Five myths about the Chalkboard Project
Myth #1: The Chalkboard Project takes a “top down” approach to education policy.
Wrong.
The proposals advocated by the Chalkboard Project stem from many community meetings all over the state, more than 50 focus groups, and extensive public opinion surveys. Chalkboard’s aim is to merge the public will of Oregonians with the latest research on best practices in education. All of the Chalkboard Project’s policy initiatives are rooted in research. That doesn’t mean the Chalkboard Project has all the answers. That means it helps try to find them.
One of the primary strategies of the Chalkboard Project is to pilot promising practices to see what works best. Innovations in education need local buy-in. That’s why the CLASS Projects in Sherwood, Tillamook and Forest Grove are working. Each pilot project is unique because it’s been designed locally.
Myth #2: The Chalkboard Project is all about “merit pay.”
Wrong.
One of Chalkboard’s most important endeavors is the CLASS Project, being piloted in Sherwood, Forest Grove and Tillamook. CLASS stands for Creative Leadership Achieves Student Success, and it creates expanded career paths for teachers and even classified staff. The new roles created by the CLASS Project offer the promise of more pay for school employees who take on new leadership roles. Each CLASS Project is being designed locally by teachers, local union leaders, administrators and school board members.
Some who are unfamiliar with the CLASS Project have assumed that it eliminates the seniority-based salary scale for teachers. That is not true. The CLASS Project does not eliminate the traditional salary scale that links teachers’ pay to their years of service and their level of higher education. For example in Sherwood’s CLASS Project creates a “skip step” model that simply allows a teacher to move up that traditional salary scale more quickly. These are details that staff and administrators negotiate together.
The Chalkboard Project firmly opposed Bill Sizemore’s “pay for performance” measure during the 2008 election. Read our statement.
Myth #3: The Chalkboard Project takes a “go it alone” approach to passing legislation.
Wrong.
Since the Chalkboard Project began in 2004, it has worked very hard to coordinate and consult closely with education stakeholders. In the last four years the Chalkboard team has met repeatedly with the educational establishment: COSA, OSBA, OEA, OSEA, OBA, AOI, OBC and Stand for Children. In fact, Chalkboard has identified 135 stakeholders to consult. They don’t always agree. But the Chalkboard Project is committed to that collaborative approach.
Open Books is another example of Chalkboard working with other organizations. It’s a website that allows for a quick, easy look at where your K–12 dollars go. This fall, Open Books will undergo a major expansion to synthesize more school district data: student achievement data, class size, census data, graduation rates, teacher experience and even more financial data than before. Although Open Books is funded by the Chalkboard Project, this web resource is a collaboration among many education groups and will remain so.
Myth #4: The Chalkboard Project is funded by the same people who back Bill Sizemore.
Wrong.
The Chalkboard Project and its parent organization, Foundations for a Better Oregon, are funded by 25 charitable foundations. The six leading funders are the Meyer Memorial Trust, the Oregon Community Foundation, the Collins Foundation, the Ford Family Foundation, the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, and the JELD-WEN Foundation. Representatives from all six foundations sit on the board of Foundations for a Better Oregon.
Some who are unfamiliar with the work of the JELD-WEN Foundation have assumed that it supports Bill Sizemore’s many political campaigns. That is not true. The JELD-WEN Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization. In addition to the Chalkboard Project, the JELD-WEN Foundation also supports the United Way, a college scholarship program and capital construction projects in local communities.
Myth #5: The Chalkboard Project is a front for Republicans.
Wrong.
But neither is it a front for Democrats. As a nonprofit, the Chalkboard Project is a nonpartisan organization. Its board, staff and lobby team include members of both major parties, along with independents.
One of the primary goals of the Chalkboard Project is to enhance financial accountability in K–12 schools. That has been seen as a “Republican” idea. But this is something the Chalkboard Project has heard loud and clear from a wide majority of Oregonians. Public opinion surveys have shown that Oregonians are more likely to favor higher spending for schools when they feel assured that their dollars are being spent wisely.
