Oregon School Board Association Promoting Critical Race Theory & Calling it Equity365
Oregon School Board Association
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About OSBA
Founded in 1946, OSBA is governed by a member-elected board and serves K-12 public school boards, education service district boards, community college boards and the State Board of Education. Through legislative advocacy at state and federal levels, board leadership training, employee management assistance and policy, legal and financial services, OSBA helps locally-elected volunteers fulfill their complex public education roles.
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Critical Race Theory resources
OSBA recommends the following resources to learn about Critical Race Theory:
Read:
OSBA Questions and Answers: Critical Race Theory
Critical race theory was an obscure academic doctrine — until the GOP weaponized it | Opinion
There Is No Debate Over Critical Race Theory
Related Resources:
How a conservative activist invented the conflict over critical race theory by Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker
Texas Senate Votes to Remove Required Lessons on Civil Rights, Bloomberg News
Watch:
Creator of the term “Critical Race Theory” explains what it really is, Professor Kimberly Crenshaw on MSNBC
The word “intersectionality” was coined in 1989 by Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe how race, class, gender, and other individual characteristics “intersect” with one another and overlap. “Intersectionality” has gone viral over the past half-decade.
Intersectionality, explained: meet Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term - Vox
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· Equity365
Equity365 is an ongoing campaign focused on providing school board members and education leaders supportive information, stories, history and resources about equity, diversity and inclusion. The campaign began in late 2020 after the OSBA Board of Directors passed a new equity-related goal to improve student outcomes and education equity by providing members with tools, knowledge and skills to govern with excellence. Read the complete text of OSBA's goals and mission statement on the About Us tab.
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OSBA Board adopts new goal on equity-related issues
Monday, September 21, 2020
The OSBA Board of Directors has unanimously adopted a new goal on diversity, equity and inclusion.
In part, the goal states that “OSBA will improve student outcomes and education equity by providing our members with tools, knowledge and skills to govern with excellence.” It goes on to state that OSBA will help make Oregon “a national leader” on equity-related issues by promoting cultural diversity, educating school leaders and combating racial bias and hate speech.
The new goal, which was voted on Friday night by teleconference, comes as OSBA’s policy staff is starting to draft policy language for a temporary rule passed last week by the State Board of Education. The new state rule, which is unrelated to the OSBA board’s vote, bans symbols of hate speech in schools.
Jim Green, OSBA’s executive director, told OSBA board members before their vote last week that staff and contractors will work alongside local board members and superintendents to accomplish the association’s goal. He acknowledged that this would in some instances be “exceptionally challenging work.”
“This goal is going to guide the work of the association as a whole,” he said. Green said OSBA would refine details of its approach during coming months.
“I feel the intent and I feel like we are going forward in the right direction,” said board member Sonja Mckenzie (Parkrose SD). “I’m excited about the work ahead.”
- Alex Pulaski, OSBA
apulaski@osba.org
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Vision, Mission, Values and Goals
Adopted June 21, 2019
Vision
· Oregon will provide adequate and stable funding for its public schools, creating every opportunity for strong student success and equitable outcomes.
Mission
· OSBA is dedicated to improving student success and education equity through advocacy, leadership and service to Oregon public school boards.
Values
· Commitment
· Equity
· Fostering safety
· Integrity
· Lifelong learning
Goals (Revised Sept. 18, 2020)
1. Continue to advocate for stable, adequate and equitable funding and cost containment measures.
2. Assist in the successful implementation of the Student Success Act with a focus on closing the achievement gap.
3. Support the development and implementation of a research-based collaborative governance model.
4. Continue to provide resources and training to build school boards’ capacity for data-driven decision-making.
5. Make Oregon schools a national leader in promoting an innovative education environment that creates opportunity for all students to be college and career ready at the highest level of standards by:
o Educating and empowering school board and district leaders to recognize and disrupt systemic racism in education policies and pedagogy.
o Promoting the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in education to assure high standards of excellence for historically underserved (marginalized) students.
o Promoting cultural diversity in educators and leadership in education throughout the state.
o Promoting standards of accountability for recognition and prevention of racial incidents, bias incidents and hate speech in our schools.
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Oregon’s education leaders voice support for Black Lives Matter
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Oregon’s education leaders, including OSBA, on Thursday issued a letter strongly supporting Black students and families and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We unequivocally affirm that Black Lives Matter and believe racial discrimination and injustice are intolerable in any form,” the statement said.
Students of many races throughout the state have rallied under the Black Lives Matter cause. The letter to the public, which follows reports of educators being harassed for displaying Black Lives Matter symbols, affirms agreement with the movement’s principles and dedication to creating a better learning environment.
