City budget committee sends proposed budget back to explore more options
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 3, 2024
Have committee members added some sugar pills to the city’s bad-tasting budget medicine? They sent it back to city staff Wednesday night to explore some suggested options for possible revision.
Longtime Independence resident John Thomas, who contacted Trammart News about the budget prior to the committee meeting, said the prospect of a monthly $27 public-safety fee, a 5.5% hike in the water bill and a voter-approved levy this fall to pay for needed city services is the result of an ongoing “intractable problem“ of loans being repaid well into the future. But on Thursday he acknowledged that the action by the committee shows “their eyes have opened.”
Thomas seemed to represent a view shared by several residents, who said they were reluctant to publicly comment on the issue, though a few wrote emails or letters outlining their objections. “And why would they want to speak?” Thomas asked. “You get three minutes” in contrast with city representatives. By the time a decision is made, there may be approval for “borrowing money to buy a band-aid,” he said.
In fact, a resident did testify. Erin McIntosh, a member of the Independence Parks and Recreation Board, asked that the city pool reopening remain a priority. She also strongly recommended that the land the closed pool occupies – suggested at one point by City Councilor Marilyn Morton as a lot that possibly could be sold – stay included in the city property.
This year, by rejecting the city’s budget proposal, the budget committee showed some common sense, Thomas observed. “Like carpenters, you should measure twice before you cut,” he said. The committee, which is tasked with hours of volunteer work time, is made up of a dozen citizens, equally divided among community members and city councilors.
City Councilor Dawn Roden kicked off the movement to send back the current budget with some new ideas for options, and City Councilor Kathy Martin-Willis appeared to support the concept when she called for an “opportunity to go around the room and share your thoughts, your best cost-cutting measures.”
Instead, the committee approved a motion that allowed the committee members to email ideas to City Manager Kenna West for consideration. Some ideas mentioned at the meeting included an entrance fee for the museum, cutbacks on the summer series with possible payment for the shows and a two-day Fourth of July event rather than three days, so that costs could be cut for Independence Days.
Though City Councilor Kate Schwarzler had suggested passage of the budget Wednesday night wouldn’t preclude some of the cost reductions by city staff, returning it to staff seemed to garner wide support. Two budget committee members, City Councilor Sarah Jobe and community member Jesica Porter, announced they wouldn’t vote to approve the budget as presented. The consensus to come back with exploration of options for the budget committee proved to be unanimous.
One resident who didn’t wish to be quoted by name commented after the meeting that Erin Seiler was a standout as a committee member because she previously stated that a vigorous public campaign for a levy should be undertaken if that remains a choice. “She said this is important information to get out there, and I can tell you that will take a lot of effort and convincing,” he said. The next budget committee meeting is scheduled to be held this coming Wednesday, May 8, in the lower part of the Independence Civic Center at 6:30 pm. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 3, 2024
Have committee members added some sugar pills to the city’s bad-tasting budget medicine? They sent it back to city staff Wednesday night to explore some suggested options for possible revision.
Longtime Independence resident John Thomas, who contacted Trammart News about the budget prior to the committee meeting, said the prospect of a monthly $27 public-safety fee, a 5.5% hike in the water bill and a voter-approved levy this fall to pay for needed city services is the result of an ongoing “intractable problem“ of loans being repaid well into the future. But on Thursday he acknowledged that the action by the committee shows “their eyes have opened.”
Thomas seemed to represent a view shared by several residents, who said they were reluctant to publicly comment on the issue, though a few wrote emails or letters outlining their objections. “And why would they want to speak?” Thomas asked. “You get three minutes” in contrast with city representatives. By the time a decision is made, there may be approval for “borrowing money to buy a band-aid,” he said.
In fact, a resident did testify. Erin McIntosh, a member of the Independence Parks and Recreation Board, asked that the city pool reopening remain a priority. She also strongly recommended that the land the closed pool occupies – suggested at one point by City Councilor Marilyn Morton as a lot that possibly could be sold – stay included in the city property.
This year, by rejecting the city’s budget proposal, the budget committee showed some common sense, Thomas observed. “Like carpenters, you should measure twice before you cut,” he said. The committee, which is tasked with hours of volunteer work time, is made up of a dozen citizens, equally divided among community members and city councilors.
City Councilor Dawn Roden kicked off the movement to send back the current budget with some new ideas for options, and City Councilor Kathy Martin-Willis appeared to support the concept when she called for an “opportunity to go around the room and share your thoughts, your best cost-cutting measures.”
