Oregon
News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Oregon
English Learners
Oregon Measure Would Curb Bilingual Education
Supporters have gathered enough voter signatures to put a proposal on the November ballot limiting how long English-learners can stay in specialized programs.
Teaching Profession
Ore. Educator Hailed for Work in Science
Michael Geisen, an Oregon middle school teacher and a former forester, was named the 2008 National Teacher of the Year last week at the White House.
Early Childhood
Full-Day-Kindergarten Fees Draw Critics, Legal Concerns
States are looking for ways to provide money for a program that historically has been treated differently from the 1st through 12th grades.
Student Well-Being & Movement
School, Team Names Remain Thorny Issue for Many in Oregon
Are high school sports teams that use names, mascots, or logos inspired by Native American images respectful? Or are they offensive? Oregon education officials will get back to you on that.
Federal
Speaking of Merit Pay....This Time in Oregon
There's a big fight brewing over merit pay in Oregon, where an anti-union activist is taking on the teachers' unions by campaigning for a 2008 ballot initiative that would link teacher raises to "classroom performance." Read more about that here.
School Climate & Safety
Teacher Gun Rights Fire Up Both Sides in Ore., Michigan
The Oregon case involves a lawsuit filed by a high school teacher who contends she should be allowed to carry a licensed concealed weapon on campus.
Teaching Profession
Oregon Puts End to Plush Payouts
School administrators in Oregon can no longer count on lucrative contract buyouts when they leave their jobs early.
Assessment
Contract Fight Halts Oregon’s Online Testing
The state last week sued Vantage Learning after the vendor shut down access to assessments on the Web.
Student Well-Being & Movement
When a Road Trip Turns Into a Hike
Oregon state Superintendent Susan Castillo has asked for more control over high school sports leagues after last fall’s enactment of a realignment plan that is still causing headaches.
States
State of the States
Ore. Leader Seeks ‘Rainy Day’ Fund, Double-Digit Hike in Aid for Schools
“Opportunity” was the theme of Oregon Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski’s Jan. 8 inaugural address as he highlighted increased education funding at all levels on the opening day of the legislature’s 2007 session.
Teaching Profession
Portland Teachers Petition District
Hundreds of teachers in Portland, Ore., have signed a petition opposing the school district’s work to forge a common curriculum in core subjects.
Law & Courts
Political Alliance
A group of Oregon business leaders is partnering with the influential Oregon Education Association to fight two proposed ballot initiatives that could threaten state school aid—but only after the teachers’ union withdrew its own initiative that would have forced corporations to disclose certain tax-related information.
Recruitment & Retention
Scarcity of Language Teachers Retards Growth
Even with growing demand and the prospect of new federal and state aid for improving foreign-language instruction, expanding offerings is especially difficult because of a shortage of qualified teachers in what are deemed critical languages, many experts say.