Jeremy Myrland
Running for Lake Oswego School Board, Position 1
Meet Jeremy.
- Dad
- Husband to a teacher
- Small business owner
- PTO president
- LOSF vice president
- Coach
- Mentor
I'm a dad and a husband first. Our twin boys are in fifth grade at Forest Hills, and my wife teaches at Lake Oswego Middle School. I believe it's my job to show my boys that giving back and getting involved isn't optional. I want to help build a better world for them, and that starts here at home.
A community lifted me up
My senior year of high school was a hard one, and my community stepped in. A family took me in like one of their own. A school secretary quietly made sure I had what I needed. A vice principal sat me down and made me apply for scholarships, and one of them paid for my college.
Everything I have started with people who believed in me. I'm running to return that favor.
Why I'm running
I think public education is at a crossroads. A lot is out of our hands, especially how Oregon funds schools. But a lot isn't. We can make sure our kids are ready for a world that's changing fast, and we can keep Lake Oswego the best school district in the state. I'll admit I have some selfish reasons for that.
I don't have all the answers. What I've learned building products is to stay objective but practical, try bold ideas, and change course when we learn something that says we should.
What I do
I'm a product manager by trade. At work I lead large technology projects that have to serve tens of thousands of employees, which teaches you to listen before you build and to plan for people who aren't in the room. I also built my own small business here in Lake Oswego, which taught me flexibility in a way no big company can.
In our schools
I'm president of the Forest Hills PTO. This year it's Forest Hills' turn to run the PTO Coordinating Council, so I hear directly from the parent groups at every school in Lake Oswego. I'm vice president of the Lake Oswego Schools Foundation, where I've also served as secretary and led procurement for our annual gala. The Foundation's work comes down to one thing: more teachers in classrooms. I'm also a fellow in Class 48 of the American Leadership Forum of Oregon.
Full circle
The scholarship that vice principal pushed me toward came from the Ford Family Foundation. This year I started mentoring a Ford Scholar at Oregon State. She graduates in 2027, the same spring as this election. Someone believed in me, and now I get to believe in someone else.
Oregon through and through
I'm a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, with Alsea and Umpqua ancestry. My family is Norwegian, too, and on my other side traces back to the Revolutionary War.
Outside school, I coached my boys' basketball team last year, and we all learned a lot about each other. I've been a top fundraiser for Special Olympics Oregon's Super Plunge and played in unified softball tournaments. I've built homes with Habitat for Humanity, and I was a Chemo Pal with the Children's Cancer Association.
What I stand for
Public education is at a crossroads. A lot is out of our hands. A lot isn't. Here's where I'd put my energy.
Best in Oregon. A model for the nation.
Lake Oswego has been ranked the best school district in Oregon two years running. I want to keep that spot and aim higher: a district the whole country looks to, and a model for schools across our state.
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- Treat our teachers as the best, because they are. Niche ranks them #1 in Oregon. Listen to educators in the classroom and to the classified staff who keep our schools running.
- Class sizes. Keep elementary classes small. Bring middle school class sizes down; staffing cuts in 2025 raised them.
- Protect electives. Keep and expand our middle and high school electives.
- A diploma that sets you apart. Lake Oswego awards its own diploma, and it asks more than the state's, including two years of a world language and proficient scores on the state reading and math tests. Most families don't know that. I want it to keep meaning more, and to be a mark colleges and employers recognize.
- Every kid on track, and room to go further. Clear, objective milestones at every grade: reading by third grade, strong in math through middle school, on track by ninth grade. Kids who are already past them should get support to push their own boundaries.
- Look past the averages. The district's new data dashboard is a good start, and the averages look great. But a strong average can hide the kid who's struggling, or the one who's bored. When the numbers say we're doing well and families see something different at home, believe both, and go find out why: school by school, grade by grade, with teachers and parents.
- Measure up nationally. Niche ranks us #153 of more than 10,000 districts in the country. That's strong, and there's room to climb. Compare ourselves with the best districts in America, not just in Oregon.
