As a newly retired elementary school teacher, I have seen the student behaviors escalate dramatically over the years. I believe the students are acting out due to classroom size, where it can be difficult to get their needs met by a teacher who needs to enforce classroom management in order to keep those test scores up.
Teachers and students need opportunities to build relationships in a loving environment that is not overcrowded. When behaviors become unsafe to the group, schools need to provide counselors, psychologists and space in the building to work with these students.
Oregon currently has the third-worst graduation rate in the nation! If this is something you want to see addressed in the coming future, please vote for Marty Wilde as Democrat for State Representative. He has children in our local public schools, has been an active member of their PTO and sees first-hand how schools are in need.
Wilde plans to make better funding for state education a top priority and believes we are under-funding education by at least a billion dollars per year.
Please support the candidates who support our schools and our future.
Susan Kay Byerley
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519