Time: 4:30 p.m.

Location: Parr Room, Ed Center, 200 North Monroe St.

Executive Sessions are not open to the public.  All matters discussed during executive sessions are confidential and shall not be disclosed by any representative of the news media without authorization by the school board.

Notice of 4J Board Work Session

Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Time: 5:30 p.m. or immediately following the executive committee meeting, whichever occurs first

Location: Auditorium, 200 North Monroe St., Eugene, OR

Virtual / Webinar Link: https://4J-lane-edu.zoom.us/j/91225128314

The board will meet to work on goals.

Notice of Regular Board Meeting — Agenda Attached

Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Time: 7:00 p.m. 

Location: Auditorium, 200 North Monroe St., Eugene, OR

Virtual / Webinar Link: https://4J-lane-edu.zoom.us/j/91225128314

Agenda Link: tinyurl.com/4jboardmeetings

Topics are below and an agenda is attached

Consent Group - Items for Action

1.    Approve Board Meeting Minutes for the following Meetings:

September 6, 2023

September 20, 2023

September 27, 2023  

2.      Approve Personnel Action

3.      Approve Instructional Materials Postponement

4.      Approve Instructional Time

5.     City of Eugene Proposed Amendment to the Riverfront Urban Renewal Plan

Items for Information

1.      Introduction of District Ombuds, Mr. Talatou Maiga via Zoom

2.      North Eugene High School SCIP (School Continuous Improvement Plan) Presentation

Items for Action

1.   Policy DBEA — Budget Committee (2nd Read) 

Items for Action at a Future Meeting

1.      Consider Approval of Board Resolution 2023-11 Agreeing to the Policy of Providing Tax Exemptions for Low-City of Eugene Request for LIPTE Low Income Rental Property Tax Relief

2.      Approve Budget Committee Selection Process (approve selection process and timeline)

3.      Longitudinal Growth Targets Presentation

4.      2-Year School Calendar 

5.      Vote for OSBA Board of Directors