As the Oregon Education Association prepares to make its crucial endorsement next week in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, WWire has learned candidate Jeff Merkley privately submitted an application in 2004 for his own child to enroll in a charter school.
While such an event in a candidate’s role as a parent four years ago may not seem significant, it deals with one of the most contentious issues facing the statewide teachers union. A spokesman for the Merkley campaign, Matt Canter, did not deny Merkley and his wife Mary Sorteberg submitted a charter school application on behalf of their son. But he said questions about a candidate’s child represent “the worst kind of politics.”
The OEA says it doesn’t oppose the concept of charter schools. But its actions in Salem tell a different story.
In 1999, the powerful labor group fought against Senate Bill 100, the law that allowed for the creation of charter schools in Oregon. Back then the group wanted stricter rules in place to govern charter schools, whose teachers are not required to unionize.
For almost a decade the OEA has expressed reservations about the current state of Oregon’s public charter schools, independently run but publicly funded schools that are required to have only 50 percent of their teachers licensed by the state. As recently as 2007, the OEA tried to force charter schools to employ only licensed teachers, a move charter-school advocates strongly opposed and eventually killed. The 2007 measure, Senate Bill 621, did not make it out of committee.
News that Merkley, then the House Minority Leader, wanted to get his elementary-school-age son Jonathan into a charter school comes from Rob Kremer, a leading charter school supporter who saw Merkley’s application to the Arthur Academy, a Portland-based charter school that was to have opened in fall 2004 but was delayed until 2005. (Because of that delay, none of the original applications, including Merkley’s, were processed, according to Kremer.)
“I was pleasantly surprised that the House Minority leader was interested in enrolling his kid in a charter school, given that he had voted against charter schools at every opportunity,” Kremer says.
Jeff Merkley, who opposed SB 100 in 1999, is now speaker of the House. Canter, Merkley’s campaign spokesman, defends Merkley’s education record in the Legislature.
“At some point, Jeff’s wife had heard about the school and, like any parent, they decided to just check it out,” Canter says. “But they never seriously considered sending their son there. Jeff has received a 100 percent rating for the last session from the OEA. He has met face to face with many members across the state to talk about what he has done to raise funding for public schools, to expand Head Start and what his plans will be to completely overhaul No Child Left Behind and put control in the hands of teachers. And from what we’ve heard from teachers — and we speak to them every single day on this campaign — those issues will matter a great deal more.”
Laurie Wimmer Whelan, a lobbyist for the OEA, says she’s not sure how the OEA’s membership will view Merkley’s decision. But she also says she thinks teachers can separate Merkley’s public record from his private actions. “I think they would look at his entire record, and he’s been a passionate advocate for public education,” Wimmer Whelan says.
Representatives of the union meet March 7 to consider the group’s recommendation.
The OEA endorsement is big in a Democratic primary. The union commands 2.5 percent of registered voters and can bring large donations to a race.
“Public school teachers appreciate that Jeff has real perspective about the state of our public schools and can bring that real perspective to the U.S. Senate,” Canter says. “Too many senators like Gordon Smith don’t have that kind of perspective.”
The group represents 48,000 professionals, including public school teachers, counselors, instructional aides and bus drivers.
“We do believe because we represent the voice of public education in Oregon that our endorsement means a great deal,” says Becca Uherbelau, a spokeswoman for the union. “The voter turnout of our members alone can make a difference in a close election.”
Merkley has collected most of the union endorsements so far for the May 20 primary. Among them:
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
Oregon AFSCME Council 75
Oregon AFL-CIO
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 97
Oregon State Association of Electrical Workers
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48
American Federation of Teachers-Oregon
Exterior & Interior Specialists Local 2154 (dual endorsement)
American Nurses Association
Oregon Nurses Association
Opponent Steve Novick’s union endorsements so far include:
Communications Workers of America, Local 7901
Exterior & Interior Specialists, Local 2154 (dual endorsement)
- Charter-gate: Here’s the Beef Much has
- Bend Bulletin Editorial on Charter-gate The Bulle
- Followup: Ed Board Stiff-Arms Online Charter School A couple
- Education Showdown: Online Charter School and State Ed Department Will Square Off A long-run
- U.S. Senate Candidate Jeff Merkley and Oregon’s Thorny Tradition of Nepotism U.S. Sena
Really? Doesn’t this violate some type of confidentiality that students should have or certainly would have if they were in public schools? Shame on you, Rob Kremer, shame on you.