Instead, the committee approved a motion that allowed the committee members to email ideas to City Manager Kenna West for consideration. Some ideas mentioned at the meeting included an entrance fee for the museum, cutbacks on the summer series with possible payment for the shows and a two-day Fourth of July event rather than three days, so that costs could be cut for Independence Days.
Though City Councilor Kate Schwarzler had suggested passage of the budget Wednesday night wouldn’t preclude some of the cost reductions by city staff, returning it to staff seemed to garner wide support. Two budget committee members, City Councilor Sarah Jobe and community member Jesica Porter, announced they wouldn’t vote to approve the budget as presented. The consensus to come back with exploration of options for the budget committee proved to be unanimous.
One resident who didn’t wish to be quoted by name commented after the meeting that Erin Seiler was a standout as a committee member because she previously stated that a vigorous public campaign for a levy should be undertaken if that remains a choice. “She said this is important information to get out there, and I can tell you that will take a lot of effort and convincing,” he said. The next budget committee meeting is scheduled to be held this coming Wednesday, May 8, in the lower part of the Independence Civic Center at 6:30 pm. ▪
Past track record of city decisions and current tax woes contributed to high city debt
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 3, 2024
An online difference of opinion between two city councilors was posted almost immediately in the wake of the city’s budget committee meeting in late April. A community member posted a comment about this year's budget package on the city's Facebook page – it includes a new fee and a proposed levy.
“If you are not familiar with Measures 5 and 50 and the impact they’ve had on revenue generation, then you should do some research,” wrote City Councilor Shannon Corr, who noted that cities are struggling all over Oregon and it has “nothing to do with poor fiscal management.”
The observation drew a prompt response from City Councilor Dawn Roden, who stated
that these tax-limiting measures are approximately 30 years old, an apparent indication
that the problem didn't just arise. Finally, another resident weighed in with a one-word explanation: “Both.”
Perhaps no truer word has ever been posted on a local Facebook page. An editorial analysis confirms that the debt in Independence has escalated. It also is happening in many cities, according to Charles Marohn Jr., founder and president of Strong Towns. But it isn’t just because tax reform is needed.
In an article about why a fiscal cliff looms in many towns, he pointed out that they use “cash accounting” – a form of municipal accounting in a class all its own. “To oversimplify, cash accounting ignores promises and long-term liabilities that cities make, focusing only on the amount of cash coming in and going out,” he stated.
Other financial experts have likened this form of city debt to having a big credit-card bill with low payments but a great credit rating. City services keep being provided; Borrowing continues.
The result? Voters think the city is living within its means “when they are not,” said Sheila Weinberg, founder and CEO of the non-profit Truth in Accounting, during an interview with CNBC last month.
An example is a public golf course that keeps getting subsidized by the city because it seems worthwhile to some, even though there may be relatively few golfers using it, observed Mark Moses, author of “The Municipal Financial Crisis,” which was published two years ago.
In a podcast on the subject, he cautioned budget committee members that “before your seat even gets warm from sitting down, you’ve got 80% of your budget already spent.”
What appears to have happened in Independence is an intertwining challenge.
The first apparently arose from meeting the preferences of city councilors – led by Mayor John McArdle – who had strong ideas about what could make the city an appealing hub. The second is the ramification of Measures 5 and 50, tax-constricting rules that mean incoming property tax revenues are outstripped by many of the costs for city services.
Below is a listing of how city debts seem to have incurred, according to seven years of observation by Trammart News.
MINET indebted the city. It was co-founded by Independence and Monmouth but failed
to generate enough profit to make payments on bonds initiated to build the municipal
fiberoptic. Eventually, about $10 out of the Independence monthly water bill was earmarked
for MINET’s obligation.
During this period, Councilor Marilyn Morton worked for MINET and frequently spoke highly of the company during meetings. Former City Manager David Clyne confirmed that he eventually insisted that Councilor Morton make sure to acknowledge her employee status with MINET, sometimes recusing herself from voting. A response was sought from Morton on this point, but there has been no reply.
Loans were needed from the city to help MINET make bond payments. Clyne also required that MINET report periodically to the city – documentation that was made available to councilors during his tenure.
Part of those promissory notes, about $4 million, are listed as a “doubtful account” in the latest municipal audit, which was pronounced as unlikely to be repaid when Trammart News requested an explanation by an outside expert. MINET is currently making the bond payments.
