December 13th: Salem Keizer Superintendent Andrea Castañeda
Salem-Keizer Public Schools is at a financial inflection point. The decisions that need to be made require educational and financial strategy. They must come before the community for authentic discussion, engagement, and input. And they will impact the experience of the 40,000 students and 6,000 staff in our schools every day in the coming years.
How do Salem-Keizer Public School’s efforts in this moment meet or fail Rotary’s 4-Way Test? And what can we learn together about this test of public institutions, public leadership, and public trust?
Hear the answers to these questions and more, directly from Salem-Keizer School District’s Superintendent Castañeda, at this week’s meeting.
Program Chair: Lara Tiffin
Leading Through THIS Moment to Get to SUCCESS
Greetings, Fellow Rotarians!
“No leader can execute a strategy alone.”
Those words jumped off of the page at me as I sipped my coffee and listened to the wild, driving rain hit my windows this past Sunday morning. Written by internationally renowned investment banker Carla A. Harris (www.carlaspearls.com) and appearing exactly ¾ of the way down page 186 of Lead to Win (New York: Avery, 2022), this brilliant observation is one we should take time to absorb.
Why? Because this week we will welcome Salem-Keizer School District 24-J Superintendent Andrea Casteneda. Our newest leader of the second-largest school district in Oregon AND one of our newest Rotary Club of Salem members, Andrea brings a wealth of experience, wisdom and courage to a community and an educational system facing serious challenges. The safety, education and futures of the over 38,000 students in our district hang in the balance. If we accept the reality that “no leader can execute a strategy alone,” then, as Rotarians, let’s welcome Andrea with open arms, listen carefully, and then bravely ask, “What can we do to help?”
Welcoming the incredible Judson Middle School students last week and hearing their singing just completely made my day! Thank you, Karl, for putting that together. Karl corrected me – our school music programs have earned FIVE Grammy awards! That is a testament to the strategic investments our district has made in music. For our next generations to succeed, we must educate and inspire the whole child. Thank you SO much for showing up for those kids last week – you really made them feel seen and your presence spoke volumes. Together we can help our leaders lead through THIS moment to success.
Looking forward to seeing you Wednesday!
Yours in Rotary Service,
Kindly,
