Rebecca Dyson for
Ashland School Board
My name is Rebecca (Becka) Dyson. I am the current chair of the Ashland School Board, and I am running for re-election to Seat 4.
I moved to Ashland with my family in 2013. As my own four children progressed from Kindergarten at Walker through graduation from Ashland High School, I became involved through volunteer work starting with chaperoning elementary school field trips and moving on to assisting at music performances and athletic competitions and coaching students in the Oregon Battle of the Books.
When they reached high school, I joined the AHS Site Council and have been on the board of Ashland High Arts Advocates, a non-profit organization that provides outreach and financial assistance to the arts departments at
AHS, for many years.
In 2021 I decided to run for school board and have greatly enjoyed the opportunities for learning and collaboration the past four years have provided. I was elected Vice Chair my second year on the Board and have been Chair for the past two years.
Together with my board colleagues, we have guided the district out of COVID and addressed significant residual learning gaps, overseen the $109 million dollar bond project which has rebuilt or remodeled all the schools in our district, brought in new curricula in math, social studies and English language arts, instituted an array of Innovation Committees in which district and community members collaborate to address topics such as enrollment and options for the school calendar, and added student representatives to the school board, just to name a few.
In my capacity as Board chair, I served as the director of the nationwide search to replace outgoing Superintendent Samuel Bogdanove and was delighted to bring Dr. Joseph Hattrick to our district. Working with Dr. Hattrick has been a truly rewarding experience, and I am eager to continue this collaboration as the Board and administration guide the district toward financial stability and continue our mission of equity and excellence.
Here are the basic tenets I use to guide my decisions while on the board:
There will be many issues facing the board in the coming months and years, but here are a few I would like to highlight:
I, as an individual, and the current members of the Board are fully committed to protecting the rights and safety of our students and staff.
Following is a statement I prepared for the most recent public Board meeting, and I am committed to continuing this promise:
“In the face of rapidly changing directives from the Federal government which are often in direct conflict with Oregon State statutes, the Board of Directors of the Ashland School District would like to reinforce that Ashland School District will continue to follow Oregon law supporting equitable treatment of all students, and that we will remain true to the vision and ideals that have always guided this district.
“We will not alter our legal and moral responsibility to serve and protect every student and staff member in our district. We will continue to follow our mission of providing a safe and welcoming space for all students and staff regardless of race, nationality, religion, gender, or identity. We will continue to strive for equity in all areas and to respect and value every student who relies on this district for their education in and beyond the classroom.
“We are proud and grateful to be members of this extraordinary community that is Ashland, and we will continue to embody the ethic and integrity for which Ashland stands.”
We will continue to follow our mission of providing a safe and welcoming space for all students and staff regardless of race, nationality, religion, gender, or identity.
We will continue to follow our mission of providing a safe and welcoming space for all students and staff regardless of race, nationality, religion, gender, or identity.This should be the foundation on which public education is built. When public schools fail children, students with the means to do so will seek other options. This drop in enrollment results in loss of funding and ultimately widens the equity gap in education. By providing excellent education in an environment that welcomes and supports all students, we can stop this vicious cycle.
In order to truly strengthen our commitment to excellence while maintaining support for all students, we must:
We must provide students from all backgrounds a clear path to success through excellence both within and beyond the academic classroom.We must provide students from all backgrounds a clear path to success through excellence both within and beyond the academic classroom.The arts are a critical component of any academic curriculum. Studies consistently show that students who are involved in the arts do better academically, have higher rates of attendance, and lower rates of behavioral infractions.
In addition, the arts are often a place where students who are marginalized or struggling academically can find a comfortable and welcoming place to express themselves. Participation in arts programs dropped significantly after COVID, and just as programs are rebuilding, we are now facing significant financial strain which jeopardizes the strength of arts programs both in and beyond our district.
Ashland’s strong commitment to the arts is one of the main things that drew our family to this community. We must ensure that as we move forward in the current financial and political climate, our schools’ arts programs are given the support and accessibility they deserve.
I am also a strong supporter of Ashland’s wide array of athletic and academic teams and clubs. These programs provide an invaluable space for students to find and grow their passion and can be a critical link to student success. From rowing to robotics, we must continue to look for ways to support all programs which serve and enrich our students.
We must ensure that as we move forward in the current financial and political climate, our schools’ arts programs are given the support and accessibility they deserve.We must ensure that as we move forward in the current financial and political climate, our schools’ arts programs are given the support and accessibility they deserve.The past few years, which saw enormous academic disruption due to COVID and significant financial strain magnified by dropping enrollment nationwide, have been extraordinarily challenging for public education. The ASD School Board and administration have worked very hard to combat these losses but there is much more to be done. These are just a few of the many subjects the School Board will be working on in the coming years:
I was born and raised in Princeton, NJ. My parents were both immigrants who came to the US in the aftermath of World War II. I was educated in K-12 public schools and went to Stanford University followed by medical school at U.C. San Diego. I completed my training in radiology at Harvard Medical School and subsequently joined the faculty as an instructor before deciding to return to the West Coast to practice medicine in underserved communities and raise a family. I am a radiologist and currently work for four hospitals in rural Northern California.
Ashland in many ways reminded me of my own childhood and immediately felt like home. I am passionate about our community’s children and schools, and I strive to maintain Ashland’s tradition of excellence, while acknowledging that there are many areas in which we can still improve.
I would like to continue bringing that passion to my work on the School Board as we enter the next phase of securing the best future for our district, staff and students.
Pam Marsh, Oregon District 5 Representative
Suzanne Cusick, former ASD Superintendent
John Williams, AHAA President, former ASD School Board member
Dr. Cynthia Hutton, Director, Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon
Betsy Bishop, Director AHS Theater
Jackson County Democratic Party
Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon
Progressive Oregon Women
Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon endorses school board candidates across the state who believe our young people deserve to have comprehensive information, resources and skills to make the best decisions for themselves and lead their healthiest lives — as well as support from their families, schools and communities to set goals for their future and decide for themselves if and when they want to become a parent.
Progressive Oregon Women endorses all women candidates that promote progressive values in Southern Oregon.
