September 2003

Betsy Biller, Assistant Superintendent
Hillsboro School District
Phone: (503) 844-1500

BACKGROUND

Students Advocating For Future Education (SAFFE) is the new “kid on the block” – literally, in school funding politics. The group began when students at Hillsboro’s Glencoe High School felt compelled to join Oregon’s school budget debate in the spring of 2003. Their work reverberated from selling lemonade on the Capitol steps to news coverage in the New York Times. Last April, students wanted to “do something” for their teachers, but wanted to aim higher than simply buying flowers or gift certificates. They decided to rally their community around school funding. The idea began with students Ian Atkins and Amanda McFadden.

GOALS

“Our goal is to unify student voices to bring about reform and improvement in the educational system through direct communication with our governor, legislators and members of the community,” states SAFFE’s Web site. The group began regular visits to the Capitol starting last April. So they got organized and hit the Capitol.

“At a time when Hillsboro faced the shortest school year in the state, reduced services, increased class size and lost programs – the community angrily sought information and people to blame,” said Betsy Biller, assistant superintendent. “SAFFE’s core group of peers helped bring sanity and proactive, creative plans to the crisis.”

Within a week of organizing the group, students had distributed bilingual (Spanish and English) fliers to homes and schools. More than 900 people showed up for a school district budget meeting at Glencoe High.

WEB AS HUB

Leave it to high school students to capitalize on technology. SAFFE created a handy online step-by-step guide for student groups to start SAFFE chapters in their schools. More than 600 people received email updates through this site during the legislature. 

“We came up with a step-by-step plan that worked for us, so we created a Web site around it to help other students,” Atkins said, crediting Ed Dennis with suggesting the Web site idea. Dennis, Chief of Staff for the Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction, served on the Hillsboro City Council last year. 

“Ian has innate leadership skills,” Dennis said. “He’s amazing. He kept the group focused on the big picture; he even gave up his senior track season to travel to Portland, Eugene and other locations on behalf of SAFFE.”

ALMOST FAMOUS

The group gained media attention several times during the protracted 2003 Legislature. At one point, they sponsored a lemonade stand on the Capitol steps – for a mere $100,000 per cup they would sell lemonade and help fund important school programs. New York Times political columnist Bob Herbert mentioned them in a column, as did the Oregonian, Newsday and several other news media.

Standing before a rally of nearly 1,000 people in April, Atkins reminded parents that students depend on adults for guidance when situations become tough.

“We learned a tremendous amount, it was fascinating,” Atkins said. “Some adults have the perception that kids think this stuff is boring – we counteracted that idea.”

FUTURE

Most of the founders have gone away to college, but their commitment continues.
Students started other chapters: Taft High in Newport (Contacts are Trent Bigelow, Liu Yuanbo); Scappoose High started a chapter mid-summer.

Ian Atkins is currently an “undeclared” freshman at the University of Oregon.

CREDIT ALSO GOES TO

Cohorts at Glencoe High: Dan Blaisdell, currently student at PCC, and Amanda McFadden; Mike O’Neill, Century High.