4J Educator
April 2023, Volume 1
Political Activity Reminder: The Do's & Don'ts During Election Season
The May election is just around the corner and four 4J school board positions are on the ballot.
This is a timely reminder that as public employees, we must be impartial and absolutely cannot advocate for or against any political candidate or ballot measure in our roles as public employees, or using public resources such as our email system. We CANNOT promote or oppose any candidate or ballot measure while on work time, speaking as a public employee, or using public resources.
Political advocacy using work time, district resources or our official capacity is not only an inappropriate use of our positions as public employees...it's against the law. Under Oregon elections law, public employees can only share factual and impartial information, as appropriate.
Please take time to review the relevant political activity guidelines for public employees and schools. It’s always a good idea to review these “do’s” and “don’ts” prior to an election.
WHAT: Virtual screening of RACE to be Human
WHEN: Now through April 17, 7:30 p.m.
LINK: Included in April 5 email from the 4J Department of Equity, Inclusion & Instruction
If you did not receive the email, send a message to equity@4j.lane.edu
The 46-minute documentary, which features interviews from students, experts, and educators, also explores how to foster healthy conversations about race and racism and how we can collectively move our society to one rooted in dignity and respect for individuals of all races and backgrounds. The film is recommended for students in grades 4 and above, but younger students are encouraged to watch with their parents spur conversations regarding the topics.
This is the final documentary of four that 4J has shown this school year to help spur conversations about important social issues faced by today’s youth.
Update on New High School Schedule Implementation
Next week, three of the four work groups (flex day, scheduling, and professional development) tasked with implementing the new high school schedule will make recommendations to the superintendent’s cabinet for its review and approval, concluding the bulk of the work group assignments.
An update and a frequently asked questions list then will be shared with high school staff, along with a schedule of Q&A sessions to learn more from district leaders and work group participants. The first of those sessions will be next Friday, April 21, at 3 p.m in the Ed Center auditorium. Additional sessions and topic-specific discussions will be held at future dates this spring to ensure that everyone has the information they need to start the new school year successfully.
We know that this process has been bumpy, with information coming in waves as teams work on recommendations that are finalized by district leadership. This approach can lead to misinformation or conjecture that, in turn, can create anxiety. For that, we’re sorry. As a large system dedicated to a collaborative process, we want to honor the time and commitment of individuals from across the district who have deliberated over many different alternatives at each decision point. Releasing information before finalized hampers that process, but also delays factual updates.
Thank you to all who have remained flexible and open to the new schedule that remains grounded in opening access and opportunity for our historically underserved student groups. Please look for additional updates next week.
Dependent Eligibility Verification is Here
Employees who have dependents on their insurance plans provided through 4J must submit documents soon to verify their dependents' eligibility — or risk losing the coverage.
As a reminder, the timelines to submit the documentation now will be split up by employee group, as follows:
• Licensed/MAPS: Employees in the two groups already should have received email and mail notification from the Oregon Educators Benefit Board of the verification process. A second communication will go out to employees who haven't yet submitted their documentation in the next few days. The deadline to submit the required documentation for all employees in the two groups is Friday, April 28.
• Classified: Employees in the group will receive their first notification of the verification process from OEBB by email on Friday, May 5, and by mail after Monday, May 8. A second communication will go out to employees who haven't yet submitted their documentation during the week of June 1. The deadline to submit the required documentation for all employees in this group is Tuesday, June 27.