Here’s the thing about this – there’s no evidence here. It’s just the word of the extreme right-winger Rob Kremer that Beth has swallowed hook, line and sinker without even questioning it.
Why would she do that?
What motive might she have for regurgitating a right-wing smear?
Why would she assist a right-wing hatchet-job without any evidence to back it up?
Is this what passes for "journalism" at Willamette Week now?
And while we’re asking questions, why do you suppose all those Novick supporters and Republicans down-thread are all singing the same exact tune?
Kevin, if your mother told you she loved you, I would question that. Kremer told me something. I asked the Merkley campaign. His spokesman confirmed it. Funny how that works.
Anyway, once again your thoughts are being clouded by the quiet shushing sounds of the rain sticks. I can’t blame you; those things really are spectacular!
You call this a right-wing smear. By doing so, though, you’re the one giving weight to the idea that Merkley’s charter school interest is anything other than what his spokesman described. I say that makes you part of the vast right-wing smear campaign.
Welcome!
Beth…I am not sure how to comment on this romantic thing going on between you and Kev: you’ve responded to him twice with bizarre references to "rain sticks"? And a line about his mother. That’s just a little undignified and surprisingly petty for a journalist — why bother?
I think this interest in an application to a charter school by Merkley is what Merkley’s spokesman described (you were nice enough to quote him): the worst kind of politics. Can we expect to see articles by you soon "investigating" the personal lives of Steve Novick and Gordon Smith?
Here’s an idea: ask Gordon Smith for a copy of each of his tax returns since he began voting for all of George Bush’s tax cuts in 2001. Then have an accountant estimate how much Gordon Smith would have paid without Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy, and arrive at how much his votes gained him (I suspect the figures would be shocking to most Oregonians, probably because Smith puts more into his own pockets each year in tax savings from the Bush tax cuts than the average Oregonian earns in a year.
On the scale of things, I’m more concerned about Smith’s support of Bush’s rehashed trickle down economics than I am about Jeff Merkley’s kid. They’ve doubled the national debt, emptied out the Social Security Trust Fund, and alienated allies around the world with their pre-emptive, go it alone foreign incursions. As the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard all told us recently in a joint report on 21st Century seapower: trust and cooperation cannot be surged.
I find it hard to compare these policy mistakes with this allegation about Merkley (if I’m reading the article right…he didn’t actually send his child to a charter school, so what is the big deal?).
I think the comment by Father John-Mark Gilhousen (see comment #6) is spot on. Merkley and others want higher standards and better oversight of charter schools that receive public funding. I agree. I am one part of the public, and Merkley’s stance represents my own. I understand that the state of California plans its budget for the building and maintenance of prisons years out based on the reading scores of third graders. We, the public, have an interest in seeing that any publicly-funded school has high standards, excellent teachers (preferably certified), and successful students. Otherwise, we pay the cost down the road.
Beth — this is the third pseudo-story WW has run slamming Merkley since he began running for Senate. It’s no secret your paper favors Novick: you provided him with a free platform to announce his campaign with a featured cover story and pages of ink on the inside in Novick’s own words. I’ve not seen a word of criticism of Novick in WW. Do you think your paper’s giving Merkley a fair shake?
Mr. Zusman: how about letting Merkley have the same chance to present himself in your pages you gave to Novick? Or is fairness a thing of the past at Willamette Week?
You have some good ideas, IWMCBAIWIN, even if you lack a sense of humor.
What I find undignified is sockpuppetry.
Beth…what’s with the obscure references to rain sticks and "sockpuppetry"? Maybe somebody knows what you’re talking about or referring to, but I don’t.
Okay, I read down to the bottom. I’m not familiar with the term sockpuppetry cause I haven’t done this before. Let ‘em know, Beth, the posts here from me and my home computer are the only posts I’ve submitted, under one posting name. I am not a teacher; I don’t belong to a union; I’m only a member of the coalition of the unwilling.
You offer no defense of WWs treatment of Merkley since he began running for the U.S. Senate. No answer is an answer. Where’s Zusman?
