Michael Bratland

4J – P# 1

I’m a public-school kid, a public-school parent of five and the husband of a public-school teacher. I’m Michael Bratland and I’m running for a seat on the 4J School Board, because our schools and school board have lost their way – they’re no longer delivering for our kids and the teachers who simply want to educate, not indoctrinate, their students in undisrupted classrooms.

I came to Oregon at seven, when my dad moved our family to Oregon for a better life. Better schools were part of that life. Once in Oregon, we moved around a lot. I can honestly say that I’ve Iived in almost every area in and around Eugene.  I graduated from Winston Churchill High School in 1991. From there I was off to the University of Oregon, where I graduated with a degree in journalism in 1995. Soon thereafter, I was married my college sweetheart, and we moved to Roseburg so we could be closer to her family.

After a couple of years working at Umpqua Dairy in marketing, I decided I wanted to become a dentist. I wanted to be in a profession where I could help others. I took courses at Umpqua Community College to fulfill my science requirements and soon headed off to Tufts Dental College. After graduating in 2005, I returned to Roseburg and started my own dental practice, Crisdental. Today I practice general dentistry at Crisdental in Eugene and help manage my other locations in Roseburg, Albany, Monmouth and Lincoln City.
  
My wife and I now live in Eugene and have five children, ages 15 to 24.  My daughter Isabella is an OSU graduate and an airline pilot. My son Adam attends and will graduate this summer from the University of Wyoming with a degree in chemistry. Ben is finishing up at University of Oregon and has been accepted into OHSU dental school. I currently have two sons at Sheldon High School. Nick is a freshman, and Jacob is a junior. My wife Jacquelyn is a kindergarten teacher at Irving Elementary School in Eugene.

I believe all this – my own public-school education, my kids’ experience in our public schools, my wife’s work as a public-school teacher and my work as a dentist and business owner – provide the fresh perspective and the desperately needed leadership skills that our underperforming 4J schools need today.

I’ve been involved in our schools and community in many ways over the years. I’ve stepped up financially to support Muscular Dystrophy Association through Mike Bellotti’s annual event) and helped Sheldon procure wrestling program with new wrestling mats.

I’ve held barbecues for the Springfield and Eugene police departments.  I’ve also put up “Back the Blue” billboards as well as billboards to support removing former Gov. Kate Brown’s lockdown orders. I’m a big supporter of the Hosea Youth Shelter in Eugene., and my family has volunteered at the shelter. I say all this not to pat myself on the back – I (we) can always do more – but to make clear that I have heart for our community and our kids.

I’m not running because I’m for all public-school or all public-school parents or all public-school teachers. I’m for kids that want to learn while at school and behave in the classroom. I’m not for the kids that want to be unruly or bully others. I’m not for kids who are repeatedly disruptive in class. And I’m not for parents who want the schools to coddle their repeatedly disruptive child. Finally, I’m not for teachers who want to advance their own politics. I’m for teachers who want to teach our children the basics in classrooms that are places of learning undisrupted by a handful of unruly students.

And I’m for accountability on the part of all – students, parents, teachers, administrators and school board members.

Visit Dr. Bratland’s website here : http://www.BratPackOregon.com

You can donate to his campaign directly through this link: https://secure.anedot.com/brat-pac-4j/donate