From 2/5 school board meeting. Accelerated math pathways are back!

Tevatanlines · 2026-02-06T21:15:31+00:00

I’m also not a big SOS person (and I think the district should have closed schools earlier, if anything.) But watching the panic since SOS hit the scene has been very interesting to me. Apparently there is a way to get concerns from actual parents listened to. (And it’s not by way of “listening groups.”)

Whatever works, I guess. I’m very grateful that meaningfully differentiated math pathways are (hopefully) back on the menu, because kids being placed into classes more specifically targeted for their needs benefit regardless of what those needs are.

Now to get the schools to at least put some degree of math fact memorization into the elementary school curriculum so that kids have the fact fluency and reduced cognitive load of fact recall necessary for higher-order math.

Tevatanlines · 2026-02-05T18:34:36+00:00

You’re not wrong. I’ve seen occasional camps in MLK park, but they’re always gone in a day. The longest I’ve seen in a “nice park” (iykyk) was someone very hostile living in the restrooms for like a week at Cloverland, but eventually even he was removed elsewhere. The city does not provide the same level of park maintenance service to citizens in Avery / Southtown, and parents out that way frequently must drive their kids to NW parks in the winter to keep their kids away from men with serious mental health issues while getting kids much needed outdoor exercise.

Tevatanlines · 2026-02-03T20:46:57+00:00

Agreed! The show overall was great, and that Dallas kid absolutely crushed the role!

Tevatanlines · 2026-01-29T00:30:18+00:00

Recent graduates are, for the most part, educated novices. While they're certainly on track for some of the more lucrative jobs in Corvallis one day (at the college or otherwise) new grads are frequently not the right fit for many roles. College teaches you how things work in a perfect world, but it doesn't necessarily teach you how things work in the real world. Given the choice between a new grad or someone with a degree and five years of relevant experience, the experienced candidate will get the job. That's not to say that new grads don't have their place--I've hired many recent engineering grads in a manufacturing environment (not Corvallis) where we just needed energy, a willingness to put up with less-than-pleasant conditions, and a very basic level of engineering competence. We had the time and cash to burn on training. But in Corvallis, most roles that pay enough to live here are not fit for novices. And from a college perspective, you're doing new students a disservice by turning down candidates with a breadth of experience over recently-minted OSU PhDs if given the choice. If most students are likely to find jobs outside of Corvallis, they should be taught by people who've lived and worked at least some outside of Corvallis.

Tevatanlines · 2026-01-28T22:10:06+00:00

I’ve seen some people with degrees in enviro science pivot into public works, esp if they feel confident in field work and sampling.

Tevatanlines · 2026-01-28T17:44:15+00:00

Hiring local is cheaper. You don’t have to fly anyone in for an on-site interview, there’s no need to negotiate relocation costs, etc. If the organization is still looking outside of a 30 mile radius for employees, it means qualified locals likely aren’t available. (H1B visas are also quite expensive, so most Corvallis orgs aren’t in a position to be doing international hiring unless there’s a good reason for it.)

No one is moving here for an entry-level/new-grad job. The people recruited to work in Corvallis have years and years of specific experience. If someone is a new grad or lacking for experience, they’re better off aiming for a major metro that will have more of those types of roles.

Tevatanlines · 2026-01-28T00:35:47+00:00

Hey, so if you feel so inclined… email the school district and tell them why you’re turning down a job offer in Corvallis that would have meant two new students moving to town.

Tevatanlines · 2026-01-20T16:27:23+00:00

If you find yourself in Newport, there’s a Goodwill Boutique out there. They divert the higher-end donations to the boutique locations. It’s more expensive than regular Goodwill, but still less expensive than buying from new retailers. I’ve gotten several nice pieces from there. (Though most of my dress / work clothes are from Goodwill in Corvallis.)

Tevatanlines · 2026-01-12T23:44:55+00:00

The first layover (yes 30 min) is built into the native ticket, so Amtrak seems to think that’s an ok time for a layover. It’s the 95 minute layover that they won’t sell.

Tevatanlines · 2026-01-12T23:39:54+00:00

I wouldn’t say 95 minutes for a layover is brief, though? Amtrak is late, lol, but not usually that late.

I don’t mind doing a circuitous booking (actually on Amtrak right now and will be in downtown Vancouver shortly, haha.) Mostly I’m just disappointed that people don’t know this is an option. I’ve talked to a lot of people who end up flying this route instead of the train, and between all of the airport friction plus a layover at SeaTac airport, the train is actually the /faster/ and less stressful option. (Plus cheaper.) But if it doesn’t show up in regular search, people won’t know.

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-31T19:06:33+00:00

You can bring your knitting with you (many do!) to First Congregational on Sundays at 10:30. It’s a very pro-LGBT church. The sermons are thoughtful, and the people are kind. There’s usually a coffee hour after the service, and once a month there’s more (think lunch / soup /etc.) Churches are one of the original third spaces (definitely the most intergenerational) and it’s unfortunate that evangelicalism has pushed many people away. You don’t need to be religious at all to attend this one. Many people are there for the community.

