The Salem-Keizer School Board on Tuesday voted to extend Superintendent Andrea Castañeda’s contract for three more years after nearly unanimous praise following a private evaluation of her performance over the past year.
The extension means Castañeda, who is in the second year of a three year contract, will negotiate a new agreement with Board Chair Cynthia Richardson. The school board will vote on approving a three-year contract by July.
“We commend her for her bold leadership in facing the district’s challenges and for her success in building strong community relationships and creating a clear vision for the future of the district,” Richardson said, reading from the evaluation during the meeting.
Board directors credited Castañeda with starting the job during a difficult year and gracefully navigating the overlapping challenges of budget cuts and negotiations with employee unions, while also communicating a clear message to the public and elected officials that state spending on schools was falling behind what was needed.
“You lead with your heart. You go 24/7, never stop, always wanting to do more, always doing more,” Richardson, who is a retired district administrator, said.
“You are an amazing leader and we are so blessed to have you,” said Board Director Satya Chandragiri. “You face issues head on. You move towards the problem, not away from the problem.”
The board did not share specific numbers from Castañeda’s evaluation rubric during the public meeting, but several members noted that by her request, the bulk of her score, 60%, was based on data on student achievement — a rare move for a school district leader.
Castañeda’s results in the short time she’s led Salem-Keizer have been mixed. The district hit three of six goals this year, improving student attendance and the share of middle and high school students who feel they belong at school, and meeting a target for freshmen on track to graduate.
But other academic measures, particularly third-grade reading, lag far behind state averages and district targets. Castañeda and top administrators have made turning the reading numbers around a key priority this year.
The decision to extend her contract was a 6-1 vote, with Director Krissy Hudson opposing the extension. Hudson did not address the reason for her vote, alluding only vaguely to concerns during the public discussion of Castañeda’s evaluation while still praising her “strength and endurance and courage.”
“I always want to see more focus on our children and teaching but I guess it’s something that again we got ourselves in prior to your visit here and it’s going to take a while to get out of,” Hudson said.
Castañeda began the meeting with a brief speech about the importance of public education, noting the recent Trump administration firing of half the employees at the U.S. Department of Education. She said public schools remain one of the few institutions open to all, and are critical to teaching kids to live in a diverse society.
“I believe most people can agree public schools are the most powerful equalizer we have in our entire nation,” she said. “This is true for my family and for many people here.”
Following her contract renewal, Castañeda said she was filled with “extreme humility and even more joy that I get to be part of this community.”
She credited the district’s achievements to the team and district educators.
“There’s almost 6,000 people doing this work,” she said.
The school board also voted 5-2 to approve a voter’s pamphlet statement in support of a city of Salem property tax levy, with Chandragiri and Hudson opposed. Chandragiri cited the high cost of living and said imposing a new tax on struggling families was not the answer.
In a 6-1 vote, the board also approved a statement supporting Chemeketa Community College’s tax renewal to fund campus renovations in support of career programs and security. Hudson also voted no, saying she felt weighing in on community ballot measures was outside the board’s purview.
This article is republished by permission of Salem Reporter.
