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Oregon Candidate Questionnaire

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Candidate Name: Rachel M. Visinoni
Office Candidate is running for: Redmond School Board Position #2
Campaign Website:
# ISSUE ANSWER
School Board and Administration Responsibilities
As a School Board member, indicate how likely you would be to vote for or be in agreement with the following statements. Using the drop-down box, select on a 1-5 scale where 5 means strongly agree and 1 means completely disagree. (Education bills in parenthesis are being considered in the 2021 legislative session on the subject in the question.)
1 Giving hiring preference to applicants that help the school district meet educator workforce diversity requirements. (SB 232) 4 Agree
  I believe that positions should be given to the most qualified candidate regardless of race or gender
2 Open communication between the community and the board by encouraging public comments at board meetings and/or providing a method to submit public testimony online. 5 Strongly Agree
  Our community deserves total transparency
3 Returning the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction from governor appointed position to a statewide elected office. (SB 601, SB 224) 5 Strongly Agree
  Oregonians deserve a say in who is at the helm
4 Class size being an additional factor when teachers unions negotiate teachers pay scale. (HB 2270 & SB 580) 4 Agree
  I know that there are always a lot of factors in these situations, and this should be one taken into consideration
5 Requiring school board to receive training on promoting inclusion, eliminating racism, and achieving equitable academic outcomes. (SB 334) 3 Neutral
  I strong believe that if people truly saw their fellow human beings as equals, this would not be a problem needing training
Financial
6 Taxing Oregon corporations, which increases the cost of living, as a way to increase funding for Oregon schools. 3 Neutral
  Tricky. Many more factors to take into consideration on a decision like this
7 School district should be held liable when students are victims of harassment, discrimination or intimidation. (HB 2937) 5 Strongly Agree
  If harassment and/or discrimination is experienced by one, it is a problem for us all, and should be dealt with severally
8 One school employee being assigned, trained, and compensated for every 250 students to act as disciplinary mediator. (HB 2504) 3 Neutral
  This is a game of averages, and I would need more data
School Choice
9 More students being allowed to enroll in non-district virtual public charter schools without school district approval. (HB 2023, HB 2716 SB 518 & SB 657) 5 Strongly Agree
 
10 Expanding the availability of charter schools within the public school system. 5 Strongly Agree
 
11 Allowing a student to attend any public school in the state. (SB 659, 2021) 2 Disagree
  District transfers should be easily allowed if residency changes, but in order to prevent over crowding, districts should remain
12 School board support for including homeschooled students in extracurricular activities such as sporting events, music concerts, school clubs, etc. (SB 223) 4 Agree
  These are resources every student should have access too
Student Learning-Curriculum/Testing
13 Developing a curriculum that teaches constitutional principles, limited government and maximized individual liberties upon which the U.S. was founded. 5 Strongly Agree
  100%
14 Students in grades K-12 receiving at least half of a semester of instruction on civics. (HB 2299, SB 26) 4 Agree
  Age appropriate of course
15 A balanced curriculum that includes equal time studying the various perspectives on topics such as historic events, environmental theories, scientific assumptions and main religions. 5 Strongly Agree
  Having all the information is the best way for students to be equipped to make tough choices in their lives
16 School districts being required to provide instruction on racist history of this country and state. (SB 683) 3 Neutral
  It's true that some of our country's history is racist, but history should be presented neutrally and factually
17 Excluding political views, sexual orientation, and religious (or anti-religious) topics from the classroom. 5 Strongly Agree
  POLITICS HAS NO PLACE IN EDUCATION
18 School board supporting programs that utilize volunteers from local businesses, churches and civic groups that provide mentoring, internships and other real life education. 5 Strongly Agree
  I believe this is the strongest way for students to be able to weigh their options for their future life
19 When English is a second language, promote student integration into regular school programs. 4 Agree
  This is the best way for them to learn, and to feel accepted
20 Eliminating requirement that instruction in all subjects must be conducted in English, providing communication in a student's primary language. (HB 2056) 1 Strongly Disagree
  English is the predominant language of our country, and students will need to know enough to be productive future citizens
21 Permiting a parent to excuse student from taking statewide standardized assessment tests. (SB 678) 5 Strongly Agree
  Parents/guardians should always have final say in the education of the student they are raising
22 Allowing schools to implement nationally recognized high school assessments in mathematics, science or English. (HB 2960) 4 Agree
  I believe this is the best way for us to get our students recently floundering education back on track
23 Prohibiting commercially developed and scored assessment tests for preschool through second grade. (SB 596) 4 Agree
  I do not believe the children this young are ready for that
24 Evaluating the instructional needs of each student as a result of school closure due to COVID-19 and report summary to the Department of Education. (HB 2962) 4 Agree
  We need to get back on track before we are unrecoverable
School Environment and Safety
25 Holding an open discussion with students on why students are dropping out of school. 3 Neutral
  I'd say let this be part of high school orrientation
26 Conducting staff awareness training to identify early signs of harassment, intimidation, bullying and cyberbullying. 4 Agree
  I know this is a growing problem, and we all need to be ready to help
27 Dress codes that do not overly limit freedom of choice and speech. (HB 2052) 4 Agree
  I am all for individual expression, but kids also need to be guided back to reasonable guidelines
28 A low student-teacher ratio increases success in the classroom. 5 Strongly Agree
  Not eveyone learns the same way, and individual attention could be very beneficial to some
29 Students of any age being allowed to prevent parental notification when student has been a victim of harassment. (HB 2631) 1 Strongly Disagree
  Unless the harassment has been concluded to come from the parent themselves, the parent should always be notified
30 Implementing a statewide education plan specifically for LGBTQ and other gender identity students. (SB 52) 2 Disagree
  LGBTQ students should be educated right along with everyone else. We are all equal.
31 Armed security in every school. (SB 238) 3 Neutral
  School by school basis by circumstance
32 Requiring schools to provide students that have been suspended or expelled with assigned classwork and meals the student may have received if not suspended or expelled. (HB 2945) 3 Neutral
  As a separate program perhaps, but not as part of that schools budget
33 Prohibiting school district board from authorizing or using certain monitoring software related to students' computer usage. (SB 594) 2 Disagree
  That is the duty of the parent or guardian at home, but definitely restrictions on school computers