Statesman Journal Editorial Board Candidate Questionnaire

Name: Edward L. Dodson

Home Address: 215 Kevin Way S.E.

Salem, Oregon 97306

Age (If your age will change before the May 17 election, please add your birth date: 70

Chemeketa board zone: Zone One

Phone numbers
Work: Retired

Home: 503.364.7654

Cell: 503.910.9892

PART I: CANDIDATE INFORMATION

How the public can reach your campaign (remember, this is for publication):
Mail address: 215 Kevin Way SE
Salem, Oregon 97306

Email Address: edanddonalda@comcast.net

Web site URL: I do not have a Web site.

Phone: 503.364.7654

Fax: No fax

Current occupation/employer (if any): Retired

Previous occupations/employers: Salem-Keizer School District (1967-2000)

Willamette Educational Service District (2001-05)

Colleges attended, graduation date:

Oregon College of Education, BS Degree, 1967

Oregon College of Education, MS Degree, 1970
Oregon State University, Counselor Certification, 1972
Portland State University, Administrative Certification, 1978

High Schools Attended, graduation date:

Lebanon Union High School, 1958
Family:
Wife- Donalda K. Dodson, 47 years of marriage
Son- Michael J. Dodson, middle school teacher
Daughters- Kirstin Dodson-Greene, home maker
Shannon Elkins, home maker
Meagen Dodson, Assistant Manager Baghdad Theater

How long have you lived in your Chemeketa zone?

29 years

Have you been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing

board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give
the details.
No

Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major accounts, or
been sued personally or professionally? Is so, give the details.
No

Please list your experience in public and private teaching, administration, boards and
committees (please be specific):
Junior High Teacher and Counselor at Judson Junior High School,1967 to 1977
Liberty Elementary Principal, 1978-1982
Waldo Middle School Principal, 1982-1984
Salem-Keizer Central Administration, 1984-1998
North Salem High School Curriculum Asst. Principal, 1998-1999
Walker Middle School Principal, 2000-2001
WESD, Manager of the Polk County Mid-Willamette Education Consortium,
2001-2006
Principal at Lord High School, 2006-2007
Willamette Education Service District Board, 2007-2010

Other educational organizations you are in or have been involved in, and any offices held:
National Elementary Principals Association, 1978 to 1982
National Secondary Principals Association, 1982 to 1998
Chemeketa Community College Board of Education, 1999 to Current
Oregon Community College Association Board, 1999 to Current
Oregon School Board Association, 1999 to Current
E3 Enterprise Board for Employment and Education, 2005-2007
Oregon Community College Association Executive Board, 1999-2011
OCCA Vice Chair, 2009-11 and will be the Chair for 2011-2012
Mid-Willamette Education Consortium, 2007 to Current

Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when:
None

Civic, community and cultural organizations you are, or have been involved in and any offices
held (include service clubs, chamber of commerce, church/religious organizations,
neighborhood associations, non-profits, unions, etc):
We have participated in the neighborhood associations in each of the communities in
which we have lived in Salem, helping to setup neighborhood watches, block parties
block home locations. I have been a deacon in my church, have served as the
financial secretary, chaired the budget committee, and chaired the stewardship
committee. I currently serve on the stewardship commission, property commission and
the contribution counting team.

I have served on numerous medical fund raising teams working to fund cancer,
diabetes, and multiple sclerosis research.

I have served as a little league coach for each of my four children, coaching three
years of baseball and nine years of softball.

I have served as a volunteer coach for the Chemeketa Storm Softball team for eleven
years.

What is the largest budget that you have handled?

During my years with the Salem-Keizer School District, I managed budgets for
Curriculum, Data Services, Library Media Services and Bilingual programs that
were several million dollars.

How much will your campaign cost?

Beyond the filing fees with the Election Board and voters pamphlet, I will not spend
anything on the campaign other than my time and gasoline.

How much time will you spend on board duties each week?
I currently spend anywhere from ten to twenty hours a week on board related work
and would not expect that to change if reelected.

How many Chemeketa Board meetings have you attended in the past year?
I have attended every board meeting in the past eleven and one-half years with the
exception of two that I missed because of vacations and three that I missed this year ,
while being treated for prostate cancer at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda,
California.

What publications do you regularly read to keep up on news and on education issues
(magazines, journals, newspapers, Web sites, etc.)?
On a daily basis, I read articles carried on the OSBA Web site, the OCCA Web
site, and the Chemeketa CC Web site, the Statesman Journal, Statesman Online, and
the Oregonian. On a weekly and monthly basis I read the “ACCT Trustee Quarterly”
and “American School Board Journal”.

