TILLAMOOK COUNTY PIONEER’S QUESTIONS FOR THE CANDIDATES: Tillamook School District #9

Posted on by Editor

There’s an election – ballots are due by May 20th – and should be in mailboxes the next day or so – for many special districts and boards. These local special districts are the very foundations of our communities — water and sewer districts, school districts, fire boards and more. For the seats that had more than one candidate, the Pioneer has sent out it’s semi-annual “questions for the candidates.”
Here are the candidates – Tillamook School District #9 Board: Position #1 – Amanda Ferrat, Misty Burris, Kenny Lee Oleman; Position #2 – Brandon Affolter & Natalie Rieger; Position 3 – Ryan Lewis & Jordan Wolfe
Here are the answers we received for the candidates – please note that multiple efforts were made to request answers from the candidates, and these are the ones that we received:

Position #1 – Amanda Ferrat

My name is Amanda Ferrat and I am running for Board Director, Position 1, on TSD9 School Board because Tillamook deserves a board member with my passion, education, experience, and dedication to ensure that every student, family, teacher, staff member, and administrator is recognized as a valuable member of our school district and feels like their voice is heard and respected.

My priorities are accessible and equitable education for all students, safer schools-both the physical structures and in the culture of the school communities (addressing bullying in a consistent manner with accountability, restorative justice, and collaborative community building), strengthening trust between all entities through transparent communication, and recruiting and retaining quality educators through fair compensation and opportunities for professional growth and advancement.

I am motivated to continue to serve on the TSD9 School Board because I recognize that accessible, equitable, and safe public education is key to helping eliminate disparity in health and other social outcomes. I want our youth and families to have the best opportunities to succeed, not just academically, but also as thriving members of our community. I want our youth, the future of our nation, to be well cared for, well resourced, and well equipped for their endeavors once they depart the TSD9 school district and become citizens of the world.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Family Science and have worked in mental and behavioral health for many years, including 4 years at a middle school in MT. I also volunteered as the LEO Club advisor for 3 of those years and got involved in as many activities, meetings, committees, etc. as possible while at that job. I temporarily attended Portland State University’s MSW program, planning to become a school social worker. I now run my own business where I support youth in building emotional regulation skills. And I have been learning what it takes to be a board member for the last two months since my appointment to position 1 in February.

I am the lead for the Tillamook County Suicide Prevention Coalition which interacts with multiple entities within the county, including the school districts. I was previously a volunteer with Tillamook County Wellness on their Health Promotions Committee. I was nominated for Citizen of the Year this year and I am the co-founder of EDJI Collaborative, a community based organization supporting equity and inclusion efforts in our county.

I should be elected because I am passionate about ensuring TSD9 students are given the necessary support to thrive academically, socially, artistically, emotionally, and more. I want our youth to be empowered to be their best selves, regardless of circumstance, background, race, ethnicity, ability, etc. I also want our school staff, teachers, and administrators to feel like they have opportunities for professional growth and development and are valued by the board and district officials for their contributions to the wellbeing and success of our students.

I am different from other candidates because while I come from a rural farming and ranching community similar to Tillamook, I have also lived in urban and other settings across the country. This has deepened my compassion, empathy and understanding for a more global society which allows me to consider a variety of perspectives, needs, and values when problem solving, addressing issues, or working collaboratively with others on common goals.

As someone who holds multiple intersecting marginalized identities, I understand the importance of representation within societal entities that make policies that impact those the entity serves. I am dedicated to creating a school district that ensures accessible, equitable and safer education for all of our students, regardless of their identities. The first step to support this is working with our superintendent to create and implement an equity committee for the district that complies with Senate Bill 732. I will also work to make sure all voices are heard and considered when creating policies, adopting curriculum, and making budgeting decisions that could impact students most at risk of marginalization.

Communication is an issue and this impacts trust and respect for the board and district. The board and district need to work on having more transparent and timely communication with students and families, administration and staff, and with our constituents. We also need to make sure our school communities are actively continuing to ensure they are welcoming, safe, and inclusive environments, for both students and their families and staff, teachers and administration, in order to increase enrollment, student and staff retention, and improve academic and social outcomes.

School districts are one system within our community yet they are greatly impacted by the overall culture of our community-at-large. I think there needs to be an effort that includes all key local entities and systems to work together to create a community-at-large where inclusion, empathy, mutual respect and understanding are shared values and ways of being.

