Friday, April 29, 2005

Friday: Fundraising Party at Perugino's

Please join Nadia for conversation and coffee at a fundraising party at Perugino's this Friday evening. Peraguino's is at 767 Willamette, next to White Lotus Gallery and on the same block as Misako Japanese restaurant. The event will be from 5 to 7 PM.

Friday, April 29, 2005

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Endorsement from Lane, Coos, Curry, Douglas Building Trades Council

Nadia's candidacy was endorsed yesterday by the Lane, Coos, Curry, Douglas Building Trades Council. Nadia's experience and insight into responsible land use analysis as well as overall commitment to social justice and class consciousness all no doubt contributed to their decision. Nadia would like to thank President Lou A. Christian, and Sec. Treasurer Patrick Smith and the entire Council for their support.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Study Finds Parents Don't Want Soda in Schools

A new study done in Connecticut found that 70% of parents would not oppose removal of soda vending machines from public schools. This was a part of larger findings that parents strongly support improving the health and nutrition impacts of students' time in school. The full story can be read here. Parents who support changes to favor students' health and nutrition need experienced, capable representatives in government to make those changes. Nadia Sindi is just that kind of person.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

New Study Finds Soda Vending Contracts Flawed For Schools

A recent story in The Oregonian (link here) reports that a new study has found that the contracts schools are signing with soft drink companies are not only bad for students' health, but are also a very bad deal for the schools. This further demonstrates the inability of "corporate sponsorships" to fulfill even their own promises to support schools, not to mention the critiques of corporatization of education. As has been discussed before, the incumbent in Position 6 of the 4J School Board is an executive with a local Pepsi distribution company and has testified in favor of soft drink vending machines in schools before the state congress.

According to The Oregonian:
The total revenue to school districts from the contracts that were analyzed ranges from $12 to $24 per student annually. What parents don't realize, though, is that most of the money comes from their own pockets. That is, it comes from their teens plunking down money to buy soft drinks. Vendors, meanwhile, walk away with between $14 and $32 per kid per year in sales revenue...What we hear about, of course, are big cash advances and gifts such as scoreboards (which usually double as advertising for the vendors).

On an annual basis, such "gifts" amount to paltry sums. Some even have to be paid back, if schools terminate their contracts early without delivering an agreed-upon number of soda sales. Typically, vendor "gifts" equate to $2 to $8 a year per student.

The full story can be read here (link).

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Monday, April 25, 2005

Register Guard Write-Up

The Register Guard has published an article based on interviews with all three candidates for Position 6 on the 4J School Board. It can be read via this link.

The article discusses Nadia's candidacy, as well as Aria Seligman and Eric Forrest. About Forrest it says:

Forrest explained that, as president of the Oregon Soft Drink Association, he is expected to testify on legislation affecting the industry.

He said he would not do so again on any issues that touch on both the industry and schools.

"Now I realize I need to remove myself," he said, just as he would remove himself from any school board discussions pertaining to his company's contract or, in all likelihood, anything related to children's health.

It is interesting to consider what issues the school board will decide on that will not be related to the health of the children.

Monday, April 25, 2005

Nadia Responds to Stand For Children

The local branch of Stand for Children has sent a series of questions to Nadia, Aria Seligman and Eric Forest. Below are Nadia's responses.

1) Why do you want to serve on the school board?

Young people today face a climate of increasing instability, conflict and at the same time opportunity. This is as true in Eugene as it is anywhere. In a city fraught with difficult feelings and differing perceptions around race, class and other systems of privilege-children are far from immune from these issues. Regardless of how you feel about allegations of racial profiling by the police, about the so called eXit files of professionals of color who have left Eugene because of experiences of racial hostility, about the history of raids on and deportations from Latin American communities in the Eugene and Springfield area- it cannot be denied that these adult matters affect the way that all children grow up in this area. From the recent beating of the Russian immigrant boy in a self-declared "Racism Free Zone" local school, to the growing disparity of access to resources and alleged system of effective segregation… the children in this school district are affected by issues of race and class every day, no matter what their personal backgrounds are.

All of the children need someone on the School Board who is trained to address these types of issues. I have that training, and years of experience working with adults and children who need communication to move towards healing the wounds of conflict. Issues of race, class, and struggle to access quality resources are key issues in this election and in educational institutions around the country. They cannot be ignored; they must be engaged with head on, with as much knowledge, skill and priority as we can muster.