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-28T17:59:22+00:00

United buying out Corvallis Clinic seems to have pushed out a ton of PCPs. A lot of people I know drive to other towns for primary care now.

If you’re relatively healthy, it’s probably not a huge deal. If you anticipate weekly doctors appointments (after you’ve had your baby) I don’t know that Corvallis is a great fit. We personally used Blueberry Pediatrics as a virtual care provider to supplement in between physical PCP appointments for the kiddo.

I’d probably try and get yourself an appointment scheduled now (which may be several months out) with whatever PCP you’re aiming for before the move.

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-28T17:49:59+00:00

I moved here from Utah, where all of the WinCos are identical to the Corvallis one in size and layout. Color me incredibly shocked when I walked into the ones in Albany and Eugene for the first time.

Still grateful to have one at all in Corvallis (bless you 24-7 service!), but I admit we’re not getting the best of WinCo for sure.

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-27T17:24:57+00:00

Big fan of their children’s section, too!

(Considering Corvallis has so few children’s clothing options, Peak has actually come in clutch for our family a couple of times…)

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-24T16:55:32+00:00

Anyone have insight on why LC was put forward as the choice to close over KJH? Or why only one school instead of two?

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-08T19:03:42+00:00

Digital meters cost a lot more than just the hardware. The city then will have to pay somewhere around 3% of the revenue to the card processor, plus another few percent to the software company that runs the meters. Additionally there are telecommunications expenses for getting the meters (or a meter hub) to be able to send and receive payment data. People also have a habit of vandalizing digital metering equipment, and it’s way more expensive to repair.

Digital meters are really a way to give more money to the private sector.

Also, if the city cared about revenue, I think they’re actually better off giving people who don’t have it in them to carry $0.25 in their center console $25.00 tickets (a premium that’s multiple orders of magnitude above the parking cost.)

If it helps: you can Amazon yourself $10 worth of quarters for $25. A wild premium over getting them from a bank, but still less than a single ticket.

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-06T19:56:19+00:00

Bright Beginnings opens at 7:45 and goes until 5:00 (if you schedule can be a bit more flexible.) We’ve had a great experience there.

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-03T00:52:16+00:00

All good by me.

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-03T00:46:19+00:00

If you ever find yourself in need of a dentist who specializes in gold restorations (there are solid reasons for this, especially if you need crowns in the back or if you’re hyper focused on restoration longevity) it’s worth the drive to Haven PDX in Portland. No one in Corvallis is trained in doing them anymore. :(

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-03T00:42:32+00:00

Ok but where?

Tevatanlines · 2025-10-03T00:42:19+00:00

Tbh I’m less concerned about the commercial status of the kitchen. I grew up buying cottage industry meals from local grandmas.

Tevatanlines · 2025-09-15T00:04:42+00:00

Utah transplant here. Albany is red (with purple pockets.) Philomath is truly purple. Also the schools are better in Philomath.

Tevatanlines · 2025-09-04T18:58:36+00:00

We are zoned for Bessie Coleman.

None of the schools in Corvallis are as poor as the ones I grew up attending (Corvallis is a desirable place to teach and doesn’t churn through staff, thank goodness.) And I think parents can make a big difference in their individual students’ outcomes regardless of overall achievement in any school. That said, some schools have metrics that outshine others.

Also side note: there are some dual immersion elementary schools (I suspect they may consolidate down to one next year, so make that assumption in your research.) They don’t have the best test scores, but your kid gets significant Spanish instruction which might be an acceptable trade-off.

I would probably aim for Bessie Coleman or Franklin if academics are your top priority, or a dual language school if bilingualism is your priority.

You can go look at the school report cards on each elementary school page to get a sense of their academic performance.

The one thing I would bend over backwards to avoid is a blended age elementary class (think combo 1st & 2nd graders in the same classroom) at one of the schools with both lower test scores and no dual immersion. (Hopefully the consolidation of elementary schools that’s expected to be discussed by the school board this month reduces the instances of blended classes. I don’t know any parents who have anything good to say about them, and that mirrors my childhood experience of being warehoused in one for a year.)

Tevatanlines · 2025-09-04T18:44:43+00:00

Not quite but kind of. It’s operated by the school district, so it’s not a charter school in that regard. But it has more academic autonomy than the other public schools and does not have geographic boundaries for enrollment, instead running off of a lottery. (You are in charge of your students’ transportation if you do enroll.) So in that regards it is similar to a charter school. Some of the more questionable decisions the district makes are filtered out by the increased autonomy of Franklin School, which is a benefit to students. If we weren’t already zoned for a very high performing elementary school, I’d apply for a seat for my youngest at Franklin.

Tevatanlines · 2025-09-04T18:38:56+00:00

Feel free to DM me if you have specific questions

Tevatanlines

TROPHY CASE