[LCSD] Interesting Letter to the Editor

From Sunday's DH:

I am writing in response to all of the articles that are currently in the paper regarding PIE and the Lebanon School District.

As an employee of Sand Ridge Charter School (which is operated by PIE) in the Lebanon School District (I hold a valid Oregon teaching license and have a master’s degree in education from Willamette University), I find all of this wrangling confusing. Somewhere we got lost in the stuff and forgot that really what schools are about is educating our children.

Why isn’t anyone asking how Sand Ridge is doing on this front? Are we getting the job done? Are we doing an adequate job, or are we doing an exceptional job?

...

The point I hope to make here is there are problems that are being fought out in the media amongst the higher powers, but down here in the trenches there are some very qualified teachers doing an exceptional job of educating tomorrow’s leaders. Isn’t that what schools are supposed to be about?

Naomi Villmann
Jefferson

Yes.

But it also misses the point: If the contract PIE is operating under is being violated, if PIE is mixing funds it shouldn't, if PIE is failing to complete the administrative tasks it needs to, then PIE is putting all that good work being done at Sand Ridge at risk.

I don't think anyone (especially Robinson, frankly) is losing sight of the classroom here, and while Ms. Villman's letter seems sincere, when I see the "what about the children?" claim thrown out as an argument for ignoring what PIE (not to be confused with Sand Ridge) is doing, I have to wonder: Does the person advancing the argument really think that no one is thinking about the classroom, or is the person advancing the argument in order to draw attention away from the problems created by Jay Jackson or Rick Alexander?