Letter to the Oregonian, 5/12/07

Pick Adkins, Schultz

In her May 10 letter, Elizabeth Engberg makes the same error that Portland School Board incumbents Doug Morgan and David Wynde make in arguing that the district's K-8 reconfiguration "helped secure a crucial package of interim [school] funding from the county and business . . .." For them, apparently, the end justified the means.

In a rush to make change for change's sake, however, these incumbents fell down on the job. They accepted the short timelines and limited justification for the reconfigurations, making no effort to ensure that these hasty and sweeping changes really were best for the district.

Challengers Ruth Adkins and Michele Schultz might have implemented some similar changes; both have stated as much. Before doing so, however, they would have helped build a citywide consensus on those changes, rather than force-feed them to skeptical parents, teachers and students.

For me, the means endorsed by Wynde and Morgan justifies their end. I'm voting Adkins and Schultz.

JEFF DOBBINS Southwest Portland