2) What qualities do you bring to the school board?

Cultural Competency: I support State Sen. Avel Gordly's bill to extend Cultural Competency training requirement beyond areas such as Eugene and into all schools around the state. Support for measures such as this is key to making schools as effective and inclusive as possible. Cultural competency is especially attractive because it emphasizes knowledge about how all students experience their own lives; it is not ideological prescription for any particular course of action. Cultural competency and years of experience facilitating dialogue across lines of cultural difference are key strengths I can bring the board.

3) What needs to be done to address the achievement gap in our district?

a. We need to increase the number of languages immersion schools. Open and fair lotteries for all children, regardless of their background, ethnicity, class, and other systems of privilege.

b. Teaching languages of the immigrants will give the children a sense of pride, sense of belonging, and build their self steam. It will help the other children to value, respect and understand other cultures and nationalities. Have a heritage day to celebrate the children culture and ethnicity.

By doing this. It will help bridge the gap, of understanding and value other cultures and races.

c. Invite the children to tell stories of their own culture and background. Let the children teach us what they need us to know about them..

4) What is your position on the Superintendent's recommendations on school choice?

  • I support the ongoing existence of alternative schools, while understanding the vital importance of minimizing any negative impacts they might have on neighborhood schools. Alternative schools must be reviewed, but they are very important.
  • Immigrant children in particular need to be able to leave a school if it is unsupportive of them and chose another schools that better fits their needs.
  • All children should have equal access to admissions lotteries, with no system of privilege. There should be extra outreach to less privileged families to compensate for the inequities of the world in general that impact a family's propensity to engage in the school choice process.

5) How should the district address the needs of an increasingly diverse population?

We need to encourage merging the alternative schools into our neighborhood schools. Support and promote neighborhood schools by adding languages and open lotteries for all students. Taking informed steps to maximize inclusiveness is key.

6) What would you do to solve school funding problems?

Taxing corporations fairly could make a huge difference. Likewise,
people who make more than $100,000.00 a year need to contribute to the schools' funding.

7) What would you do to improve school nutrition?

Having nutritional food; such as fruit, juices, nuts, etc… sold in the vending machines would be helpful. We also need to add some ethnic food to cater to our immigrants students' diet and nutrition value. Diet is key to many cultures around the world, and if a student's otherwise strict diet is disrupted at school, then that school will not be the best place for the student to learn.

Monday, April 25, 2005

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

CIM/CAM

CIM and CAM testing has been in the news lately and there has been some discussion of eliminating the tests here in Oregon. I support the position of State Superintendent Susan Castillo, that the tests are required in order to comply with the Federal "No Child Left Behind" law.

CIM/CAM currently fulfills the type of State Standards required by Federal law, thus leading to significant savings over the costs that would be required to re-write a purportedly cheaper "off-the-shelf" test. I support Superintendent Castillo's efforts to cut costs while complying with Federal law and ensuring the most effective education possible for the children.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Position Revision Regarding School Choice

In an earlier post (here), Nadia stated her support for all of 4J Superintendent George Russell's recommendations in his report of school choice. Upon further reading and discussion, Nadia wants to emphasize her support for the ongoing existence of alternative schools, balanced with the need for changes to be made to increase equity. Nadia supports the assessment that alternative schools should be reviewed in reference to their efficacy and community impacts. She also believes that an open lottery, without a system of privileges, is key to increasing the accessibility of alternative schools for less priviledged children.

These are complex and difficult issues; we can only hope to learn from each others' experiences and formulate policy together as best as possible.

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Candidates

The post formerly titled "The Incumbent" has been changed to include information about all of the candidates running for the position, including not only Eric Forrest, but also Aria Seligman. The new post is "The Other Candidates."

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Senator Morrisette Endorses Nadia

Oregon Senator Bill Morrisette (D-Springfield) has endorsed Nadia Sindi for 4J School Board. Morrisette was the 2003 Chair of the state's Senate Education Committee. He was also the Mayor of Springfield from 1989 through 1999, the Springfield Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen of the Year in 1997, Oregon Mayor of the Year in 1994 and Lane County Elected Official of the Year in 1992.

Morrisette is currently the sponsor of Senate Bill 560, which would require that any food sold on school grounds meet the federal nutritional standards for school meals, as well as other standards. (story link)

Nadia is excited to include the Senator in her list of endorsements (see right side bar).

