Salem-Keizer School Board Recall Info and Signing Opportunity
The Website is live and where you can go to sign TODAY
If you missed my last write-up, go check it out, so this will make a little more sense.
The Website for Salem-Keizer Education First has gone LIVE! The PAC responsible for the petition to recall Osvaldo F. Avila (Zone 1), Ashley Carson-Cottingham (Zone 3), and Karina Guzmán Ortiz (Zone 5) has launched its site to give people information on why they are recalling these three progressive School Board Directors. Visit www.skeducationfirst.com to check it out!
But first, you have an opportunity to go sign the petitions TODAY (Sept 2, 2022) from 2 - 6 PM! You can go to 752 Hawthorn Ave NE, Salem, OR 97301, in the Center Street Plaza, on the Northeast corner of Hawthorn Ave NE and Center St NE.
DON’T FORGET TO SIGN ALL THREE PETITIONS!
The official petition statement for Osvaldo F. Avila’s recall:
Former Board chair, Osvaldo Avila, labels parents whose values differ from his own with divisive rhetoric and slander to dismiss their concerns; even referring to them as "book burners." While supporting books that illustrate with pictures, in detail, teen's giving oral sex and having intercourse. He's supported special interest groups who use hate speech to intimidate parents; calling them "white supremacists," "racists," and "transphobic." Avila has given preferred treatment to these groups with early entry to board meetings, permitting them to hide their identity when giving public comment, and allowing them to harass parents through physical posturing, name calling and threatening behavior. These same groups have harassed board members with opposing views at their homes and places of work to intimidate them. Avila's bias against parents was further illustrated when he stated "the primary onus is the educators, are the ones responsible for the education" Indicating parents' rights are less than educators. Student safety is at risk; he supported the discontinuation of student safety data collection that previously included reports of over 11,000 disciplinary incidents students were Involved in. Supporting removal of SRO's when data included 170+ interactions involving weapons. He voted to ban lawful background checked concealed carry.
For Ashley Carson-Cottingham:
Ashley Carson-Cottingham also does not prioritize student academics and education according to her strategic goals for 2022/2023. In outlining HER goals, she stated "I'm really interested in school-based health centers (SBHC)". SBHC will allow minors to seek medical care, to include for conditions as serious as HIV, without parental consent or knowledge per ORS 109.640. Her chosen priority ignores that less than half of all third graders is not meeting reading proficiency goals. She has not maintained order in the boardroom as outlined in Board Chairs Role policy, allowing for hate speech, intimidation and race-baiting from special interest groups who contributed to her campaign. This creates safety concerns for attendees. Parents feel intimidated and as though they have no participation rights in the education of their student while having forced differing ideologies taught to their children. Years of research have highlighted the importance of parent involvement in student success. Ashley is in support of graphic books in the district libraries that portray teenagers giving and receiving oral sex and having intercourse. She voted to ban concealed carry-on district grounds, is against renewing the SRO contract, and is in favor of the transgender policies that were created without parent input.
And for Karina Guzmán Ortiz:
Karina Guzmán Ortiz does not prioritize academics for students in the Salem-Keizer school district, her top priority is board policies with a focus on "accepting and confirming BIPOC and marginalized student voices and increasing culturally responsive school leadership, teaching and curriculum." She believes white supremacy is a structural and systemic issue, and believes white people are privileged and cannot experience racism. She is quoted saying " ... racism operates at the systemic institutional level and we understand that marginalized communities and oppressed communities do not benefit of the structural support and structural benefits or privileges that many white people do." She strongly supports students expressing their gender at school and "in due time they might be able to share that with family members". She has supported putting a ban on expulsion and suspension for students despite the growing number of disciplinary incidents occurring in our schools since the cancelation of School Resource Officers. She has supported spending taxpayer funds on feminine hygiene product in every boy’s bathroom including at the elementary level. Student safety is at risk; she supported the removal of SRO's when data included 170+ interactions involving weapons. She voted to ban concealed carry while on district grounds.
You can also connect with Salem-Keizer Education First through their various social media pages:
Go check them out, sign the petitions, volunteer, donate, and definitely tell your friends and family about it!
Share this and spread the word!