Dear Virtual Public School Families and Supporters:
Those of you who have supported our efforts over the years know that it’s elected state officials who will ultimately decide whether or not our virtual public schools survive and thrive here in Oregon.
With the fall election only a few weeks away, we wanted to be sure you had information on where the candidates stand when it comes to making virtual public education available to families who need it. With that in mind, the Oregon Virtual Public Schools Alliance circulated a candidate questionnaire to the two candidates for Governor and each individual running for the State Senate and State House of Representatives. We’ve compiled those responses for your review and we’re listing below those candidates who expressed support for virtual public education.
Governor
Dennis Richardson
State Senate
Dave Dotterrer (3rd District)
Lee Beyer (6th District)
Patti Milne (11th District)
Kim Thatcher (13th District)
Bruce Starr (15th District)
Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (17th District)
John Verbeek (17th District)
State House of Representatives
Jim Klahr (1st District)
Carl Wilson (3rd District)
Darlene Taylor (4th District)
Nicholas Card (5th District)
Cedric Hayden (7th District)
Casey Runyan (9th District)
Andrew Petersen (11th District)
Christopher Gergen (12th District)
Kathy Lamberg (14th District)
Vic Gilliam (18th District)
Jodi Hack (19th District)
Matt Geiger (22nd District)
Michael Nearman (23rd District)
Bill Post (25th District)
John Davis (26th District)
Mark Richman (29th District)
Dan Mason (30th District)
Deborah Boone (32nd District)
Rick Rose (32st District)
Julie Parrish (37th District)
Bill Kennemer (39th District)
Tim McMenamin (41st District)
Dan Chriestenson (50th District)
Jodi Bailey (51st District)
Mark Johnson (52nd District)
Gene Whisnant (53rd District)
Mike McLane (55th District)
Many incumbent candidates did not complete our survey, but they have cast critical votes in support of bills that expanded access to virtual public education for Oregon families. We thought it was important to recognize that past support by listing them as well.
Governor
John Kitzhaber
Dennis Richardson
State Senate
Jackie Winters (10th District)
Betsy Johnson (16th District)
Alan Olsen (20th District)
Chuck Thomsen (26th District)
State House of Representatives
Wayne Kreiger (1st District)
Sal Esquivel (6th District)
Andy Olson (15th District)
Sherrie Sprenger (17th District)
Brian Clem (21st District)
Betty Komp (22nd District)
Jim Weidner (24th District)
John Huffman (59th District)
Cliff Bentz (60th District)
We feel it’s important that you know who shares our values when it comes to parent choice in education.
If any of these candidates are running in your area, we urge you to thank them for their support of virtual public education. If the issue of access to virtual public education is the most important factor in determining which state candidates you support, then we urge you to call their campaign office and ask how you can help them. Get involved and build a personal relationship with that candidate. If we want them to be there for us when it matters, then it’s always nice for us to be there for them.
If you need information on how to reach a candidate, please email us and we can help you. We hope this information is helpful, and we look forward to working with you in the 2015 legislative session to protect parent access to quality virtual public schools.
Sincerely,
Steven Isaacs
President
Oregon Virtual Public Schools Alliance