Education
Oregon college students rally at the Capitol against cuts to higher education
Several dozen college students gathered in Salem to voice their concerns about budget cuts to higher education. The rally was one of at least three that took place at the Capitol throughout Thursday, and was organized by the student-run nonprofit Oregon Student Association. It opposes a proposal to cut the public university and community college […]
May 2023 Election: Oregonians prepare to vote in increasingly political school board races
Across the top of a mailer recently sent to voters by a Christian-based political action committee was the message: “Local school board races have never been more crucial.” The flier – endorsing conservative candidates running for three of the seven seats on Salem-Keizer Public Schools’ governing board – said a review of recent headlines shows […]
Legislative proposal aims to streamline virtual charter school process
A bill moving through the Oregon Legislature could help students who want to attend virtual charter schools. Supporters of House Bill 3204 want to streamline communication between school districts and families seeking to leave brick-and-mortar districts and enroll children in virtual charter schools. The student’s home district has to approve the switch, and districts with […]
A pandemic experiment in universal free school meals gains traction in the states
WASHINGTON — Every public school kid in the United States was eligible for free school meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of family income, thanks to the federal government. While that’s now ended, a growing number of states across the country are enacting universal school meal laws to bolster child food security and academic equity. […]
Oregon public universities ask state for more funding as students pay record tuition
Officials from Oregon’s seven public universities say they need more than $1 billion over the next two years to maintain services amid inflation and to avoid deep cuts and layoffs. That’s $100 million more than funding the state’s seven universities received in the last biennium for general support. At a public hearing of the Joint […]
U.S. lawmakers in Oregon urge federal authorities to curb opioid use
Oregon teens are dying of drug-related causes faster than in any other state, and the government needs to do more about it, members of Oregon’s congressional delegation said Thursday. U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Earl Blumenauer, Andrea Salinas and Val Hoyle urged U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel […]
Oregon Senate passes bill to expand college access for prison inmates
The state Senate has passed a bill aimed at making higher education classes and programs more accessible for prison inmates, a move intended to boost their odds of success after their release. Senate Bill 270 passed late Monday with a bipartisan 23-5 vote. The measure, which now goes to the House, would allow the Oregon […]
Oregon must commit to the early literacy success initiative
‘H’ goes “huh” ‘A’ goes “ah” ‘T’ goes “tuh” Huh-ah-tuh…hat! Teaching kids to read is about connecting sounds to letters, letters to words, words to meaning. The last decade of brain research has taught us that when kids learn these connections, they have a better chance at learning to read. However, in many Oregon schools, […]
Schools hiring emergency teachers for special education, potentially violating federal law
More than 130 emergency licensed teachers are filling in as special education instructors in Oregon this year, shortchanging thousands of students and potentially violating a federal law. That law, the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, ensures that children with disabilities are given an appropriate public education equal to that of their peers without disabilities, […]
$120 million proposal to boost student literacy advances in Legislature
A $120 million initiative to boost literacy would be one of the single largest investments of its type in Oregon history if it passes. But during a public hearing for the proposal at the House Committee on Education on Monday, critics said it doesn’t go far enough and risks wasting money without stricter spending rules. […]
Legislative Black, Indigenous and People of Color Caucus release sweeping agenda
The Oregon Legislature’s 17-member Black, Indigenous and People of Color Caucus released an agenda Wednesday that includes a range of issues, from equity and health care to justice and environmental problems that affect underserved communities. The four-year-old caucus, now at its largest with the Legislature more diverse than in the past, is supporting 18 bills […]
Oregon moves toward offering universal school meals
Schools nationwide received federal COVID-19 relief money to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students at the height of the pandemic. But those funds expired in the summer of 2022 when Congress failed to extend school meal waivers. Now, individual states are figuring out how to move forward. Oregon has taken a few steps […]