This piece originally appeared in the online publication Northwest Observer Sunday, 9 January 2022 under the title "Congressional Candidate Speaks Out on Recall Effort" combined from staff reports

Two Newberg school board members have been targeted for recall by special interest groups primarily funded by sources outside of the community. An Oregon congressional candidate is saying that this should be recognized as merely a political ploy..

Chair Brian Shannon and Vice Chair Dave Brown were both duly elected to their positions by voters in the Newberg School District.

"Like many school board members throughout the country, they've been fighting to make sure that children in the district receive the quality education they deserve," said Angela Plowhead, who is running for Oregon's 6^th Congressional District. "They've done everything they can to represent the voters who put them into office."

"Many of those voters are parents," she continued. "They have long felt ignored by bureaucrats and members of the educational establishment. Those parents are understandably concerned that school officials are focusing too much on bombarding students with political ideology and agendas, rather than the fundamentals that will serve them well in their adult lives."

Dr. Angela Plowhead, who runs a psychology practice in Oregon, is seeking the Republican nomination to contend for election in November to represent Oregon's new 6th District in Congress. The district covers all of Yamhill and Polk counties and portions of Washington, Clackamas, and Marion counties adjacent to I-5, including Tualatin, Wilsonville, and Salem/Keizer. She spoke in Newberg, in support of Shannon and Brown.

"For decades now, we’ve seen control of education shift further and further away from parents and the community," she said. "The creation of the federal Department of Education in the late 1970s was done in the name of improving outcomes. But despite billions of dollars being spent over the past four decades, there has been little to show for that agency's efforts as American education outcomes regularly underperform those of other developed nations."

Plowhead also called out the complicity by the teachers unions, "Even more shocking over the last few years is the transition to highly controversial curriculum created by advocacy and special interest groups and supported by unions into legislation. After years of record revenues flowing into Oregon's education system and new taxes being proposed and implemented in the name of improving this system, Oregon now ranks 48^th in the nation in education."

She points out that our kids are suffering. Not just academically, but emotionally. "In my perspective as a clinical psychologist," she advised, "the damage that is being done to children in our public schools is unnecessary and completely avoidable. Rather than reading, writing, and mathematics, they're being hypersexualized and made overly anxious and depressed about their carbon footprints and whether they are victims or oppressors. Instead of being taught history, they're being subjected to the bias of their instructors, who very seldom[ly] face scrutiny or consequences for the outcomes and results, although our children are more depressed and committing suicide at higher rates than ever."

It seems to many observers that parents throughout the nation are pushing back. Education was a major issue in the recent Virginia governor's election. One candidate essentially told parents that it's none of their business what their children are being taught in schools. They responded by flocking to the polls in droves to ensure his defeat.

"It is this attitude of educators believing they know better than you what is best for your child that has dominated the local school boards, until parents have started standing up to them, which is what Shannon and Brown have done," Plowhead explained. They "are being attacked for taking a courageous stance and giving parents in the Newberg School District a voice. They should be applauded for their attempt to get the district back to the basics that have been ignored for too long."

Plowhead stated that the recall effort "is nothing more than a waste of time and money that would only undo the results of previous elections, where the community has already spoken and selected who they wanted."

"These same kinds of special interest groups that have disastrously dominated education at the federal and state levels are trying to gain a foothold at the local level, " she asserted. "However, we can still maintain some independent influence by pushing back against their attempts to override the voices of parents and our community at large. I strongly urge the voters of the Newberg School District to recognize this recall election for what it is and reject it outright. Vote 'No' to the recall."

The recall election is scheduled to conclude next Tuesday, January 18^th. Ballots must be deposited in an official drop box or postmarked by the Post Office no later than that day to be counted.