Position #1 – Misty Burris

  1. Why are you running for this school board position?  I am running for the Tillamook School Board position because my unique skill set and background allow me to make a difference. I am not just a candidate, but a parent deeply invested in how the schools are operated as my children attend school in the Tillamook School District. I am committed to ensuring they and all students receive a quality education.
  2. If elected, what would be your priorities? – My priorities are to help give our children the best possible education we can provide regardless of their circumstances.  My experience in education will allow me to be a supportive teammate and offer solutions to problems.
  3. What motivates you to serve on this board? – My love for the Tillamook community, where I’ve lived my entire life and attended school, is what motivates me to serve. Now, as a parent with two daughters in Tillamook High School and South Prairie Elementary, my commitment to education is stronger than ever. With 8 years of experience in the field, I am driven by the desire to share my knowledge and inspire others to learn and grow.
  4. What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member? – I have been the Administrative Assistant for Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education for the last 8 years, working with families with young children with exceptionalities and disabilities. I am in tune with both state and local education funding and how it impacts our children.
  5. What community activities/organizations have you been involved with? I have helped with organizing the multi-modular comprehensive screening events for children ages 0-5.  I help lead NW Regional Education Service District’s Equity Learning Team for the Tillamook Service Center. I assist with the meetings for the special education student’s transitioning from preschool to kindergarten.
  1. Why should you be elected? – I bring new perspectives and knowledge to the table. I strongly support the school district’s mission statement, “to prepare our students with the academic, artistic, and social skills necessary to become positive contributors to a changing world,” as this is what I want for my children. I want to serve my community and make them proud of our schools again.
  2. What differentiates you from the other candidates? – I have extensive knowledge in education that I want to share with our community. Watching young children turn into young adults has been one of the greatest joys of my life. If elected, I will be able to continue to help foster this development.  
  3. What steps, if any, will you take to ensure full equality for marginalized demographics such as immigrants, LGBTQ+ people in our community? – I believe every student should be treated equally and provided with the tools necessary to achieve that. I currently help lead the Equity Learning Team where I work, and we are strongly focused on making sure everyone is served equitably by acknowledging that not everyone starts at the same place and making the necessary adjustments to ensure equality.
  4. What issues do you believe the board/organization needs to address in it’s programs/offerings and community image? – There has been a lot of negativity toward the school board lately regarding budget spending, contracts and wages, and more. I would like to be part of the solution to improve communication and understanding so we can regain the support and respect of the employees and families.

Position #2 – Brandon Affolter

  1. Why are you running for this board position?

I am running for this board position for an opportunity to serve the students, educators, and families of our community.  I will bring unique experiences and perspectives to the board to help ensure all students continue to receive the support that they and their families need to be successful in our district.

  1.  If elected, what will be your priorities? 

 If I am elected, my priorities will be educator retention, students having a safe and inclusive learning environment to be successful in, and creating a stable, respectful, and productive board culture.

  1. What motivates you to serve on this board?

 I have been motivated, from a young age, to serve the kids of this community.  Especially those who might have less support and less opportunities than others.  In supporting my three sons through the district, often I had opportunities to coach and support parent/team groups, and have met many other students and families along the way.  I have seen what a difference a little bit of support can make to a student or their family when connected to the right resources or even just the right educator or coach. I want to help grow those resources and relationships and ensure that all demographics of students continue to be supported and have opportunities for a successful education here in our district.

  1. What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?

I have experience running a non profit board of directors, so I am familiar with how boards and their processes are supposed to function.  I also spent 20 years working with union (Teamster) contracts and negotiations.  I have a very good understanding of the negotiating process and collective bargaining agreements.   In my time as safety manager at TCCA I handled all the workers compensation documentation and am very comfortable and familiar with the professional handling of private information.

  1. What community activities/organizations have you been involved with?

 I spent 7 years as the President of Oregon Coast Futbol Club.  We served well over 200 soccer players per season, many of which were TSD9 students.  I collected corporate sponsorships and used those funds to keep costs down for our players and their families and to provide equipment to the community and to TSD9 schools.  I also volunteered with Tillamook County Outdoor School for over 20 years, beginning when I was just a sophomore in high school at THS.

  1. Why should you be elected?

I am a huge supporter of public schools.  I truly believe that strong public school systems are absolutely crucial to any community.  These schools need quality educators. I want to help ensure that we are able to retain our quality educators and attract new ones.

  1. What differentiates you from the other candidates?

From August of 2019 until August of 2024 I was a TSD9 classified employee.  I worked in Wilson River School, East Elementary School, and Tillamook Junior High School through the pandemic.  Through those challenging years I gained thousands of hours of classroom experience with several different age groups and demographics of students.

I would bring a unique classroom perspective to the board.

  1. What steps, if any, will you take to ensure full equality for marginalized demographics, such immigrants, LGBTQ+ people in our community?

 It is important that we work together as a district to support marginalized groups of students and staff. I will help to ensure that policies include these groups and that those policies are followed.

  1. What issues do you believe the board/organization needs to address in its programs/offerings and community image? 

I believe the board has some work to do to gain back the trust of the community.  This last year has brought about many high visibility issues. I think that building a more collaborative board culture with clear communication (when possible) to the community would help this.

