Do you have questions for this year’s school board candidates – we’ll be hosting them for a debate early next week, and we’re hoping you’ll contact us with your asks of each.
For this debate, we’re seeking to have the questions ahead of time, deadline for submissions is 12 noon, Tuesday, April 22.
The candidates
Three candidates are running for Position 1, incumbent Sami Al-Abdrubbuh and challengers Christopher Blacker and Charlotte Willer. Unchallenged incumbents are running for the three other seats on this year’s School Board ballot.
These are at-large positions, with all voters districtwide voting for all the positions. The terms for four years.
Al-Abdrubbuh first joined the School Board in 2017, he is also president of the Oregon School Boards Association. His Voters’ Pamphlet statement focuses on themes of protections for students of all racial and gender identities, partnering with the County to build a community health center, banning guns in schools and rental aid for students in need. He also speaks to cutting down the district’s carbon footprint.
Blacker is an information technology consultant. He has worked as a high school math teacher, and as a technology director for a school, as well. He says his goals will center on reducing class size, restoring full access to library and arts programs, ensuring Title I, ESSA, and SSA laws are being implemented equitably, and expanding access to academic enrichment in reading, math, and science. He says he’ll “Focus funding on student learning, not administration.”
Willer has worked in grass-fed beef farming, real estate, and aquatic restoration construction. Her candidate’s statement centers on local public school enrollments decreasing while private school enrollments are increasing. She believes there has been a loss of parent confidence in the district, partly because individual learning and extra-curriculars opportunities have been removed. She wrote “I believe in educational equity, which means each child receives what they need to develop to their FULL academic, creative and social potential.”
How to submit questions
We hope you’ll send us your questions for the candidates. You can message us on social media or email us at cityspeak@corvallisadvocate.com. As usual with our forums and debates, we allot generous amounts of time for questions from our readers.
Upcoming dates
Tuesday, April 22, before noon – debate questions deadline.
Friday, April 25 or earlier – debate video will be posted.
Friday, May 2 or earlier – Advocate endorsement publishes.
Tuesday, May 20 – deadline for ballots to be postmarked, or placed in a County elections drop box.
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com