Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment And Workforce topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teachers and classified staff thank board for contract, urge stronger outreach on immigration and LGBTQIA safety
Summary
Teachers and classified staff praised the recently ratified contract and asked the board for clearer student‑facing messaging about immigrant rights and for stronger leadership on anti‑LGBTQIA harassment. Classified staff warned that proposed staffing cuts to instructional assistants would harm small‑group academic support.
Several public commenters at the Feb. 13 David Douglas School Board meeting praised the district’s recently ratified contract but urged additional steps to protect vulnerable students and maintain classroom supports.
Barb Macan, a high‑school health teacher and union representative, told the board that teachers are relieved the district avoided a strike and that “a salary that’s commensurate with our peers” helps retention and recruitment. Macan said teachers appreciate more teacher‑directed time on Wednesday late starts and that staff welcome the new building nearing completion. She identified two student safety concerns: immigrant students’ anxiety about possible ICE actions and students who identify as LGBTQIA+. Macan said students need more visible messaging about protections and called for “know your rights” workshops for students and family evenings so families can learn what to expect and how to access supports.
Darla Black, classified union president, urged the board to reconsider proposed cuts to instructional assistants and other classified positions. She told the board that instructional assistants now carry more supervisory duties following recent bargaining changes and that cutting those positions would reduce small‑group academic supports at a time the district still needs targeted interventions in reading and math.
The district and union leaders also offered broader remarks. Stephanie (identified in public testimony as DDEA president) thanked the board for decisions on school cancellations during severe weather and said staff appreciate the district’s work but then summarized community concerns about federal policy shifts and possible funding freezes. Superintendent Ken Richardson updated the board on state guidance from the Oregon Department of Education and federal Title IX direction and said the district is tracking executive orders and legal guidance; he said executive orders do not, by themselves, change law and recommended districts follow state and federal guidance while preparing community supports.
Why it matters: Commenters asked the board to combine contract/working‑condition improvements with more proactive communications and district‑led workshops to ensure students and families understand rights and supports during a period of heightened concern about immigration enforcement and threats to LGBTQIA rights.
