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DRAFT chamber luncheon speech

January 10, 2011

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for that wonderful introduction. Thanks to Mike McLaran and the Salem Area Chamber of
Commerce for this forum. And thanks to everyone for coming to listen and participate. I also want to
thank the people who will appear on video later. Mike McLaran was the first person we invited to be on
the video, but he declined and said he will give his remarks live, in person. Thanks, Mike!

Several weeks ago, Bill Church of the Statesman Journal asked readers two questions:

• Is our community truly remarkable?


• If not, how can we become remarkable?

Those are great questions; and our schools can help provide the answers. There is no question that our
students, local businesses and community would benefit from turning up the regional and national
“buzz” about the Salem-Keizer area.

I would love to skip right to our shared vision for remarkable schools and a remarkable community. But
we’ll save that for the end of my remarks.

Today I want to address:

1. Progress toward our current vision of “Graduation for All;”

2. Adapting our business model to the current budget problem.

3. Our shared vision. Making our community remarkable, starting with our schools.

You will see video of my grownup friends later. But now, I would like you to see one of my younger
friends, whom I find truly remarkable.

INTRODUCE JOSH: This is Josh Hettwer - a 12th-grader at West Salem HS. He will be accompanied
on the piano by his mother Kami Hettwer. Josh is 1st Clarinetist of the West Salem HS Band's
State Championship Wind Ensemble. Josh is also the Concertmaster of the Salem-Keizer All
City Honor Band. Todd Zimbelman is Josh's band teacher at West Salem HS.

Josh will perform the 1st Movement of the Webern (web-urn) Clarinet Concerto.

(DO MUSIC PERFORMANCE)

Thank you so much. Obviously, Josh is very talented and has worked very hard. Later in my remarks, I
want to talk a bit more about Josh and all the support he has received from adults in his efforts to
achieve.
1. PROGRESS TOWARD OUR VISION “Graduation for All”

Our customers

 40,000 students every day

 56 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch

 About 10,000 kids hear a language other than English at home (largest number in the state)

There are about 7,000 kids being served in our English Language Acquisition program, so several
thousand have already exited successfully.

Our vision

 “All students graduate and are prepared for a successful life.”

Each student will have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be:

 a lifelong learner,

 a contributing citizen, and

 a productive worker

How are we doing?

• Our district is moving in the right direction on nearly every front.


• The dropout rate is falling. (Currently 4.49%)
• The graduation rate is rising. (Currently 82%) That’s up about 11% over the past two years.
• Reading is improving. (depending on grade level) 10-20% more students are meeting reading
standards compared to the previous year
• All schools are experiencing growth in math scores
• Writing scores are up across all grade levels (some schools has 20-30% more students meet
standards in writing; most high schools experienced large gains in writing)
• Middle school science scores are up 5-7% over the past two years.

More English Language Learners are reaching benchmarks. Overall, students are performing significantly
better on the English Language Proficiency Acquisition (ELPA) test.
 Our students scored above the state and national average on the ACT.

 Our students continue to score above the national average on the SAT.

 More than 98% of our teachers are rated “highly qualified” as defined by NCLB.

 Virtually all schools received an overall State mark of satisfactory or higher in 2009-10.

 Claggett Creek Middle School received “Celebrating Success Awards” from State Superintendent
Susan Castillo.

 Clear Lake Elementary was recognized for their Exemplary Reading Program by the Oregon
Reading Association.

 We continue to have our students recognized as National Merit scholars.

2. ADAPTING OUR BUSINESS MODEL TO MEET THE CURRENT BUDGET PROBLEM

Ours is a people business

(pie chart showing 88 percent people costs)

 88% of general fund is wages and benefits

 Just under 5,000 employees

 Most of our employees are represented by the OEA and NEA

 Our administrators are represented by a local association in “meet and confer” process.

The budget challenge:

Review of the last two years—We have cut about $50 million in the last two years. We began where you
always begin in these kinds of budget reductions.

1. Purchases
2. Reserves
3. Central Office
4. Support to instruction (custodians, libraries, utilities, etc.)
5. Direct instruction (Last year, we did not have to go here. This year we will have to.)
6. Last year we had federal stimulus and state rainy day funds. Federal stimulus is now unlikely.
The state Legislature is an unknown.
• State revenues are expected to fall short of expenditures for the next 10 years (the decade of
deficits)
• Our budget will fall $45 to $50 million short of current service level (Current year general fund =
$338 million)
• This means cutting into programs and positions
• Closing the district for one day saves about $1.2 million
• Increasing class size by one student K-12 saves about $5 million
• The choices are tough
• We will reset our system to match new revenue reality
• We will need community support to get through the transition, but we will do it
• I hope to release a draft budget message earlier than the normal April timeline
• We are working with our employee associations to find ways of reducing compensation

3. OUR SHARED VISION. MAKING OUR COMMUNITY REMARKABLE, STARTING WITH OUR SCHOOLS.

Bill Church asked

• “Is our community truly remarkable?