Museum sustainability lacked in-depth public discussion. The loan to relocate the museum from the aging church on 3rd Street to downtown Independence required a loan for the building purchase – a pre-existing space that needed refurbishing to accommodate the museum. There were unexpected infrastructure needs. Though the former museum site was sold, for an estimated $350,000 at the time, it was later reported to have provided less than half of the actual costs for relocation and renovation.
At no time during that period was Trammart News made privy to how the museum would be financed in the future – efforts to learn details regarding long-term financing went unanswered, except for a description of the loan.
In contrast, popular museums closest to the Heritage Museum aren't largely city-funded. Polk County Museum, in Rickreall, is a non-profit organization, funded through memberships, donations and fundraisers. The Corvallis Museum is similarly financed by the Benton County Historical Society. The Hallie Ford Museum, located in Salem near the state capitol, is supported by Willamette University.
Expenses were incurred for development. Independence Landing and the Independence Hotel, owned by Tokola Properties, were incentivized to develop the riverfront property. The development was seen as critical to revitalizing downtown, and it seems to have provided a stronger base for downtown pedestrian use.
Property taxes increased substantially for the land, which was sold for $162,000, once the apartment-townhome complex was built, along with the hotel.
However, it remains unclear whether the hoped-for performance benchmarks have been met – creating significant new revenue beyond re-payments. More than $2 million, for example, was provided for assistance to Tokola, including waivers for system development charges; Former City Manager Tom Pessemier characterized the agreement as a loan, not a waiver.
Essential maintenance was deferred. System development charges weren’t raised in an incremental and timely way, leading to revisions that now require about $50,000 in building fees and permits per home for housing construction. As a result, the builder in the Brandy Meadows subdivision halted construction in two scheduled phases, said Gerald Fisher, public works director, during the second session of the budget meetings. The builder, presumably, is Dalke Construction of Salem, Oregon.
Repeated attempts were made by Trammart News to obtain a response about the debt from the city's communications coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea, but went unanswered as was a request for comment from long-time Mayor John McArdle. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 3, 2024
An online difference of opinion between two city councilors was posted almost immediately in the wake of the city’s budget committee meeting in late April. A community member posted a comment about this year's budget package on the city's Facebook page – it includes a new fee and a proposed levy.
“If you are not familiar with Measures 5 and 50 and the impact they’ve had on revenue generation, then you should do some research,” wrote City Councilor Shannon Corr, who noted that cities are struggling all over Oregon and it has “nothing to do with poor fiscal management.”
The observation drew a prompt response from City Councilor Dawn Roden, who stated
that these tax-limiting measures are approximately 30 years old, an apparent indication
that the problem didn't just arise. Finally, another resident weighed in with a one-word explanation: “Both.”
Perhaps no truer word has ever been posted on a local Facebook page. An editorial analysis confirms that the debt in Independence has escalated. It also is happening in many cities, according to Charles Marohn Jr., founder and president of Strong Towns. But it isn’t just because tax reform is needed.
In an article about why a fiscal cliff looms in many towns, he pointed out that they use “cash accounting” – a form of municipal accounting in a class all its own. “To oversimplify, cash accounting ignores promises and long-term liabilities that cities make, focusing only on the amount of cash coming in and going out,” he stated.
Other financial experts have likened this form of city debt to having a big credit-card bill with low payments but a great credit rating. City services keep being provided; Borrowing continues.
The result? Voters think the city is living within its means “when they are not,” said Sheila Weinberg, founder and CEO of the non-profit Truth in Accounting, during an interview with CNBC last month.
An example is a public golf course that keeps getting subsidized by the city because it seems worthwhile to some, even though there may be relatively few golfers using it, observed Mark Moses, author of “The Municipal Financial Crisis,” which was published two years ago.
In a podcast on the subject, he cautioned budget committee members that “before your seat even gets warm from sitting down, you’ve got 80% of your budget already spent.”
What appears to have happened in Independence is an intertwining challenge.
The first apparently arose from meeting the preferences of city councilors – led by Mayor John McArdle – who had strong ideas about what could make the city an appealing hub. The second is the ramification of Measures 5 and 50, tax-constricting rules that mean incoming property tax revenues are outstripped by many of the costs for city services.
Below is a listing of how city debts seem to have incurred, according to seven years of observation by Trammart News.
MINET indebted the city. It was co-founded by Independence and Monmouth but failed
to generate enough profit to make payments on bonds initiated to build the municipal
fiberoptic. Eventually, about $10 out of the Independence monthly water bill was earmarked
for MINET’s obligation.