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Friday, April 08, 2005

Cultural Competency in Schools

The Action for Education Leadership Program of 2001 will require all school leaders to complete a Cultural Competency training starting in 2007. Eugene teachers already receive Cultural Competency training thanks to a previous grant. A Bill requested by the Governor would extend such training requirements to all licensed teachers in the State. The Bill passed the Senate on a 25 to 3 vote, and is awaiting a hearing in the House Education Committee. According a recent Associated Press story this week (Republicans may trap bill on ‘cultural competency' for teachers), the Bill is unlikely to become law. This raises important issues that must receive ongoing attention on the local level. Nadia has years of experience dealing with issues like these.

We need to implement this into our school systems. This is one of the most important and painful issues facing every immigrant to this country! They need to have schools that respect & understand their children's background and ethnicity, comprehending the dynamic effects of policies and behaviors on children’s self esteem. Cultural Competency promotes valuable assets and educational sensitivity to the cultures and religions of all students. It'll help to deter the bullying and hate crimes. We also need to recruit teachers from all diverse backgrounds. That would certainly restore the students’ & families’ confidence in the school system.

While I was researching and meeting with community members to gather information about their concerns and issues regarding the schools, one member of the Russian community approached and encouraged me to run for the School Board. He told me our children need to identify with some one like them in this position of leadership; someone with an accent, different skin color and language. Understanding the experiences of immigrant and diverse communities is key to effective policy making; that is one of my personal strengths and why I support efforts to foster cultural competency on every level.

Friday, April 08, 2005

"Rainy Day Funds" Should Be Limited

A new story in the Albany Democrat Herald (link), reports that school districts around the state have been saving a substantial portion of their budgets each year, apparently unbeknownst to some observers, in case of future budget declines. According to that article,
"The Oregon School Boards Association recommends a carryover, or ending fund balance, of about 5 percent to 8 percent. But only 21 of Oregon's 197 school districts hit that target. The rest carried over balances ranging from 9 percent to 275 percent at the end of last school year."


I think the school districts need to come clean with the legislators and the public. The schools should not be allowed to hold more than 2-8% of their funds for a Rainy Day Fund. Recent media coverage around the state is bringing this issue into the light of day, but school districts themselves need to prioritize openness throughout the funding process.

Friday, April 08, 2005

School Choice Policy Recommendations: Nadia's Response

Nadia’s supports the following recommendations from Superintendent George Russell’s recent report, as summarized by the Eugene Weekly in this March 3rd story (link). The executive summary of the full report of recommendations is available in 8 page pdf format here (link).

*Reducing fund-raising disparities between rich and poor schools by requiring centralized donations and a 10 percent contribution to an equity fund
I SUPPORT. We should reduce fund-raising disparities between rich and poor schools to help eliminate students’ achievement gaps related to diverse backgrounds such as race, ethnicity, gender, class etc..


*Moving or merging alternative schools and ending co-location of alternative and neighborhood schools
I SUPPORT. It will help bridge the gap between those who have and have not! It will make school safer and less intimidating for students with diverse background & ethnicity.

*Providing lottery preferences and transportation for low-income kids
YES, I totally agree, we should provide same equal opportunity to our low-income hard working families.

*Strengthening neighborhood schools with extra money
YES, I'm for it. That will level & strengthen our neighborhood schools. It will make the students welcome all kinds of different cultures and teach them respect and acceptance.

*Placing more special education kids in alternative schools
YES, very important to have equity among our most vulnerable populations.

*Reviewing alternative schools
YES, I agree with our superintendent Russell

*Creating a position to provide more information about school choice to low-income parents
I SUPPORT. It’ll strengthen the cultural awareness!

Friday, April 08, 2005

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

The Other Candidates

There are two other candidates besides Nadia running for Position #6 on the School Board. One is former Eugene Weekly news editor Aria Seligman. Seligman shares many of Nadia's progressive values. At a time when the School Board faces many large and emotionally charged issues however, Nadia's extensive political experience and training in cross-cultural communication are vital, timely assets that no other candidate can bring to the position on the Board.

Also running for the School Board position is the appointed incumbent, Eric Forrest. Forrest is the former President of Sales for the Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. of Eugene, and a founding member of the Parkway Yes! Political Action Committee. Parkway Yes! was the #1 PAC in terms of money spent locally 1998-2003 according to a study by the Register Guard, published December 22nd, 2003.