There is a place for humor — and I have a sense of humor; it’s not the same as yours I’m afraid. I don’t find much humor in the exhaustion of our treasury to conduct an oil war. I know from personal experience what losing a loved one to war is like (in Vietnam). I didn’t laugh when Bush quipped that the haves and the have mores are his base. And I am not amused when you go after somebody’s kid.
This country has been terribly misled into an unending, costly fiasco since the Supreme Court awarded the White House to Bush. Smith was Bush’s campaign chair in Oregon in 2000 and 2004 (he was a "presidential ranger" in 2004 for raising more than $200,000 for Bush). He votes for Bush’s agenda at least 90% of the time.
That makes this U.S. Senate race in Oregon serious. Our Supreme Court hangs in the balance. McCain wants to stay in Iraq another 50 years. And Smith is in denial about global warming.
We have two strong candidates to replace Smith. It’s time WW gave one of them a fair shot at being heard.
I agree with Frank, and would go one step farther by saying that Rob Kremer’s actions seem to violate the spirit of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects information about students and educational records.
That being said, there’s nothing here for Jeff Merkley, the OEA, or public school advocates to feel ashamed about. In the 2007 session, Jeff led the legislature to increase public K-12 budgets by 18%. I don’t see how you can honestly call into question his commitment to and championing of Oregon’s public education system–he has been beyond reproach on this issue.
This could be akin to WW accusing Steve Novick, who sued the Oregon Lottery for its overpayments to dealers of playing Megabucks. But it’s worse–WW is calling into question the parenting skills of a committed family, which is just beyond the pale.
Too bad this is par for the course for Beth Slovic.
I agree that Kremer had absolutely no business divulging that information, especially since he longer has any affiliation with Arthur Academy. His divulging that information for his own policial gain is outrageous! Even if it falls outside of FERPA, it’s certainly unethical!
One question for the OEA lobbyist, though: How is Merkley’s exploration of sending his child to a charter school contrary to his being a "passionate advocate for public education?" Charter schools are, after all, public schools!
Unfortunately this really is par for the course for Beth Slovic and indeed for Willy Weak as a whole. Toss out salacious, jaded inuendo and then backtrack under the disguise of journalistic integrity as if integrity had anything to do with any of it.
The stunningly obvious aside, Rob Kremer’s actions underscore why good legislators like Jeff Merkley so strongly support our public schools.
Oh hey, Kevin. How are the rain sticks?
I’m on the staff of a charter school in the valley. I can tell you there is nothing private about this kind of information. Our school district makes us give them a list of all applications so they know which kids are going to be at our school.
We worried that they would use the list to try to dissuade the parents from attending. It is public information, they said.
I find it funny that you would attack Kremer and just brush off Merkely’s private hypocrisy.
It is neither hypocritical nor even inconsistent for Jeff Merkley to seek to enroll his son in a charter school under existing law while simultaneously seeking to pass legislation for higher standards and better oversight of those schools. The timing of this non-story is telling. If Willamette Week wishes to influence the OEA’s endorsement process, an editorial rather than a pseudo-news story would be a more appropriate vehicle.
I tend to support the choice of charter schools, so Merkley’s dabbling with the idea doesn’t bother me. There’s no crime here, so why the cover-up? Matt Canter’s attempt at damage control is an insult: "But they never seriously considered sending their son there." Why can’t politicians just tell us the truth?
I am also unimpressed with the excuse that the Merkleys tried to get their son into a charter school "under existing law while simultaneously seeking to pass legislation" to change them. This reminds me of the beginning of the Speaker’s senate campaign when he employed robo-calls after voting to ban them. When Merkley hangs his hat on reasoning such as this, the law has yet to go in effect… politicians as usual.
Actually, Merkley’s hypocrisy is voting against providing a charter school option to other parents, and then taking advantage of it himself. He is a total loser.
The idea that where a child attends school is "private" is hilarious. Ever read the Oregonian sports page? Or do students abdicate their "privacy rights" if they sign up to play basketball? What about when they enter a science fair or join DECA?
Merkley is guilty as charged on this one.
Boy is this a lesson in hypoocricy. Among other not so admirable things.
"The OEA says it doesn
Hmmm.. Jeff supports education and working people. He believes public charter schools should be accountable.