During this period, Councilor Marilyn Morton worked for MINET and frequently spoke highly of the company during meetings. Former City Manager David Clyne confirmed that he eventually insisted that Councilor Morton make sure to acknowledge her employee status with MINET, sometimes recusing herself from voting. A response was sought from Morton on this point, but there has been no reply.
Loans were needed from the city to help MINET make bond payments. Clyne also required that MINET report periodically to the city – documentation that was made available to councilors during his tenure.
Part of those promissory notes, about $4 million, are listed as a “doubtful account” in the latest municipal audit, which was pronounced as unlikely to be repaid when Trammart News requested an explanation by an outside expert. MINET is currently making the bond payments.
Museum sustainability lacked in-depth public discussion. The loan to relocate the museum from the aging church on 3rd Street to downtown Independence required a loan for the building purchase – a pre-existing space that needed refurbishing to accommodate the museum. There were unexpected infrastructure needs. Though the former museum site was sold, for an estimated $350,000 at the time, it was later reported to have provided less than half of the actual costs for relocation and renovation.
At no time during that period was Trammart News made privy to how the museum would be financed in the future – efforts to learn details regarding long-term financing went unanswered, except for a description of the loan.
In contrast, popular museums closest to the Heritage Museum aren't largely city-funded. Polk County Museum, in Rickreall, is a non-profit organization, funded through memberships, donations and fundraisers. The Corvallis Museum is similarly financed by the Benton County Historical Society. The Hallie Ford Museum, located in Salem near the state capitol, is supported by Willamette University.
Expenses were incurred for development. Independence Landing and the Independence Hotel, owned by Tokola Properties, were incentivized to develop the riverfront property. The development was seen as critical to revitalizing downtown, and it seems to have provided a stronger base for downtown pedestrian use.
Property taxes increased substantially for the land, which was sold for $162,000, once the apartment-townhome complex was built, along with the hotel.
However, it remains unclear whether the hoped-for performance benchmarks have been met – creating significant new revenue beyond re-payments. More than $2 million, for example, was provided for assistance to Tokola, including waivers for system development charges; Former City Manager Tom Pessemier characterized the agreement as a loan, not a waiver.
Essential maintenance was deferred. System development charges weren’t raised in an incremental and timely way, leading to revisions that now require about $50,000 in building fees and permits per home for housing construction. As a result, the builder in the Brandy Meadows subdivision halted construction in two scheduled phases, said Gerald Fisher, public works director, during the second session of the budget meetings. The builder, presumably, is Dalke Construction of Salem, Oregon.
Repeated attempts were made by Trammart News to obtain a response about the debt from the city's communications coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea, but went unanswered as was a request for comment from long-time Mayor John McArdle. ▪
An interview with the head of the Central Education Association, Nathan Muti
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 3, 2024
INTRO:
If Nathan Muti isn't a household name among Independence’s parents, maybe he should be. As head of what most in town simply call "the teacher's union" – Central Education Association, the local chapter of the Oregon Education Association – he is a visible presence at meetings of Central School District 13J. But he's a high-profile educator among peers, too, a fifth-grade teacher whose students are well prepared for middle school and eager to learn when they get to that big transitional phase at Talmadge.
Known as an idealist with creative lesson-planning that emphasizes hands-on learning, including math taught with beads, blocks and the Socratic method of posing questions, it wasn't much of an interruption for Muti to return to pencils and paper necessitated by an unfortunate hacking attack on the CSD13J. He has always combined old and new, to try to reach every student who might have a learning style different from others.
Muti, who teaches at Ash Creek Elementary School, was a fierce supporter of outdoor school, an invaluable period of learning in a camp-like setting that so many other districts offer. In fact, he brings the outside into the classroom as often as he can with live science projects that also teach math -- bean counting, yes, but with real seeds that sprout and grow.
Muti said he tries to "create a culture" so that the more than two dozen children he teaches daily during the academic year know they are walking into a place and space all for them and their learning. "It isn't easy," he conceded. To find out how and why -- which are the very questions Muti asks of his young students -- Trammart News had a long lunch, and conversation, with the union leader sometimes just called "Mister" in class.
TN: Let's start with a very basic question. How did you end up a teacher?
Muti: Being a teacher, I think, is really a calling. You don't go into it for monetary reasons. You have a chance to be with maybe 25 different individuals for a period of time in their lives that hopefully will make a difference in it.
TN: How did you become a teacher?
Muti: The short answer is: the same way everyone else does. I went to college, in my case Linfield.
TN: Did your family have anything to do with it?