- Plan early for fewer young families. Enrollment is the biggest warning sign, and some of our elementary schools will feel it first. Plan now and in the open, with families at the table, so no neighborhood learns about a change to its school at the last minute. That means getting more Lake Oswego families to choose our schools from kindergarten, and, if it comes to it, thinking carefully and fairly about where boundaries fall.
- Push the state. Show what's possible, and push Oregon to fix how it funds schools, starting with special education. The state only pays its share for students with individualized education programs (IEPs) up to 11% of a district's enrollment. About 14% of our students have one, so Lake Oswego covers the difference itself, about $2.5 million a year in recent budgets. Kids with IEPs deserve a state that funds them fully.
Safe getting there. Safe at school.
Every family should be able to send their kids off in the morning without worrying. That starts with a safe trip to and from school, whether kids walk, bike, ride the bus or get dropped off. Once they're at school, we should know we're doing everything we can to keep them safe.
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- A strong voice for safe routes. Sidewalks, crossings and bike lanes are the city's call, not the school board's. But people move to Lake Oswego for our schools, and the city should plan like it. I want safer bike lanes and crossings for my own boys. I'll push the city to make the routes kids take to school a priority, including as an alternate on the Lake Oswego Planning Commission.
- Secure schools. Keep investing in secure entrances and emergency plans that staff practice, and tell families plainly what's in place.
- Catch worries early. Counselors, mental health support, and a clear way for students and parents to raise a concern, so it reaches the right people before it becomes a crisis.
- Straight talk with families. When something happens, or a threat comes in, families should hear from the district quickly and clearly.
Ready for what's next
Technology, jobs and whole industries are changing faster than any of us can predict. The kids who thrive will think critically, communicate with nuance, and bounce back when something doesn't work. Every kid should leave our schools ready for that, on the path they choose: college, a trade, or a business of their own.
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- Critical thinking, first. My boys find their way to YouTube Shorts no matter how hard we try. Thirty seconds, fast and flashy, built to stir up emotion. Lately it's guys telling them to cut calories and eat nothing but protein. Some of that is true. Most of it is missing the rest of the story. We can't block all of it, and they'll hear it from friends anyway. So kids need to learn to think in between, weigh what they hear, and say what they think with nuance, in writing and out loud. Our district's vision already calls for every graduate to be a critical thinker. I want that to be the thing Lake Oswego is known for.
- Try, fail, learn, try again. Give kids real room to experiment and get it wrong. Resilience and agility come from practice, and the kids who are comfortable with that will adapt to whatever comes next.
- Every path counts. Most of our graduates will still go to college, and we should prepare them well. We should also prepare the kids who choose a different path.
- Young entrepreneurs. More high schoolers will start businesses in the next few years than ever. Support them with entrepreneurship programs, partnerships, and access to capital.
- AI: learn it, question it, use it well. Younger kids should learn how it works and how to question it; high schoolers should learn to use it responsibly. It will accelerate great things, and it will worry many people in our community.
Let kids be kids
Kids grow up by playing, exploring, taking risks and learning from mistakes. I want more of that in the school day, with clear rules and a path back when they break them.
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- More recess, more outside, more play. During the school day, not just on weekends.
- Room to explore. More "90s summers": low-cost, community-run options, so families have an alternative to a paid camp every week.
- Resilient, independent, accountable. When trust is earned, freedom grows. When kids break the rules, there are consequences, and a path back.
I also asked my toughest advisors, my two boys, what my priorities should be. One said more snacks, and better ones, throughout the day. The other said more recess. I'm with him on recess. Snacks are still under review.
I don't have all the answers. I'll stay objective but practical, try bold ideas, and change course when we learn something that says we should. If you see it differently, I want to hear it: jeremy@jeremyforloschools.com.
Get involved
This campaign runs on neighbors. Put up a yard sign, host a coffee, knock on a few doors, or just add your name. Tell me what fits and I'll follow up personally.