And he wants the best educational opportunities for his child. Sounds like a nice man. This is a story?
If so, it’s nice to get some good news.
best regards, Tim Flanagan
~~writer,editor,teacher,union-activist
(PCCFF/AFT/AFL-CIO/local 2277)
"Laurie Wimmer Whelan, a lobbyist for the OEA, says she’s not sure how the OEA’s membership will view Merkley’s decision. But she also says she thinks teachers can separate Merkley’s public record from his private actions."
———–
Laurie Whalen sounds like she is talking about Bill Clinton or Bob Packwood: "Come on, folks! Sex with an intern in the Oval Office, or a quick grope? No biggie. Teachers can separate his public record from his private actions."
Timothy,
No actually the story is that Merkley is opposed to "working people" actually having a choice in the education of THEIR children while he (Merkley) wants to take full advantage of all possible options.
That’s hypocrisy.
Like voting to support the Iraq war while opposing it.
Nothing new here, typical Democrat hypocrisy…move along now.
yip yip
http://www.nwrepublican.blogspot.com
So let me get this straight . . . this was in 2004, and it’s coming to light now? Who cares, #1? #2, who cares? I’d sure like to see anyone on this blog, or out there in voter-land, to have to live down anything they’ve done in their entire life just to satisfy a few special interest groups who will rail against you for those actions.
I don’t know enough about Jeff’s support (or lack of support) for Charter Schools, or his application for his son. But geez folks, this was four years ago. And I have to agree with some that getting into the candidate’s kids’ situations is really beyond sleeze.
Jeff supports government education and public employees.
He believes public charter schools should be obstructed and harassed by the teacher’s unions.
Yet he finds the best educational opportunities for his child at a Public charter school.
Sounds like a hypocrite to me.
Tim, did you watch that video?
It’s a proud display of your union hierarchy and their concern for children and education excellence.
Perhaps, if given the chance you would emulate those union reps in the video?
The other Don,
No you don’t know enough.
You also don’t know what sleeze is.
Watch this video and learn that sleeze has a union label on it.
Drew Carey Project: Education Revolt in Watts
reason.tv/video/show/60.html
Anyone, inculding Jeff, who tries to characterize what the teacher’s unions have been doing to the charter school movement as merely "holding them accountable" is beyond sleeze.
The unified effort by teacher’s unions to hide child abusers by "passing the trash" teachers who offend to new schools and to shut out any challenges to failed schools makes then exactly what this video prooves they are.
Never have I seen such a display of anti-education, anti-children, anti-teacher sleeze than by the union reps in this video.
Shame on you Tim for your Unions.
Do as I say, not as I do liberalism. Pathetic!
I agree with Don T, it sounds like the hypocrite apologists on this board are OEA plants.
This is the Willamette Sleazely’s third attempt now to Swift Boat Jeff Merkley — it’s getting tiresome.
First they interviewed as many tenants of buildings Merkley owns to find one or two disgruntled whiners — unhappy that the rental management company hired by the busy Merkley didn’t fix everything immediately to their satisfaction — and tried to paint Merkley as some uncaring slum lord. Of course, he’s been a great advocate for affordable housing in Oregon, and used to lead Habitat for Humanity (Swift Boat #1).
Then the Sleazely and Nigel Jacquiss opined that Merkley was awol on mortage reform, and misrepresented Gordon Smith’s efforts on the behalf of the private mortgage insurance industry. Merkley has been a strong advocate of helping working class folks get into a house without getting screwed — he helped create IDAs in Portland. He just passed a mortgage reform bill in Salem by going across the aisle, in the face of heated lobbying by the mortgage industry, and getting three Republican votes. Jacquiss and the Sleazely tried to paint Gordon Smith as the saint, when in fact his legislation to make private mortgage insurance tax deductible arose at the behest of the insurers themselves, who were losing market share and profits (any possibility that Gordon Smith’s former chief of staff from 1996 to 2002, Kurt Pfotenhauer, who then spent six years as a senior vice president of the Mortgage Bankers Association, influenced that policy?). Swift Boat #2.