  1. What changes would you recommend?

I would recommend a different approach to collective bargaining in the future. This also would involve improved communication.

  1.  Any additional comments ….

I appreciate all the support that this community has shown me these last few weeks, and I look forward to possibly having the opportunity to serve the families of TSD9 in a new capacity.  I hope that all the TDS9 Board candidates have good campaigns. Thank you very much.

Position #3 – Ryan Lewis

  1. Why are you running for this board position?

I’m running to help support the moral of our teachers in hope that we can retain them longer.   I’m running to support our kids so that they are given the opportunity for the best education possible.  Lastly I’m running to give our community confidence that we are being good stewards of the tax payers money by hopefully setting up our children to be good citizens that will soon be key figures in our community.

  1. If elected, what will be your priorities? 

My priorities will be to support the Super Intendant in the direction he chooses to lead the district, as well as hold him accountable if I believe he is making decisions that don’t align with the best interest of our children, teachers, and community.

  1. What motivates you to serve on this board?

I’ve been born and raised in Tillamook and I care about the community and want to help support the district and community in any way I can.

  1. What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?

Having been a student in the Tillamook School District, having my children attend the Tillamook School District and running my own business has positioned me to have a unique perspective on being an affective board member.

  1. What community activities/organizations have you been involved with?

I’m currently a football coach at the High School, my wife and I run a local volleyball club for kids, and along with a few other people, I have been involved in the leadership Tillamook youth football organization.

  1. Why should you be elected?

I should be elected because I have the skills necessary to help support the district as it heads towards some financial headwinds.  I also believe my relationships within our community puts me in a unique spot to bring people together and ensure confidence in the direction of the district.

  1. What differentiates you from the other candidates?

Stability, relationships, experience!  I’ve been on the school board for about 10 months now.  I’ve successfully run a business that ranks near the top of the field in Oregon and I have many strong relationships throughout our community.

  1. What steps, if any, will you take to ensure full equality for marginalized demographics, such immigrants, LGBTQ+ people in our community?

I love everyone and it’s been commanded that we are to be a light in the world and that a city on a hill cannot be hidden.  However, it’s not the school boards job to make policy.  Its job is simply to hold the Super Intendant accountable and be a liaison to the community we serve.

  1. What issues do you believe the board/organization needs to address in its programs/offerings and community image?

I believe the school district needs to communicate clearly with the community and simply provide the facts.

  1. What changes would you recommend?

Fiscal responsibility and clear communication

Position #3 – Jordan Wolfe 

1.Why are you running for this board position? As a fifth-generation Tillamook resident with a breadth of professional and life experience – including recent experience as a substitute teacher in every single school building except one in Tillamook School District – I believe I am qualified to create policy on the school board that benefits all students, educators, and staff. I am running because I care.

2. If elected, what will be your priorities? Educator recruitment, retention, and development; student access to services; and increasing student educational opportunities and overall wellbeing: Tillamook has been hemorrhaging teachers to other school districts, and frankly, out of the profession.

The past three school years, the number of teachers in Tillamook School District with more than 3 years teaching experience is less than 60 percent, according to data from the Oregon Department of Education. That data reveals Tillamook School District currently has twice as many teachers with provisional/emergency licenses than the state average. I aim to keep a more experienced group of teachers and staff in our schools and make new people to our community feel welcome. We also desperately need to find housing solutions for our educators.

I will encourage the Tillamook School Board to reconnect and strengthen our school district with services that will enrich the lives of our students, whether it through partnerships with area non-profits or building a more diverse array of extracurriculars, after-school clubs, and co-ed opportunities. Not every student has the athletic gifts to participate in OSAA sports and I am curious about expanded offerings to keep students engaged and hopefully lead to an increase in the district’s regular attendance numbers because data proves that children are more likely to stay in school if there is something provided that interests them.

During the 2023/2024 Tillamook School District academic year, 38% of students experienced poverty. I met dozens of local children who are currently struggling in school and, frankly, in life and I will fight for policy that increases the wellbeing of students to give them a space where they are known, safe, and loved for who they are.

3. What motivates you to serve on this board? I am motivated to serve on Tillamook School Board because this is my hometown and, while serving as a substitute teacher in 2024, I saw firsthand some of the struggles our students, educators, and staff are experiencing and believe I could be a champion for their needs and a voice for them on the school board to make sound, informed decisions that will improve the quality of life for everyone that has a touchpoint in Tillamook School District. We as a community need to remember that our schools are a community hub and to make positive improvements so that everyone feels welcome and has a voice.

4. What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member? For almost three years, I served as the editor of the Tillamook Headlight-Herald where I would need to be informed about issues and topics before writing and publishing articles. I am also capable of making tough decisions that can potentially frustrate or anger some of our community members because I did just that at various points at the newspaper with articles I wrote or published, while being able to stand firm and adequately defend my decisions with grace.

