City & Government

Candidate Column: Pam Duffy for South Lane School Board

My name is Pam Duffy. I am running for the South Lane School Board Position 2. I am a Federal retiree having worked for the US Secret Service and the Federal Office of Workers’ Compensation. I moved to Cottage Grove in 2003. I was involved in a grade school/middle school mentoring program in Seattle for seven years. Upon moving here, I mentored at London Elementary for two years, but stopped to care for my mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As a new member on the Board, I will have a great deal to learn and the federal/state governments dictate much of what the school district can do. My mantra is students come first! I am running on four platforms: 1) to increase math and reading proficiency ratings and graduation rates. Scores in the 2021 school year are math proficiency 38% and reading 53%. For 2017-2018, math was 35-39% and reading 75-79%. In 2020, the graduation rate was 77%. Some of these numbers are below the state averages; 2) More CTE (Career & Technical Education) programs need to be available. Not every student’s career path demands a four-year college degree. How can local businesses participate; 3) There are programs, such as Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Critical Race Theory, that I am adamantly against and parents need to be aware of. K–12 Comprehensive Sexuality Education is designed to change traditional sexual and gender norms of society and controversial behaviors are taught to minors, including details of anal and oral sex, mutual masturbation, and gender options. Minors are told they have a RIGHT to have sex early and often. Next is Critical Race Theory. This program teaches children the evils of being white. Critical Race Training requires the public profession of one’s racial and sexual identities. Students are then labeled as either “oppressors” or “oppressed”; and 4) I would like to see more parent participation in the Board meetings as parents are not particularly involved. Is this because Board meetings are held at 5:30 PM? Would going back to 7:00 PM meetings make a difference? If you have any questions or concerns, you may reach me at [email protected]

Thank you. 

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