Linn County, OR. – The Linn County Republican Party posted a statement on Facebook addressing the ongoing teacher strike in the Greater Albany Public School (GAPS) District.
“We are concerned to see the strike at GAPS continuing as children seem poised to lose at least a month, and maybe more, of classroom time. We are also disheartened by the recent escalations in rhetoric, with protests outside the business of one of the board members and calls for resignation of the board and superintendent. We have seen the escalation of political division come to Oregon recently with a bomb threat at Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer‘s home and a rock being thrown through the window of the Linn County Democrat’s office. We must all take steps to turn the temperature down. There is good reason to be passionate about our school systems and the education of Albany’s children, let’s ensure we keep those passions directed to finding solutions.
Our aim is not to weigh in for any “side” in this issue, but to lend voice to remembering that this is an issue where we are all ultimately on the side of a functional education system and academic excellence. To achieve that goal we need teachers to receive fair compensation and resources to teach their classes effectively. Children need to receive proper time and attention to be able to meet high academic standards. Parents need to be at the forefront of their children’s education while being able to rely on the schools to deliver quality instruction. Board members are elected to represent the interests of the community and need to be treated respectfully as they do the difficult job of balancing multiple competing interests and looking after the short and long-term financial stability of the district. While figuring out the details of all these elements is challenging at times such as these, let us all remember that they must all come together to reach our common goals. Let’s also remember that at the end of the day we will all still be neighbors.
At times, we all must take a breath and a step back and think about the bigger picture to see the best way forward and what we must stand by and what we can let go of. We hope that everyone can find a way to resolve the remaining disagreements soon and return teachers and students to the classroom with a renewed focus in the community on our common goals.”
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