Salem-News.com Schools articles

Recognizing Child Molesters: a New Approach to Protecting Children

Abuse survivors are warned that the presentation includes video-taped interviews with sex offenders.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The public is invited to a community training Thursday, October 15th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., about preventing child sex abuse.

The training will be held at Houck Middle School, located at 1155 Connecticut SE, Salem. Topics will include warning signs of sex abuse, responding to sex-abuse disclosures and reporting sex abuse. Admission is free.

Back to School Means Packing a Safe Lunch

Keeping lunches safe is every bit as important as making them tasty.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Whether it comes in this year's popular Hannah Montana lunch bag, Batman lunch box, or a brown paper sack, the meal you send to school with your child must be packed with care and consideration.

Kids will be back in school next week, and the Oregon Department of Agriculture has some helpful hints on how to make that home-packed lunch as safe as possible.

Salem-Keizer Educators Voice Concern with Request for Contract Talks

Education Association calls the request premature.

(SALEM, Ore.) - On Friday, February 6, 2009, the Salem-Keizer Education Association (SKEA) received notice from the district of a request to reopen the current contract that may impact working conditions for nearly 2,400 licensed educators in the Salem-Keizer school district.

“We think this request is premature,” said SKEA President Jane Killefer.

An Argument for Prohibiting Fingerprinting or Bar-Coding of Students for Lunch Participation

How much further must we go before somebody, somewhere puts the foot down and says “NO.” This legislation would “just say no” to friendly fascism.

(SALEM, Ore.) - An Oregonian named Ed Johnston has drafted a letter for the Oregon Legislature highlighting serious concerns over fingerprinting and bar-coding of students for school lunch purposes.

A group called Cascade Consulting has already managed to sell this concept to Bend, Oregon schools. Johnston says it is a serious violation of Civil Rights, and he plans to pursue to matter until it is changed and that change is reflected in Oregon's laws.

Johnston says we have lost our art and music classes, our wood and metal shop classes, our auto mechanic classes, and our home economics classes. If we have the money for this totalitarian business, we can easily find better uses for it.

Vernonia Schools Prepare for the Worst

School officials say they will keep a watchful eye on the river levels throughout the night; they also say they can use some financial assistance.

(VERNONIA, Ore.) - The Vernonia School District is prepared for the worst. Thirteen months after the flood of 2007 the District is taking no chances on being caught off guard.

Dr. Kenneth Cox, Superintendent, says, "We have been monitoring the weather and the river levels and have made arrangements to deal with whatever comes."

He says that as a safety precaution, there will be no school tomorrow, Thursday January 8th due to the potential for water over the roadways throughout the Vernonia School District.

Oregon and SW Washington College, Business and Government Agencies Openings and Closures

Openings and closures at Oregon and SW Washington colleges, universities, business and other public institutions.

(SALEM, Ore.) - This is the latest Oregon winter college, university and business closure and openings list. We are doing our best to bring you the latest information as quickly as possible.

This list specifically, includes information on Organizations, Medical, Cities, Counties/Regional, Courts, District Attorney and Courts, Police and Fire, Transportation, Business, State Military Department and Federal agencies.

Oregon Closures and Delays Due to Old Man Winter (UPDATED)

This is the most current information on closures and delays for THURSDAY, December 18th, 2008.

(SALEM, Ore.) - This information is being updated as quickly as possible as it comes in.

Many schools are not making final decisions about closure/delays until early morning, which is why they haven't reported.

If your school or organization is not listed, please call them directly for up-to-the minute answers, and encourage them to submit their information to us.

If you are a school official, please send your information to us directly: newsroom@salem-news.com

Oregon Closures and Delays Due to Winter Weather System (UPDATED)

This report is old, visit: Weekend Storm Closures and Delays in Oregon and SW Washington

(SALEM, Ore.) - PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

Washington Co. Schools:
Beaverton Sch. Dist.: All Beaverton School District schools and facilities closed Monday.

Yamhill Co. Schools:
Newberg Sch. Dist.: Closed (Effective tomorrow - Mon Dec 15th)

Hillsboro Sch. Dist.: All Schools are closed and all activities are canceled. (Effective tomorrow - Mon Dec 15th)

Click below to get the latest closure updates!

Hands Off Our School Children`s Recession Cookie Jar

Oregon's legislature should repeal the earmarks that rob the Education Stability Fund of money that the Constitution and voters say must be saved for Oregon's school children.

(SILVERTON, Ore.) - There's little doubt that Oregon's economy is sliding and that state revenues will not be adequate to meet this and the next budget cycle's demands for public services. When the last recession struck, Oregon had no rainy day fund, forcing schools and programs to shut down. Our woes became a joke in the comic strip Doonesbury and fodder for the front page of The New York Times.

In response, the legislature sought and obtained voter approval to create an Education Stability Fund. But shortly thereafter, a hard-up-for-cash legislature drained the meager savings in the fund to partially meet the needs of Oregon's school children.

You'd think coming up short in a recession and becoming the laughingstock of the nation would have led to prudent fiscal management of the new Education Stability Fund. It didn't.

Oregon AG Calls for Federal and State Reforms to Increase School and Campus Safety

Myers Joins Colleagues Across the Nation in Releasing National School and Campus Safety Task Force Report.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Attorney General Hardy Myers today issued a call to federal and state leaders to address serious deficiencies in federal and state laws and educational policies that leave students vulnerable to violence in their schools and on college campuses.

As a member of the National Association of Attorneys General Task Force on School and Campus Safety, Myers released a 14-page report that includes specific recommendations that address threat assessment, protocols for dealing with the mentally ill, information sharing among law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders, and crisis response planning and communications.