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9/14/26 - Blog Entry # 2
9/14/26 - Blog Entry # 2
On Saturday, our friend Lilly St. Angelo, who covers education for The Lookout, wrote an article profiling several of our friends who were laid off, and where they are now. One of the SPS teachers profiled was mentioned as having been laid off "due to budget constraints and a new union contract."
I understand that this is the official explanation for the layoffs last year, but we know there was much more to it than simple budget constraints and the union contract.
Leave aside the fact that the budget was presented and passed with no accounting for a COLA for certified employees, even after there was an amount proposed to the SEA bargaining team that the School Board agreed to, and that there were no preparations for rectifying this budget snafu despite knowing this cliff was approaching.
Leave aside the fact that the district hired 41 new teachers in the summmer, just 4 months before the layoffs.
When the news was delivered that the layoffs would be coming in the middle of the year, and that every last cent that the new contract raised in expenses would be paid in certified FTE, there were several suggestions made to avoid the cuts, or at least postpone them until the end of the year. District leadership was not interested in any of them.
St. Angelo's line in the article is not untrue, but it does leave behind a heap of context that some felt would be helpful to put on record.
As I finish my thoughts, I want to say that I am trying very hard to find balance between correcting the record and building a more positive relationship with new leadership at SPS. I want to reiterate that I am very pleased with our new administration's direction, and do not want to open up old wounds any more than is necessary. However, I need to balance this with my belief in radical transparency. I don't believe shutting away the past in a closet we never open again is useful to us as we move forward. I am a history teacher in my bones, after all. I believe that to see the path ahead of us we need to know where we came from.
In solidarity,
-Brandon Ferguson
9/8/26 - Blog Entry # 1
9/8/26 - Blog Entry # 1
I'm starting this blog for several reasons.
A, because I want to make a distinction between important announcements which will come to you in the weekly updates, and my own personal thoughts.
Two, because sometimes I have the itch to spin a yarn and/or wax philosophically.
D, because sometimes there will be things I want to share that aren't necesarily appropriate for district email, but aren't really private information. As a matter of fact, that's the case for today's entry!
CALLEE ACKLAND RALLY
Local education-related politics are something we will wade into occasionally, but it's usually not appropriate to communicate about such things over district email.
You may or may not have heard that SEA endorsed Callee Ackland for Springfield City Council. You're free to support whoever you'd like, but if you wanted the opinion of the several colleagues who interviewed both candidates, there you are.
Speaking for myself, I really appreciated that Callee got into this fight by advocating against the cuts to the Springfield Library. The Teen program took the brunt of the cuts and I know it was a really important space for so many students, especially A3 and SHS students. Callee would also be the only renter on the council, which I think is a really important voice missing from decisions being made.
Callee asked if we would co-host a rally for her campaign and I happily obliged. All that means for you is that you are welcome to join me to hear from her and have the opportunity to volunteer to help her campaign.
Where: Willamalane Adult Activity Center (215 W C St)
When: 9/19 -11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Canvassing afterward if you're interested!)
How: Register here!
LETTER WRITING EVENT
Have thoughts about education in the state of Oregon? You and me both, friend.
A local advocacy group called ESSN has rented the WOW hall for a collaborative letter writing event. Come meet with other folks concerned about the state of the state's education and write letters to our representatives. The folks in Salem need to know that whatever the answers are, we can't wait. There must be something significant done during this legislative session to address our schools.
Where: WOW Hall
When: 9/20, 11am - 3pm
How: Register here!
JUST SIGN IT SOLIDARITY SCHOOL
Here's another opportunity you may be interested in!
Nike was given a sweatshop sweetheart tax deal years ago that allowed them to skip out on taxes that equal around $66 million a year! Some folks are rallying to encourage Nike to help Oregon solve our budget problem, and pay their garment manufacturers fairly while they're at it.
Where: OEA Office (2815 Coburg Rd, Eugene)
When: 9/26, 11am - 2pm
How: Register here!
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