Top Priorities

During my time as a substitute, I was blown away by many of the high quality, passionate teachers we are lucky enough to have in our district.

Unfortunately, we have trouble keeping some of them.

I know many talented teachers who have left Tillamook School District for our neighbors Neah-Kah-Nie and Nestucca; a few have left the profession entirely.

The past three school years, the number of teachers in Tillamook School District with more than 3 years teaching experience is less than 60 percent. That is the lowest percentage in the Cowapa League and lower than Neah-Kah-Nie and Nestucca. As of the 2023/2024 academic year, Tillamook School District had double the state average of teachers who hold a provisional/emergency teaching license.

Experience and licensure do not determine the quality or passion of our educators, but they are tools to create a more confident group of educators who will require less resources to get up to speed.

I aim for our district to keep and develop a more experienced group of teachers in our schools and make new people to our community feel welcome. We also desperately need to find housing solutions for our educators.

Tillamook can be an insular community, so I would help bring a culture that truly welcomes and appreciates those who did not grow up here and try to get them acclimated as quickly as possible – which may include partnerships with area non-profits and businesses. Housing is also an issue with teacher recruitment and retention and I plan to work closely with state and local agencies to expand solutions to house educators coming to this community.

A teacher who recently left Tillamook School District told me when she was considering accepting the job with Tillamook School District, one of her professors from Oregon State University warned her against ever accepting a job in Tillamook School District. We cannot have our reputation be so poor that our local universities are actively preventing teachers from accepting positions here. I will work to clear the pipeline from every Oregon university with a College of Education to make Tillamook a viable option for their graduates.

In every classroom, I have seen so much joy and wonder in our students; sadly, I’ve also seen hurt and trauma.

During the 2023/2024 Tillamook School District academic year, 38% of the students experienced poverty. I met dozens of local children who are currently struggling in school and, frankly, in life and I will fight for policy that increases the wellbeing of students to give them a space where they are known, safe, and loved for who they are.

While substituting in many schools in our district, I found the behavior problems of students had changed drastically and severely since the COVID-19 pandemic. I will encourage the board to reshuffle resources to schools with higher behavioral issues to support the educators and students facing this ongoing issue.

My time as a substitute teacher and an adult leader for two different camps has shown me that the mental health of our students has declined. I will support policy to make sure we are adequately addressing the modern, swiftly evolving needs of students.

Tillamook County is home to many impressive people and institutions and I believe our students need more exposure to them.

I will encourage the Tillamook School Board to continue building and expanding services that will enrich the lives of our students, whether it through additional partnerships with area non-profits or building an even more diverse array of extracurriculars, after-school clubs, and co-ed opportunities.

During the past three academic years in the Tillamook School District, regular attendance hovered around 60%. Data proves that children are more likely to attend and stay engaged in school if there is something provided that interests them.

Not every child is athletically gifted enough to participate in OSAA sports. I was a kid like that in Tillamook School District. Thankfully, because the elementary school offered band, I was able to be involved in a level that worked for me. Then, in high school I was able to participate every year in the plays and musicals, making sure I attended school every day, just so I wouldn’t miss rehearsal.

There are unexplored partnerships and opportunities in this community that fresh leadership on the school board will be able to pursue to the benefit of the student body.