As a member of the OCCA Executive Council, I have attended all K-12 State Board of
Education meetings for the past two years.

What social-media applications do you regularly use?

I have not yet joined the social-media world. The negative issues related to
social-media are enough to keep me using the more traditional forms of media for my
 information sources.

Please help us understand your connections to Chemeketa. In responding to the following

questions, if your answer is “yes” please give details.
● Have you or any family member attended Chemeketa? Yes, my son attended
Chemeketa. My younger brother also attended Chemeketa and received an Associate
Degree. My personal association with Chemeketa began while I worked for the Salem
Keizer School District. I was the Salem-Keizer representative in College Credit Now and
Karl Perkins program planning and implementation. My wife, Donalda served on the
nursing advisor committee when the nursing program was established at Chemeketa.

● Have you or any family member ever worked for Chemeketa? No

● Have you, or any company or organization in which you were involved, been a supplier or
contractor for Chemeketa? No

Part II: EDUCATION ISSUES. Please limit your response for each question to about 75
words.
1. Why are you running for the Chemeketa board? I am currently completing my 12th year on
the Chemeketa Board. I want to participate in the completion of the building program that
results from the passage of the levy earlier in this term. I also am very interested in helping
to implement the 40-40-20 educational and legislative goals for Oregon students. Finally, I
want to help build a focus on Professional Technical Education that will result in an
appropriate number of workers being trained in these areas to serve in the workforce of this
community and Oregon.
2. What strengths or assets would you bring to serving on the Chemeketa board? My knowledge
of working in the Salem-Keizer School District and the Polk County Professional Technical
Consortium helps give me an understanding of the students and schools being served by
Chemeketa. My participation on the Mid-Willamette Educational Consortium continues to
keep me current with Karl Perkins and Professional -Technical issues and needs.
3. What do you see as the strengths of the current Chemeketa board? The greatest strength can
be found in it being a group of community members who are committed to serving the
workforce development and educational needs of this community. The variety of
backgrounds, interests and areas of employment add to that strength of the Chemeketa board.
4. What do you see as the weaknesses of the current Chemeketa board? I think the greatest
weaknesses of the Chemeketa board rest in the lack of gender balance and lack of minority,
ethnicity and communities of color balance.
5. What do you see as your role on the Chemeketa board? My role on the Chemeketa board is to
join other board members in hiring and evaluating the president, participating in budget
development, monitoring expenditures, approving program development in the areas of
workforce development and educational transfers, participating in facilities and program
planning, and seeking out and meeting the needs of the local communities served by
Chemeketa. As board members, we also represent Chemeketa at many community events.
6. What changes would you like to see at Chemeketa? I would like to see the development of
programs in the performing arts. Chemeketa could benefit from the strength of the current
Salem-Keizer music programs. These students currently have to go to another community
college if they wish to continue in area of music.
 I would like to see a Professional-Technical High School that would serve the students of the
Chemeketa region to provide in the development of skills that lead to a workforce of nurses,
plumbers, electricians, welders, contractors and builders, etc. that will be needed in the
future.

7. If you could implement one innovative idea at Chemeketa, what would it be? Every student in
the Chemeketa region would have a transition plan that assisted them in having sufficient
planning to successfully participate in programs that resulted in their being successful. Too
many students continue to have little to no help as they plan for what follows high school.
Increasing mentors with a focus on success and the future could greatly benefit these
students.

8. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected to the Chemeketa board?

A. Tuition reduction-For the past several years the reduction of state funding and the
increasing of tuition has resulted in these two areas becoming almost equal. This has
greatly extended the time it takes some students to complete their degree. I would like to
see tuition reduced in future years.
B. Development of adequate Professional-Technical skills for the Chemeketa region. The
age of the current workforce in most professional-technical areas is in the late fifties or
early sixties. Many of these workers would have retired before now if it weren't for the
current economy of Oregon and the country. An improved economy will result in a lack
of workers in the many professional-technical areas. A joint effort by Chemeketa, region
high schools and region Chamber of Commerce groups could help to resolve this issue.
This might also include looking at serving our students in a PreK-10, 11-14 and 15-18
divisions to more systematically manage the transitions for students going on to college and
those going into professional-technical training and careers.
C. Continued effort needs to be given to the improvement of access and affordability for all
students in the development of skills and abilities as they move into the adult phase of
their lives. The 40-40-20 plan can only be accomplished with increased focus on making
sure that culture, race, gender, poverty, etc. do not keep students from being successful.
It can only be accomplished if all high schools, community colleges and universities
are committed to the plan.