Chris Brantley
Position: Director
Zone: 1: West Salem and far Southwest Salem
Phone: 503 581-5423
E-mail: brantley_chris@salkeiz.k12.or.us
Occupation: Retired school teacher and principal
Currently Executive Secretary of Oregon Middle Level Association (Oregon’s affiliate to the National Middle School Association) and Leader with Stand for Children – both volunteer positions.
Time served on the school board: A little over a month

Meet Your School Board is a series of articles featured in Inside24j. Each article will feature one of our school board members and provide a little more insight about who they are, why they serve, and what perspectives they bring.

Read on for more information about Chris Branley.

What is your position responsible for?

"I act as a communications conduit between citizens throughout the cities of Salem and Keizer (especially those in my zone) and the decision making of the Salem-Keizer School Board. As the board is responsible for policy and budget prioritization, I am always open to, and interested in, policy and revenue/spending ideas from constituents. I was elected by the budget committee to be the vice-chair of that committee which involves me in the planning for those meetings and in presiding over a meeting if the chair is not able to be there. Since I have a special relationship with Stand for Children - team leader, member of their Salem-Keizer Strategy Team, and state-wide legislative taskforce - the board has asked that I act as a liaison between Stand for Children and the school board.

"For the next few years another major focus of the board will be the appropriate expenditure of the recently passed construction bond funds and the construction of highly functional and efficient learning space for our students and staff. I am very attuned to that process and currently serve as a board liaison with the Citizen Oversight Committee."

What are your goals in regard to student achievement?

"My expertise is in secondary education and I look forward to helping the board set priorities for reform of Salem-Keizer’s middle and high schools. I would like to see the district broaden and/or implement strategies that ensure the success of all students. I believe that this will require a focus on three elements of schools: the relationships fostered between students and their schools; the delivery of relevant curriculum that not only ensures basic reading, writing and math skills, but also ensures that the students can use those skills in real-world applications encountered in social science, science, the arts, vocational, and other courses; and the involvement of students in rigorous class work that engages them in experiences that mimic the world of work."

What do you like to hear from staff and the community?

"As a major body of work for the board is setting Results Policy, I am always interested in what the staff and community expect from our schools. What aspects of schools should we define outcomes for? What do we expect the graduates of the Salem-Keizer Schools to know and be able to do? What do we want the school experience to be like for students? What do we expect from staff, and what should their working conditions and compensation be? Further, I need to know when constituents (staff or community members) believe that the district is adhering to policy and when they believe that the district, or its employees need some encouragement to better implement policy. While my role is not that of problem solver, it is to facilitate communication and assure that problems get resolved by those designated to do so."

What else do you want people to know?

"In addition to being a member of the policy-making body, I see a role for myself as a participant in events that recognize progress toward district goals. When I am invited and can fit them into my schedule, which is pretty open as I’m a retiree, I am looking forward to helping congratulate students and staff for jobs well done or to watch as students perform either in the arts or in other presentations of their learning. I’ve judged academic competitions many times and participated as a score keeper or facilitator in many more. I’d love to help publicize the success of either existing programs that are working or new programs that are showing promise in moving more and more of our students to higher and higher levels of mastery."

Read Steve Chambers' interview
Read Ron Jones' Interview

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