Now Rob Kremer and charter schools, and digging into the most personal and difficult decisions parents have to make. Every child is an unique individual, and parents struggle to make the right decision, and place that child in an educational environment that matches their needs. That appears to be all Merkley did. Is Beth Slovic familiar with the unique personality and educational needs of Merkley’s own kid? Why do we need to go there? At the same time, without question, Merkley has compiled a stellar record of support for public schools in Oregon. You can dismiss his personal bio if your jaded and cynical — but how about a reality check. He came from a working class family in southern Oregon, then attended David Douglas High in Portland when work dried up there and the family moved. His father didn’t go to college. Merkley is where he is because of the educational opportunities afforded to him — and it appears, thankfully, that he hasn’t forgotten that, and does all he can to make those same opportunities available to any child in Oregon. Swift Boat #3.
Didn’t this same paper give Steve Novick a cover feature, extended article in his own words? Perhaps they should make the same deal to Merkley, and let Merkley have a cover feature with photos, and several pages inside to lay out who he is and why he’s running against Gordon Smith. Instead of this sophomoric, sloppy journalism, we’d at least get a fair shot of hearing what Merkley is all about. How about it Mark Zusman? Have you got the guts? I’d like an answer right here, please.
Somewhere back in DC, riding around in his collection of Ferraris, in his French designer suits, with his million dollar golf clubs, and his $4.4 million in campaign cash in the bank, Gordon Smith must be laughing his head off at Portland’s "progressive" newspaper.
To: "I want my country back" Thank you. I agree with you 1,000 percent. I’m sick and tired of WW’s slamming Jeff Merkley too.
WW is so in love with Novick they’re willing to let Gordon Smith win another election. Pathetic.
I want my country back, I just have to say that was a great post. And I second your demand for an anwser from ww.
You want your country back?
No you want your country run just like Portland. Run like the teacher’s Union.
They wrote the book on sleaze.
I doubt the WW did anything but take the call on this Merkley Charter school application story and went with it.
You hypocrites get your panties in a twist and spew out the absurdities.
Your ridiculous and sleazy use of "Swift Boat Jeff Merkley" is more clowning around. No more.
One thing prominent in the comments deriding the WW and Kremer is the thick air arrogance.
"Tiresome" you say? Oh gee how dare anyone question the anointed Democrat leadership.
I’m working class folk and so are the countless parents and students who can’t get the education they need and want because of the Merckleys bowing to the unions. The bought and paid for Merckleys with union money and deal making.
The Oregon mortgage bill is a joke, useless and a waste of time.
One of many reason the special session was not so special.
Now you try and spin this simple story about Merckleys hypocrisy as "digging into the most personal and difficult decisions parents have to make"
Say what?
Thank you for pointing out another gargantuan hypocrisy by your teacher union politicians.
Your exaggeration of a parents pursuit of the right school as "the most personal and difficult decision" is beyond silly but you might consider the couintless other parents who have tried over the years to choose a different school and make other decisions in the best interest of their children.
Only to have your Merckley/OEA regime reject their concerns. The cold blooded obstruction and domination of parents and students by this regime over the years has been relentless. And as this story reveals, exceedingly hypocritical.
Given this reality your arrogance in lecturing us on basic parent’s concerns for their children is sickening.
No one is criticizing Merkley for doing what he did for his child. No one.
The criticism emanates from Merckley’s politics involving alliances with the teachers union which results in countless other parents not being allowed that same opportunity Merckley chose for his child.
What’s important here is not the unique personality and educational needs of Merkley’s own kid. But rather the educational needs of all Oregon children.
Something which Merckley and his OEA regime subordinate to their own interests. Year in year out.
Merkley’s record is that which champions the union interests while opposing the very charter schools he found best for his child.
And make no mistake about it the union and Merckley led legislature’s attack on chart schools continues.
So how about that reality check?
Right now forces work to curb the choices of parents as Merckley and the OEA attack online charter schools, pile on more restrictions for other charter schools and continue to coral our children into government/union schools with horrific track records.
Teacher predators are being secretly passed to new schools. What is more sleazy than that.
It’s swell that Jeff came from a working class family and all, but that’s not even close to being relevant.
What’s the point in all of that bio warmth?
I could write that about any of the countless parents denied their needs by your establishment Jeff is part of.
What’s relevant is Jeff’s recognition that our Public Charter Schools are such a success that his own child fits well.