I also have plenty of front-facing experiences with the children in our community. Most recently, I served as a substitute teacher in every single building in Tillamook School District from Pre-K to high school in 2024 (with the only exception being Trask River High School). I have recent, relevant classroom experience that will be invaluable to making decisions on the school board.

I was raised by an incredible single-mother in this community, so it has instilled an outsized care for the positive development of children by adults who genuinely want nothing but the best for them.

5. What community activities/organizations have you been involved with? I have had the privilege of serving as an adult volunteer leader at Tillamook County Outdoor School for 17 years, where I interacted with every single local sixth grade student and dozens of extraordinary local high school counselors. Throughout every week of Outdoor School, I had the opportunity to teach these students about our natural resources while entertaining and, at times, inspiring them. Currently, I am a volunteer leader with Oregon Association of Student Councils summer leadership camp brainstorming and executing the week for high school leaders across the entire state of Oregon. I am a former volunteer counselor with American Cancer Society’s Camp Ukandu for children battling cancer and accompanied by their siblings or close friends. I also have experience acting with TAPA Community Playhouse and, years later, people still talk about the last role I had with TAPA… It’s a funny story.

6. Why should you be elected? I have been fortunate enough to have a very rich adult life, thanks to my incredible wife, and will bring a depth of experience that is difficult to match in many communities. Anybody who has interacted with me at any of the camps I have volunteered months of my life to will tell you I genuinely care about every individual whom I am in service to and will be an advocate and support to them. I have a journalist’s mind and am curious about topics and am fearless in asking tough questions or finding ways to distill complex information for those who aren’t as informed with the everyday workings of a school district. I want to help create policy that improves the lives of every person involved with Tillamook School District.

7. What differentiates you from the other candidates? The other candidate in my race said earlier this year that the school board would greatly benefit from a board member with classroom experience and I couldn’t agree more. This is something that separates me from my opponent. I have been in the schools and met almost every single student in the district and have built relationships with the educators, staff, and administrators in those buildings and will be able to listen to their needs and have empathy for the current state of Tillamook School District. The other candidate in my race was also recorded at a work session for board members where he let slip that the school district was going to close Wilson River High School before the district was able to release that information at the proper time with adequate sensitivity to the topic. I am someone who is aware of the power of maintaining confidentiality and will respect sensitive information – while at the newspaper, I would get information off the record and need to investigate further, while respecting the decision of those people.

 

8. What steps, if any, will you take to ensure full equality for marginalized demographics, such as immigrants, LGBTQ+ people in our community?

I had the profound experience of being bullied at several points during my elementary and junior high school career and now, as an adult, advocate and defend those with differences that may or may not appear obvious. Oregon’s Sanctuary Laws say, “Public schools in Oregon have a legal obligation to educate every child between the ages of 5 through 19 who has not completed the 12th grade, regardless of their actual or perceived immigration status or their parents’ immigration status.” There is absolutely no way I would ever challenge that as a school board member. I have friends who are DACA recipients – including my high school and college best friend. I will defend marginalized demographics in our community from real or perceived threats and will help steer the board toward policy to do just that. I will also help in the establishment of Tillamook School District’s Equity Committee, a requirement per Oregon law.

9. What issues do you believe the board/organization needs to address in its programs/offerings and community image? It’s never good to have critical news articles published about your school district in The Oregonian, OPB, or NPR and that’s exactly what happened with the book ban of “How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent”. The intense response to this ban resulted in the high school losing a Language Arts teacher and a vacancy that remains unfilled – because what English teacher would want to accept a job where they could receive so much blowback for an optional book in their classroom? A teacher who recently left Tillamook School District told me when she was considering accepting the job with Tillamook School District, one of her professors from Oregon State University warned her against ever accepting a job in Tillamook School District. We cannot have our reputation be so poor that our local universities are actively preventing teachers from accepting positions here. I will work with relevant district employees to clear the pipeline from every Oregon university with a College of Education to make Tillamook an attractive and viable option for their graduates.

Many in the community have raised concerns over the current school board’s handling of allegations from a majority of members from the Tillamook High School girls varsity basketball team towards the current coach and families of these athletes have so far been unsatisfied with the results provided by the school board.

Ultimately, the Tillamook School Board needs to vastly improve their communication abilities and transparency, both are skills I have with my years of journalism experience.

10. What changes would you recommend? I believe transparency and communication will do much to improve the school board’s perception in the community and help those not directly involved with the school district to feel informed and included. I would encourage policy that makes the district provide data and information on our schools available in plain language at regular intervals. Tillamook, as a community, needs to do more to make those new to our home – students, families, and educators – feel welcome here.

11. Any additional comments…. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at JordanForSchools@gmail.com or learn more at JordanForSchools.com

Also – if it isn’t obvious by now – I simply care.