The letter was sent on the same day that the State Board of Education passed a resolution committing to anti-racism efforts, equity and support for all students. It urged “all Oregon school districts, public charter schools, and education service districts to affirm that ‘Black Lives Matter’ by striving to make space in classrooms and within the school community for dialogue and support for issues of race and equity.”
The state board resolution requested that schools pass resolutions validating Black Lives Matter with the same understanding. The board also recently adopted rules requiring school districts to develop policies that prohibit the display of hate symbols.
Discussion of the resolution made clear that board members’ support of Black Lives Matter should in no way be construed as a political expression that other lives don’t matter.
Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill mentioned the education leaders’ letter during the board’s resolution discussion.
“This is a statement of love, appreciation and recognition of longtime wrongdoings on a particular group of people,” he said. “It is not a statement against any other group.”
The letter from education leaders said it is important to acknowledge Oregon’s racist history while working toward a more inclusive future.
“Examining Black Lives Matter in a classroom context may generate conversation,” the letter said. “We are all education organizations, and we believe in the value of authentic and respectful dialogue.”
OSBA Executive Director Jim Green and Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus President Bill Graupp were among those who signed the letter on behalf of their organizations. It was also signed by leaders of the Oregon State Board of Education, the Oregon Department of Education, the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, the Oregon Education Association, the Oregon School Employees Association, the Oregon School Activities Association, the Oregon Association of Student Councils and the Oregon Association of Education Service Districts.
The letter said the movement and its symbols have been misunderstood and misrepresented. The leaders stated their support for Black Lives Matter as a civil rights movement with its call for social justice and combatting racism.
“To many educators, Black Lives Matter demonstrates to all of our students that racism has no place in our schools or society,” the letter said. “It shows Black students that they matter in our classrooms.”
OSBA released a statement June 5 against racism and bias, and it adopted a new goal on equity-related issues on Sept. 18.
- Jake Arnold, OSBA
jarnold@osba.org
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Black Lives Matter Solidarity Statement
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Resource guide of tools, publications and online information on equity (osba.org)
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----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "OSBA Information" <info@osba.org>
Sent: Wed, Feb 17, 2021 at 1:32 PM
Subject: February 2021 OSBA Board of Directors' meeting summary
The message was sent by OSBA on behalf of: Jackie Crook jackiec@scesd.org
OSBA Board of Directors February 2021 Meeting Summary:
Report outlines barriers facing female superintendents
Members of the OSBA Board of Directors heard a report on the challenges facing female superintendents during their Feb. 5-6 meeting, held virtually via Zoom.
Krista Parent, the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators’ director of executive leadership and licensure, outlined the results of a study in which the women leading Oregon’s K-12 schools said they had experienced gender discrimination “on a regular basis.”
About one-fourth of Oregon’s 197 superintendents are women.
Survey respondents also indicated that they had demonstrated higher skill levels in superintendent searches but not been selected for positions.
Among the barriers outlined in Parent’s report were a lack of school board training on bias issues. She emphasized the importance of the relationship between superintendents and their school board.
Possible solutions, Parent said, include hiring with an equity lens, instituting family-friendly policies, ensuring pay equity and providing systemic mentoring.
Linda Hamilton, a Board member from the Lane ESD, talked about the difficulties in recruiting female school leaders of color. Kris Howatt (Gresham-Barlow) said her board had been very intentional in hiring Superintendent A. Katrise Perera, the National School Boards Association’s 2015 Superintendent of the Year.
OSBA Executive Director Jim Green noted that when he served on the Salem-Keizer School Board he faced resistance from some community members in hiring a female superintendent.
In other matters, Green outlined progress in meeting his annual goals. He had hoped to focus his efforts on implementation of the Student Success Act, he said, but the pandemic has short-circuited that.
Instead, he said, he spends much of his time on Zoom meetings in helping districts with their reopening plans.
“There’s a lot more questions than there are people available to answer them,” he said.
He said that OSBA has worked to implement a new board goal around diversity, equity and inclusion. Those efforts have included supporting resolutions around Black Lives Matter; supporting new rules banning symbols of hate speech in schools; working with outside organizations to amplify student voices; instituting a new initiative called Equity365; and the continuing work of the Get on Board campaign, which encourages individuals, especially those of color, to run for school boards.
The Board of Directors approved revisions to OSBA’s investment guidelines that will align investments with the current market conditions. This action allows OSBA’s investment strategies to pivot toward investments that will generate interest and dividends needed for OSBA’s operating expenses.
Lori Sattenspiel, OSBA’s director of Legislative Services, provided an update on the current legislative session. Bills being monitored include ones making class size a subject of mandatory bargaining, mandatory training of schools boards and superintendents, and reduction in force.
She said her team is also focused on the K-12 schools budget, especially on maintaining “current service level” and a definition of what that means.
Oregon School Boards Association (osba.org)
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