Letters to the Editor, Week of Nov. 27

Opinion: When Kids Are Left Behind, Our Community Loses, Too

Every child deserves to feel like they belong — but for many kids with disabilities or those impacted by trauma, school can become a place of stress instead of possibility. Too often, these children are misunderstood, excluded or left behind because the system wasn’t built with their needs in mind.

Across Central Oregon, more and more children are being removed from classrooms because their behaviors are too big, too loud, or too hard to manage. Many of these students have disabilities or have experienced trauma, and their behaviors are not signs of defiance — they are signals of stress. As a result, parents are being forced to make impossible choices: leaving work early, juggling repeated calls to pick up their child or even pulling them out of school entirely feeling forced to homeschool. When we respond to distress with exclusion, we don’t solve the problem, we deepen it, and we send a painful message: you don’t belong here. In the 2023–24 school year, more than 10,000 Oregon students with disabilities were suspended or expelled, according to the Oregon Department of Education’s Children with Disabilities Subject to Disciplinary Removal report. This reflects a national trend as well — students with disabilities are disciplined at nearly twice the rate of their nondisabled peers, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights 2020–21 Civil Rights Data Collection.

The truth is, some of these behaviors are challenging. They can disrupt classrooms and stretch teachers thin. However, rather than labeling these children as “problems,” we have to recognize that they are underserved. Their needs are different, not impossible. With the right environment, relationships and skill-building supports, these same students can and do thrive.

That belief is what led us to create BEAM. We are a local program that helps kids with complex behavioral and emotional needs rediscover learning and belonging. At BEAM, we don’t see children as broken or bad, we see their unmet needs and build the skills they’re missing. We teach emotional regulation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution alongside academics. We repair, reconnect, and rebuild confidence.

The transformation is undeniable. One BEAM parent recently shared, “My son has grown more in six months at BEAM than he did in four years at school.” And one of our fifth-grade students said, “Before BEAM, life was hard. I didn’t know how to handle big feelings or feel like I belonged anywhere. Now I feel better about myself and like I can handle challenges.”

While BEAM’s impact continues to grow through community partnerships and direct collaboration with dedicated teachers and school teams, our efforts to establish a formal partnership with the district have not been met with interest at this time. We recognize the challenges large systems face, but this only reinforces why community-driven solutions are so essential. We know that teachers want to teach and students want to learn. But for some children, the traditional classroom simply isn’t enough. That’s why BEAM is working to create a full-day school program built intentionally for students with disabilities, trauma histories, and significant emotional needs…a place designed specifically for them from the ground up.

As we search for a permanent home to expand our work, we’re asking Central Oregon (families, business owners, community leaders) to stand with us and help build the place these kids can truly belong. Every child deserves the chance to learn how to handle big feelings, solve problems, and feel proud of who they are. With community support, we can make that possible. Because at BEAM, every child belongs –- no exceptions.

—Karen Bures, Executive Director of BEAM

Expressing Concern About the Culture at City Hall

The resignation of Andres Portela III, Bend’s Equity and Inclusion Director, and his description of a hostile and unsafe work environment at City Hall should worry everyone in our community.

We need to demand that the outside contractor hired by the city to investigate Portela’s charges look deeply into the culture at City Hall that brought us to this point. Attacking Portela’s integrity, as some city officials have done, is unacceptable. A largely silent City Council isn’t helpful.

Members of the city’s Human Rights and Equity Commission have expressed concerns that their work—and the very existence of the Commission—is threatened by the recent reorganization of the city’s accessibility and equity work. That reorganization stripped Portela of responsibilities and undermined his ability to do his job.

I’m left with the impression that many white officials and employees at City Hall are challenged by working with people of color. Mandatory DEI training for all staff and City Councilors might help. We need some accountability.

If you share my concerns, let the City Council know by emailing them at councilall@bendoregon.gov. Ask for a copy of Andres Portela’s letter of resignation, which has been provided to media, so you can learn more about what he was up against. Copy your email to the Human Rights and Equity Commission at equity@bendoregon.gov to show them that there are people in this community who have their backs.

—Michael Funke

White House Ballroom

If, like me, you have no idea of what 100,000 square feet is, go look at the new Central Library on 27th Street. That building is 97,000 square feet. Then imagine those three stories at the new library building spread out as one ground floor.

—Dennis Krakow

Worried About Road Closure

The planned closure of SE Quill Place as part of the Reed Market Road railroad bridge project will force all 118 homes in Luderman Crossing to rely solely on SE Iron Horse Lane and SE Depot Loop as our only entrances and exits. This is a significant change from the two access points originally approved to support the neighborhood’s size and distribute traffic safely. Eliminating one route funnels all vehicles onto a narrow residential street network never intended to handle this volume. These concerns grow even more serious when considering the future traffic conditions created by both the proposed railroad bridge and the new two-lane roundabout on 15th Street. Turning left from Iron Horse Lane onto 15th Street is already difficult due to high speeds and heavy traffic. With every resident required to use this single exit—and with faster, higher-volume traffic flowing from the roundabout—this turn may become nearly impossible, raising major concerns about mobility, pedestrian safety and emergency access. Instead of improving safety, the project places our neighborhood in a vulnerable position, wedged between an active rail line on one side and a massive new bridge on the other. This “double whammy” threatens the peace, character and livability of Luderman Crossing. While many in the community—myself included—recognize that Reed Market Road needs thoughtful improvements, placing a $32 million bridge in the center of it is not the solution. Bend deserves an alternative design that relieves congestion while preserving the quality of life that makes our city such an exceptional place to live.

—Kirsten Siewert

Letter of the Week:

Kirsten, it sounds like a no-win situation for you and your neighbors. To, hopefully, brighten your day a bit, you can stop by the Source office at NW Georgia and Bond for a gift card to Palate coffee. —Managing Editor Nic Moye

This article appears in Source Weekly November 27, 2025.