Forrest is also an at-large member of the Eugene Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
He is currently a member of the School Board Budget Committee, a position he took after leaving the City of Eugene Budget Committee.

Forrest is also active on the state level in debates concerning school policy. He was discussed in a Register Guard story on March 29th, 2005 regarding Senate Bills 560 and 860, requiring that nutritional standards be applied to food and drink sold in public schools.

"Eric Forrest, an executive with a Eugene-based soft drink distributor, argued that it's actually beneficial for students to pass by vending machines in their schools that offer a variety of soft drinks for sale; this way, they learn to choose when it's appropriate to have a sugary soft drink and when they would be better off purchasing water or a sports drink, said Forrest, vice president of the MLF Group, a Pepsi distribution business. Forrest also is a member of the Eugene School Board."

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Neighborhood/Alternative Schools

School choice today goes on in a complex global context that cannot be resolved by schools alone, especially when they are not well funded. There are no simple solutions. Cross cultural dialogue is key to making school as inspiring as possible for the least political amongst us - the children.

I believe that the national compulsory school system and is debilitated and dilapidated. If the system fails children of a certain, race, socio-economic status; ability, then the system is failing all of us.

We are much more dependent on each other than our society seems to believe and the media moguls portray. Our world is vastly more complicated than it has ever been and yet, it is increasingly common place not to even know our own neighbors. We are estranged from our greatest resource--each other.

There is a role for our compulsory education system to help to heal some of the unjust and crippling divisions in our society but, it is not the role of schools alone to address those issues. And we cannot expect schools to do their part if they are not funded. Across our country school systems have been so mired for decades in politics and the politics of funding that the education system cannot fulfill its fundamental purpose to educate the electorate and teach basic skills necessary for working and living in the United States and in the world. With such great burdens, how can a system be expected to inspire young minds to discover their own potential and discover the fulfillment of pursing a lifetime of education?

To gain any ground on the plagues of prejudice, institutional poverty and all the divisions that work silently to erode our social fabric our schools must both educate and inspire; and not serve just a few but, all young people. The people in the school buildings each day- educators, school administrators, parents and children- are run ragged with the impossible work of managing to meet just the most basic expectations we have for our schools and still they have invested lifetimes in improving our schools. Surely the educators have been among the leaders in that work of revitalizing our schools and it has been incumbent upon school board members to steward the effort.

Working with the community and bridging cultures in our community is a strength that I can offer. The choices each of us make about supporting our schools can make a difference. It is reasonable to call upon our whole community to come to the table and help shoulder the work of making our schools places that serve the needs of our children.

Alternative school programs and charter schools are examples of what can happen when inspired people work to make a difference, but, again, the work of a few cannot be expected to reverse trends that not only show up in our local schools but, have besieged schools systems all over the country even in more severe and dramatic ways. We must allow our schools to nurture the children. Adults make politics, not children. We can dialogue in a productive way about the role of alternative programs, charter schools and neighborhood schools and so that we can focus our scarce resources on how to make the tapestry of school choices work best for all our children. We can challenge ourselves to model for our children how people can inspire each other and care for each other in the face of great difficulties.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Monday, April 04, 2005

Political Experience

Nadia has served on many commissions and committees, including:

*The 4J School District Equity Committee
*The City of Eugene's Citizen Involvement Committee
*Faith in Action (Eugene)
*Citizens for Public Accountability
*The Lane County Human Rights Advisory Committee
*1000 Friends of Oregon
*The Oregon Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
*The American Arab Anti-Discrimination League (ADC)
*The National Council on US-Arab Relations, as a Research Assistant for the Center for International Disaster Information
*and many others.

Nadia also received 48.8% of the votes cast in the 2003 election for the Lane Community College Board.

Dialogue

After undergoing extensive training from organizations including the Oregon Diversity Institute, Pacific University, the International Victim-Offender Mediator Association, the US Department of Justice and others, Nadia has also:

*facilitated adult and teen dialogues on racism in San Francisco, Portland, Salem, Corvallis and Eugene.

*co-founded the Eugene Middle East Peace Group (http://www.mideastpeace.net/)


Back to Front Page

Monday, April 04, 2005

Education and Employment

Education

*Bachelor's Degree in Social Science from Portland State University

*Master's Degree in Computer and Instructional Technology in Education from the University of Oregon

Employment

*Five years of consulting in politics and engineering.

*Six years in law and academic offices.