• If not, how can we become remarkable?

His colleague Editor Dick Hughes, partially answered it from my perspective when he praised our music
program. Our music program is beyond remarkable. It is legendary in Oregon and across the nation. Our
students have won countless competitions and awards. We have more Grammy Signature Schools than
any other district in the nation. So Dick was right to shine the spotlight on this program.

Anyone who has been around our music programs knows the key is adult participation--Excellent staff,
excellent teaching, district leadership and adult involvement from parents and the community. Now, the
question is how to bring that same level of excellence to our entire district and community.

• Our soloist Josh has been supported in his hard work by a whole community of adults
• Extended Time: Early bird and late bird classes, private lessons
• Parental commitment: Before he was driving age, his parents drove him to and from practice
and performances
• Quality Staff: Director Todd Zimbelman is part of a program of excellence led by Karl Raschkes.
We recruit internationally to get the best music teachers. A supportive community is a great
selling point for recruiting. We support their ongoing training, we encourage them to compete
and update their skills. And we maintain high expectations for them.
• Community Expectations: Music Boosters, educators, the newspaper all value excellence. The
program has such a reputation, that it is probably not surprising to hear the following. The West
Salem HS Band, is currently the Oregon State OSAA 6A Band Champion and considered to be
one of the best HS bands in the Nation. This February - Josh and the West Salem HS Wind
Ensemble will be the featured performing band at the All Northwest Music Educator's
Conference in Bellevue Washington.

Can we all agree that if all of our educational programs were as successful as music, it would create a
buzz throughout the state and the region? Of course it would. And I don’t mean simply the winning of
awards or topping out on test scores. I mean the depth and breadth of opportunity we offer kids.

I know that the Chamber of Commerce, Stand for Children, the Chalkboard Project , our professional
associations and many other advocates for young people would agree that we need to provide more
time and more opportunity for learning. Studies have shown that you can only accomplish so much in
the traditional school day and school year. But that is a big challenge. Every child in a program needs
well trained, well qualified and well supported adults.

I have already talked about our current challenge, so please let me dream. What if we offered full-day
kindergarten to all students in our district? What if we offered before-, after- and summer school
programs for all of our children? What if we extended learning time across the board? Would that
create a buzz among families and businesses trying to choose a new hometown? Would it be a pride
point for people who live here?

Massachusetts increased class time and their results were amazing. Extended learning time schools
there gained proficiency at double the rate of the rest of the state in English language acquisition and
nearly five times the state rate in science. How? The basics were: added time for core academics,
enrichment (often provided by community organizations) and teacher development. Pretty simple stuff,
but very powerful.

Maryland and other states have proven the effectiveness of expanded pre-K programs. Numerous
studies have shown that investment in three- and four-year-olds pays off in the form of many more
third- and fourth-graders performing at or above grade level. Again, not a very complex idea.

Here is just one local example: Right here in Salem, we are working with Washington Elementary as a
pilot school. Through the generous support of Larry Tokarski (in cooperation with Mike McLaran) and
the willing cooperation of our employees, we are offering some of our most challenged students a
golden opportunity. They are getting extra time and attention that we believe will pay off in greater
achievement throughout school and greater opportunity throughout life. We are already seeing results
that are convincing enough that Larry is agreeing to continue and/or expand his support.

If the Salem-Keizer community could go the extra mile for our youth, think of the impact!

I have asked a few of our friends to answer these key questions: How can our school district help make
our community remarkable? What would be the impact of remarkable schools on our community? And
what will it take besides money to get there? Let’s see what they said.

(SHOW VIDEO)
In closing, I would like to revisit a question I have asked before: What is your role as a community leader
in making our schools what we want them to be? I believe we have time for some audience comments
and questions.

(ANSWER OR EXPAND ON AUDIENCE REMARKS)

Thank you for that wonderful discussion. Working together, we can get through the current economic
storm and move our community and our schools forward together.

I hope you walk away from here today thinking about quality staff, high expectations and extended
learning opportunities as a way to help make our schools and our community even more remarkable
than they are.

Thank you.

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