Muti: I always was drawn to that kind of interaction, I guess. I have two younger sisters. This kind of learning is a very social thing. I really love that about it. It is really something to be around so many different personalities on a daily basis.
TN: Was there a moment when you knew this was your goal, to be a teacher?
Muti: Yes, and I remember it. I grew up in Milwaukie. I was a swimmer and a swim instructor. I remember one day as I was teaching swim lessons, thinking to myself, "I bet it would be a lot easier to teach if I was in a quiet and calm classroom...”
TN: I know you had some other experience, teaching in Yamhill County. But you ended up
here, in a district that has some real challenges. Relatively low test scores, high absenteeism, discipline issues.
Muti: Well, for one thing, we are still coming back from covid. I don't know if anyone could have guessed how disruptive that was ... it seems to have resulted in a disequilibrium. I think all teachers are trying to address this – that when school reopened it wasn't an automatic, immediate return to the way things once were. This is going to take some time. I think we are getting there, by connecting it to compassion...
TN: How do you even begin to address that?
Muti: I don't avoid addressing polarizing issues if I can do so in a way that engages students. Topics like whether masks were a good thing, for example. If someone brings something like this up, we can look at it from each other's viewpoints. How do we feel? How do we want to talk about this? Not right or wrong, but what do we have to say, in a respectful way to each other?
TN: You know, I could have really benefited from that when I was growing up, to throw in an unsolicited opinion here.
Muti: I think discourse is so important. So is teamwork. That's why I like it in the classroom. Kids can really learn so much from one another.
TN: That sounds like it takes time and patience.
Muti: I think it takes support, and we are facing labor shortages – teacher's aides and other assistance. I think that kind of support is key.
TN: And isn't all of this recovery period from the pandemic, as I call it, a burden on teachers as well as students? After being away from the classroom setting and out of the habit of sitting at a desk or listening to an adult for a long period, students can have a difficult readjustment. I get that. But what about the teachers who teach them?
Muti: Yes, it is important to keep in mind that this period didn't just separate students from one another, but teachers from students and from each other. A classroom can be isolating even in the best of times.
TN: It sounds like you are talking about the need for support ...
Muti: There are a thousand different things expected of teachers now. Just so many. I could go on about the many different ways that they are impacted in their profession. This district has a high number – maybe the highest in the state – of students who are living in alternate arrangements, including group homes (for homeless.) It's important to focus on the goal, which is effective classroom engagement for teaching.
TN: I hear you are a very good math teacher.
Muti: I could get carried away with teaching math if I let myself. The way it is being taught now is really giving it the "sticky-ness" that it should.
TN: Do you mean it is not so rote, now?
Muti: Yes. Yes. We really work on teaching what math looks like in the real world. It isn't just numbers and operations on a page. Math is nouns and verbs.
TN: What keeps you from getting discouraged?
Muti: I think everyone gets discouraged. There is a lot of bureaucracy in teaching now. It can get frustrating. But making gains with students actually is very encouraging.
TN: You keep coming back to how you reach for understanding, how important it is not to be judgmental, how jumping to conclusions can be misleading? It's remarkable, really, in a world where it seems so many have strong opinions ...
Muti: The importance of keeping an open mind cannot be overstated. I enjoy people I don't necessarily agree with.
TN: What a skill! If only it could be bottled and available for sale. Is that quality one big reason why you are considered such a leader – and elected to head the teachers' union?
Muti: I don't know. In my own mind I am a Type A perfectionist.
TN: You don't seem to have the rigidity and inflexibility I associate with that label.
Muti: Well, what I mean is I always think that things always could be better than I have performed them, and it keeps me trying to improve. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 3, 2024
INTRO:
If Nathan Muti isn't a household name among Independence’s parents, maybe he should be. As head of what most in town simply call "the teacher's union" – Central Education Association, the local chapter of the Oregon Education Association – he is a visible presence at meetings of Central School District 13J. But he's a high-profile educator among peers, too, a fifth-grade teacher whose students are well prepared for middle school and eager to learn when they get to that big transitional phase at Talmadge.
Known as an idealist with creative lesson-planning that emphasizes hands-on learning, including math taught with beads, blocks and the Socratic method of posing questions, it wasn't much of an interruption for Muti to return to pencils and paper necessitated by an unfortunate hacking attack on the CSD13J. He has always combined old and new, to try to reach every student who might have a learning style different from others.
Muti, who teaches at Ash Creek Elementary School, was a fierce supporter of outdoor school, an invaluable period of learning in a camp-like setting that so many other districts offer. In fact, he brings the outside into the classroom as often as he can with live science projects that also teach math -- bean counting, yes, but with real seeds that sprout and grow.
