Meet the Coach

Coach Valerie Schiller teaches Language Arts and Social Studies at RHS, and this is her seventh year coaching the school's Speech & Debate team.

Schiller is highly passionate about students participating in Speech & Debate. Her own rural Oregon public high school, while equipped with good teachers, did not have a Speech & Debate team; this meant fewer opportunities for students like herself--studious and introverted--to become confident thinking on their feet and speaking in front of an audience. She believes the experience would have put her further ahead before college.

By the time she began at University of Portland (UP), she felt intimidated by her peers who came from private schools and wealthier public schools. They seemed, at the time, to have all the knowledge and confidence in the world. Besides spending most of her freshman year in the library in attempt to feel like a competent student, Schiller made the best decision of her life: becoming a member of the UP Speech & Debate Union. The team was composed of students of all ages and majors, some arrogant from their years on a high school debate team but most being generous and patient in welcome of a fumbling newcomer. Members had a meaningful bond, not only attending practices but traveling to competitions together, exchanging each round's stories and wisdom over a plate of Old Spaghetti Factory or late-night ice cream. Often she would return from a competition exhausted, with almost no voice left. The beauty of the experience was exposure to the issues, from healthcare, to housing, money, the environment, criminal justice, and foreign policy, to lighter topics about marriage, late-night comedy, and whether a penny saved was a penny earned.

Most importantly, she had to learn how to defend positions she didn't already agree with, expanding her critical argumentation skills. By the time she was a senior at UP, she had won numerous awards from her time on the team and even had the privilege of attending Nationals! The most challenging task she took on, though, was the Roosevelt Project. She devoted a great deal of her senior year leading what she was told was the first Speech & Debate team at Roosevelt High School. Her and fellow members of the UP team would travel to the high school each week leading practices and connecting with the student body. Despite setbacks, Schiller was proud of the students who stuck with it and felt more knowledgeable by the end of the year.

After graduation, Schiller took a giant leap across the globe. She studied for a Masters degree in International Relations at the University of St. Andrews. While the university was celebrating its 600th anniversary, Schiller had the privilege of membership on the 200+-year-old Union Debating Society. Besides regular competitions across Scotland in British Parliamentary debate, the Society would hold weekly public debates in Parliament Hall. Schiller had the honor of debating in front of the student body and local community twice! These debates involved being on the same or opposing team of not only students but journalists, professors, and even a member of the House of Lords. The Society also coached, judged, and mentored local secondary students at schools that looked like Hogwarts.

Upon return to the United States after her degree, Schiller spent a great deal of time judging at Portland-metro area tournaments for her college friends who became debate coaches. She found it eye-opening to be on the other side of the table, learning what makes strong debate rounds. Furthermore, she began to see more inequities between debate teams, between those who barely get their start and those who swim home in trophies and state championships.

An established metro-area coach thought she had strong potential to coach and tossed her a gig guest coaching for his team. The experience enlightened her as to how smaller and less privileged teams can become larger and highly successful with the right strategy, dedication, and energy.

Her second serious attempt at forming a debate team arose during her previous teaching job in East County Portland. Schiller was fervent in bringing what was the best experience of her life to students of racially, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse high schools who have not been able to experience it before. By second semester, she recruited a solid group of sophomores to venture into the world of competitive debate at OSAA. Unfortunately, due to factors outside their control, these hardworking students were left hooked on debate without a coach and the structural support it took for a team to thrive. Fortunately, these students are in college now with all of the world's opportunities in front of them.

Schiller finally struck gold at Reynolds High School. In her six years as a coach, Schiller has felt structurally supported and confident in the long-term success of her team. During 2020-2021, virtual learning and uncertainty, her membership numbers tripled and student achievement increased exponentially, including a pair of debaters qualifying to compete at the state championship! That spring, she was voted the Mt. Hood Conference Coach of the Year. 

2021-2022 saw the team build on their successes, with multiple 1st Place debate medals and our first speech awards! Districts had 34 total entries, with 7 students qualifying for State! The team earned their first championship medal with Dina Ibrahim placing 2nd in Literary Interpretation for English Language Learners (LIELL). Furthermore, Destiny Tran advanced to semi-finals for Original Oratory.

Similarly, 2022-2023 further built on the team's successes by expanding student participation numbers in tournaments and at Districts. This year, 8 students qualified for State! Sayfidin Zafarov placed 4th in Literary Interpretation for English Language Learners (LIELL) while Isaias Damian advanced to semi-finals for Original Oratory.

The coach is extremely proud of the long list of records the team accomplished in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025: largest membership numbers yet (30+), two years competing at an overnight tournament, holding the second-largest tournament in the state followed by a year of the least fortunate snow storm and still holding rounds anyway, two years of trips to the Oregon State Capitol, first competitive state finalist (who turned out to be a 2nd place champion--Seryca Monroe in After-Dinner Speaking!), a record 15 members qualifying for the State Championships (and having to take a full school bus!), a major team donation honoring a team member's memory, and winning two grants including a handsome sum from OSAA to support our team's future growth and legacy.

The largest honor of this coach's career happened this last season: through National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, Coach Schiller was a Finalist for Coach of the Year.

This year, during a time of increasing uncertainty for our state and nation, Schiller aims to maintain membership numbers, expanding to more students of multiple languages and to students who have not otherwise found their extracurricular calling. Schiller is excited to meet you all and share her passion for the activity!

Contact via Email: vschiller@rsd7.net

Valerie Schiller
Teacher, Language Arts and Social Studies
Coach, Speech & Debate Team
Reynolds High School