*Ten years as an interpreter and translator.

*Fifteen years as an instructor in Languages.

Monday, April 04, 2005


    Email Nadia at
    nadiasindi@gmail.com

    Site Feed

    Presently Working With

    • The American Arab Anti-Discrimination League (ADC)
    • The National Council on US-Arab Relations (Research Assistant for the Center for International Disaster Information)
    • Amnesty International USA, The Denounce Torture Initiative (Delegation Leader)

    Past Work

    • Oregon Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
    The Oregon Coast

    Previous Posts

    • Judge Judy SCREAMS at Jasmine Crockett on Live TV ...
    • Frohnmayer threatens defamation suit
    • Frohnmayer threatens defamation suit
    • Frohnmayer threatens defamation suit
    • Reputation For Rent
    • UO economics professor files complaint against UO ...
    • https://nadiasindi.blogspot.com/2024/12/someone-su...
    • Samuel v. Frohnmayer
    • https://www.blogger.com/profile/06255957339056725834
    • Once-secret testimony reveals Dave Frohnmayer was ...

    Archives

    • March 2005
    • April 2005
    • May 2005
    • August 2005
    • September 2005
    • December 2014
    • January 2015
    • February 2015
    • March 2015
    • April 2015
    • May 2015
    • June 2015
    • July 2015
    • August 2015
    • September 2015
    • October 2015
    • November 2015
    • December 2015
    • January 2016
    • February 2016
    • March 2016
    • April 2016
    • May 2016
    • June 2016
    • July 2016
    • August 2016
    • September 2016
    • October 2016
    • November 2016
    • December 2016
    • January 2017
    • February 2017
    • March 2017
    • April 2017
    • May 2017
    • June 2017
    • July 2017
    • August 2017
    • September 2017
    • October 2017
    • November 2017
    • December 2017
    • January 2018
    • February 2018
    • March 2018
    • April 2018
    • May 2018
    • June 2018
    • July 2018
    • August 2018
    • September 2018
    • October 2018
    • November 2018
    • December 2018
    • January 2019
    • February 2019
    • March 2019
    • April 2019
    • May 2019
    • June 2019
    • July 2019
    • August 2019
    • September 2019
    • October 2019
    • November 2019
    • December 2019
    • January 2020
    • February 2020
    • March 2020
    • April 2020
    • May 2020
    • June 2020
    • July 2020
    • August 2020
    • September 2020
    • October 2020
    • November 2020
    • December 2020
    • January 2021
    • February 2021
    • March 2021
    • April 2021
    • May 2021
    • June 2021
    • July 2021
    • August 2021
    • September 2021
    • October 2021
    • November 2021
    • December 2021
    • January 2022
    • February 2022
    • March 2022
    • April 2022
    • May 2022
    • June 2022
    • July 2022
    • August 2022
    • September 2022
    • October 2022
    • November 2022
    • December 2022
    • January 2023
    • February 2023
    • March 2023
    • April 2023
    • May 2023
    • June 2023
    • July 2023
    • August 2023
    • September 2023
    • October 2023
    • November 2023
    • December 2023
    • January 2024
    • February 2024
    • March 2024
    • April 2024
    • May 2024
    • June 2024
    • July 2024
    • August 2024
    • September 2024
    • October 2024
    • November 2024
    • December 2024
    • January 2025
    • February 2025
    • March 2025
    • April 2025
    • May 2025
    • June 2025

    Sites of Interest

    • LAW: The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
    • The Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG)

    • The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

    • The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen's Rights

    • Al Mezan Center for Human Rights

    • Al-Haq: Law in the Service of Man

    • United Nations High Commission on Human Rights

    • United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

    • Peace Now

    • Ariga

    • American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

    • The International Solidarity Movement

    • The Palestinian Center for Rapprochement

    • Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center

    • Foundation for Middle East Peace

    • Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP)

    • Gush Shalom Israel Peace Bloc

    • American Civil Liberties Union

    • Nonviolent Action Community of Cascadia

    • Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center

    • CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES

    • Not War Coalition

    • Antiwar.com

    Progressive News

    • Foundation for Middle East Peace

    • Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP)

    • Electronic Intifada

    • Independent Media Center

    • Portland Indy Media Center

    • Electronic Intifada

    • Palestine Chronicle
    • MIFTAH Dialogue & Democracy

    • Al-Hewar Online

    • Islamic Association for Palestine

    Powered by Blogger