Muti said he tries to "create a culture" so that the more than two dozen children he teaches daily during the academic year know they are walking into a place and space all for them and their learning. "It isn't easy," he conceded. To find out how and why -- which are the very questions Muti asks of his young students -- Trammart News had a long lunch, and conversation, with the union leader sometimes just called "Mister" in class.
TN: Let's start with a very basic question. How did you end up a teacher?
Muti: Being a teacher, I think, is really a calling. You don't go into it for monetary reasons. You have a chance to be with maybe 25 different individuals for a period of time in their lives that hopefully will make a difference in it.
TN: How did you become a teacher?
Muti: The short answer is: the same way everyone else does. I went to college, in my case Linfield.
TN: Did your family have anything to do with it?
Muti: I always was drawn to that kind of interaction, I guess. I have two younger sisters. This kind of learning is a very social thing. I really love that about it. It is really something to be around so many different personalities on a daily basis.
TN: Was there a moment when you knew this was your goal, to be a teacher?
Muti: Yes, and I remember it. I grew up in Milwaukie. I was a swimmer and a swim instructor. I remember one day as I was teaching swim lessons, thinking to myself, "I bet it would be a lot easier to teach if I was in a quiet and calm classroom...”
TN: I know you had some other experience, teaching in Yamhill County. But you ended up
here, in a district that has some real challenges. Relatively low test scores, high absenteeism, discipline issues.
Muti: Well, for one thing, we are still coming back from covid. I don't know if anyone could have guessed how disruptive that was ... it seems to have resulted in a disequilibrium. I think all teachers are trying to address this – that when school reopened it wasn't an automatic, immediate return to the way things once were. This is going to take some time. I think we are getting there, by connecting it to compassion...
TN: How do you even begin to address that?
Muti: I don't avoid addressing polarizing issues if I can do so in a way that engages students. Topics like whether masks were a good thing, for example. If someone brings something like this up, we can look at it from each other's viewpoints. How do we feel? How do we want to talk about this? Not right or wrong, but what do we have to say, in a respectful way to each other?
TN: You know, I could have really benefited from that when I was growing up, to throw in an unsolicited opinion here.
Muti: I think discourse is so important. So is teamwork. That's why I like it in the classroom. Kids can really learn so much from one another.
TN: That sounds like it takes time and patience.
Muti: I think it takes support, and we are facing labor shortages – teacher's aides and other assistance. I think that kind of support is key.
TN: And isn't all of this recovery period from the pandemic, as I call it, a burden on teachers as well as students? After being away from the classroom setting and out of the habit of sitting at a desk or listening to an adult for a long period, students can have a difficult readjustment. I get that. But what about the teachers who teach them?
Muti: Yes, it is important to keep in mind that this period didn't just separate students from one another, but teachers from students and from each other. A classroom can be isolating even in the best of times.
TN: It sounds like you are talking about the need for support ...
Muti: There are a thousand different things expected of teachers now. Just so many. I could go on about the many different ways that they are impacted in their profession. This district has a high number – maybe the highest in the state – of students who are living in alternate arrangements, including group homes (for homeless.) It's important to focus on the goal, which is effective classroom engagement for teaching.
TN: I hear you are a very good math teacher.
Muti: I could get carried away with teaching math if I let myself. The way it is being taught now is really giving it the "sticky-ness" that it should.
TN: Do you mean it is not so rote, now?
Muti: Yes. Yes. We really work on teaching what math looks like in the real world. It isn't just numbers and operations on a page. Math is nouns and verbs.
TN: What keeps you from getting discouraged?
Muti: I think everyone gets discouraged. There is a lot of bureaucracy in teaching now. It can get frustrating. But making gains with students actually is very encouraging.
TN: You keep coming back to how you reach for understanding, how important it is not to be judgmental, how jumping to conclusions can be misleading? It's remarkable, really, in a world where it seems so many have strong opinions ...
Muti: The importance of keeping an open mind cannot be overstated. I enjoy people I don't necessarily agree with.
TN: What a skill! If only it could be bottled and available for sale. Is that quality one big reason why you are considered such a leader – and elected to head the teachers' union?
Muti: I don't know. In my own mind I am a Type A perfectionist.
TN: You don't seem to have the rigidity and inflexibility I associate with that label.
Muti: Well, what I mean is I always think that things always could be better than I have performed them, and it keeps me trying to improve. ▪
RSS Feed