Heather Rutkowski, a 7th grade language arts teacher at Crossler Middle School, advocates for hiring more school counselors at a Feb. 25, 2020 school board meeting (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)
Local school board members decided Tuesday what they would do with a $35 million check from the state but teachers aren’t happy with their choices.
The Salem-Keizer School Board adopted a spending plan after hearing teachers contest money flowing to new curriculum, administrative jobs and district-level programs over adults who work directly with students.
“Who exactly do you imagine will be teaching these miracle materials you want to buy? Who will be working under the 31 program assistants you want to hire?” asked Heather Rutkowski, a 7th grade language arts teacher at Crossler Middle School.
READ: Mental health, behavior and elementary reading top spending priorities for Salem-Keizer
But some parents, students and community leaders backed the plan, telling board members it would bring much-needed help to students of color who have for too long had their needs in local schools overlooked.
Many Latino parents testified in that vein last week.
Maria Juarez, a South Salem High School senior, said she’s seen an influx of new Latino students at the school since the district changed school boundaries last spring. She said many have had their needs overlooked by teachers and found support from coaches or in the school’s cultural center, with adults who understand their heritage.
“I do understand class size matters. But from the point of view of a minority student, Salem-Keizer needs to provide more resources for us – staff who understand where we truly come from,” she said.
The money is the local district’s share of a large education spending increase legislators approved last spring to improve student health and safety and close gaps for low-income students, students of color and students with disabilities. Salem-Keizer serves about 41,000 students. About 7 in 10 are low-income, and just over half are students of color.
Under a plan developed by district administrators, Salem-Keizer would hire 84 classroom teachers and a total of about 240 full-time employees and spend about $3 million on new curriculum for math and social and emotional health.
The board voted 6-1 to approve the plan with Paul Kyllo casting the dissenting vote.
Kyllo served as the board liaison to a community task force recommended how to spend the money. He said that process worked well but the district’s plan was “flawed.”
While the task force worked for months, district administrators released a plan just two weeks ago and only last week showed where they would spend the money.
Salem-Keizer has until April to submit a plan to the state, but Superintendent Christy Perry asked the plan be approved now so hiring can begin as as quickly as possible.
Several board members, particularly vice chair Jesse Lippold and Danielle Bethell, asked administrators pointed questions about class size reductions, but ultimately said they supported the plan as a good starting point.
“Class size is exceptionally important to me,” Bethell said. She said the community would have a chance to weigh in again next year when money needed now for one-time purchases would be available for other needs.
“It’s important for us to listen to communities of color and listen to underrepresented communities because that’s what this is targeted for,” Lippold said.
Several other board members said they wanted to take the administrators’ plan seriously, an assertion Kyllo contested.
“I don’t believe that voting on this tonight without any discussion regarding the community input is taking it seriously at all,” Kyllo said.
Reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