Welcome aboard Jeff.
Now get to work so that more educational opportunities can be afforded to the rest of Oregon parents and students.
Opportunities that may require the same choices you found.
Too bad some here are AGAIN placing politics, elections and power ahead of education.
Theresa, there’s some union reps making some demands in that video.
Check it out.
It’s stunning.
Drew Carey Project: Education Revolt in Watts
reason.tv/video/show/60.html
Don T. — Ever heard of something grammar teachers call a "paragraph"? It might help focus your scattered and incoherent ranting. You know, thesis statements and supporting evidence, that sort of thing.
As for your obsessive hate of the OEA — there is counseling available.
My post concerns WW’s bias against Jeff Merkley. Three articles slamming him. Full cover story in Novick’s own words. (Has anyone seen one word of criticism of Novick in WW?) Sloppy misrepresentation of Gordon Smith’s record. Care to argue that Merkley is getting fair treatment in this paper?
It’s obvious, no matter what your schoolin’, that Novick is going to be endorsed by WW for the May 20 primary, and this series of articles is an attempt build a case for that endorsement. It’s a shoddy case built on shallow, "gotcha" journalism and innuendo.
The policy differences between Merkley and Novick are minor, at best. Compared to Gordon Smith, both are infinitely better men to represent Oregon in the U.S. Senate. For his part, Merkley’s public statements on Novick are polite and complimentary; he’s not pulling any negative crap.
That just makes WW’s cheap shots all the more disappointing. They serve many readers in the metro Portland area, largely Democratic. This is the most important race in Oregon this year — our opportunity to dispatch a major Bush supporter from the U.S. Senate. I think readers of WW deserve better journalism than they’re getting, and I stick with my challenge to the editor, Mark Zusman, to address this biased coverage of the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and give Jeff Merkley a fair hearing.
I want my country back, and I want it now,
Who needs counceling.
Who has obsessive hate?
Who takes cheap shots?
You’re as big a hypocrite as Jeff.
"t’s obvious, no matter what your schoolin’, that Novick is going to be endorsed by WW for the May 20 primary…
Regardless, it doesn’t change the fact Merkley is a water carrier for the OEA. Why shouldn’t it be known that he proverbially stabbed them in the back by trying to enroll his child in a much OEA-vilified charter school?
You’re faulting WW for actually reporting something? Sounds like sour grapes.
Alas, it’s not surprising the First Amendment isn’t taken seriously by you shrill Democrats.
And what’s more "obsessive" than Democrats working for the teacher’s unions?
Even when they keep secret, child predator teachers.
As I said up thread, Merckley and the OEA continue to attack charter schools even after he clearly recognizes their worthiness with is own child’s application.
The Democrats with their relentless enabling of the OEA have done tremendous damage to Public Education. All the while perpetrating the charade of being champions for kids and schools.
Being called a hypocrite is the least offensive name I would apply.
Back to the election. Our Democrats around here think that having our country run like the City of Portland is an act of taking our county back from wherever they have imagined Bush has taken it.
I must be living in la-la land. I can’t remember a time recently where there has been such negative commenting about some extremely forthright and positive political figures. Do any of you even know what it’s like in other states (or countries), with dishonest politicians? We should thank our lucky stars we have decent people willing to put their lives on hold to serve our state.
The slamming articles on Merkley (and Dozono, by the way) do clearly point to endorsements the other way from Willamette Week. But regardless of that, Willamette Week has lost most of its steam to the Portland Tribune. Frankly, most people don’t pay much attention to Willamette Week now-days. I’d say, actually, that the Mercury probably has better readership, and actually has the audience and the tone that Willamette Week has long since lost.
Willamette Week clearly wants Gordon Smith for six more years in the Senate. And they’re going to do whatever they can to make sure that happens. It makes me embarassed to come from a journalism background, to see such one-sided reporting. But then, I can always just read the other papers (or websites).
Lots of sock puppets here.
Beth, please exposure how many different aliases here are using the same IP address. (Don’t publish the IPs, just let us know who is using the same computer. I bet they come from Salem’s OEA office. Probably the same public employee on company ie taxpayer time.)
Merkley’s charter-school applications (for not just his son, but his daughter as well) are now available online here:
http://wweek.com/wwire/?p=10940