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Chalkboard plans to introduce four education bills
Legislative proposals will center on proven K-12 reforms

The 2007 session of the Oregon Legislature got underway earlier this week, and Chalkboard is putting the finishing touches on four bills that for specific K-12 education reforms.

Chalkboard will introduce legislative proposals to invest in specific early-age initiatives proven to raise student achievement, find more efficiencies in school business operations, provide more professional support to educators, and create a per-student funding guarantee.

Our bipartisan legislative point team – Rep. Arnie Roblan, Rep. Linda Flores, Sen. Bruce Starr and Sen. Betsy Johnson – will be leaders in introducing Chalkboard’s legislative package, and we expect support from many other legislators as well.

We’ll keep you updated on the specifics of the legislation as it is finalized and formally introduced.

Read more about Chalkboard’s 2007 legislative proposals and long-term action plan

New year starts with new faces at Chalkboard
Education policy specialist and others join Chalkboard team

Kate Dickson, a veteran Oregon teacher and administrator, will join the Chalkboard Project Feb. 1 as its new education policy specialist. In this newly created position, Kate will serve as a liaison with education community, and oversee the development of two of Chalkboard’s most ambitious projects to support educators:

• A new Oregon Academy for Educational Excellence to enhance teacher and administrator quality through ongoing professional development, mentoring and evaluation support, and
• A statewide pilot program to explore new career ladders and pay structures for educators.

Also later this month, Kristin Bryant joins Chalkboard as its new project director. Kristin comes to us from the Oregon Business Council. Kristin is a former 8th grade teacher and an attorney. She helped Chalkboard in our early days with research on achievement measures. Among other responsibilities, she will oversee Chalkboard’s parent outreach efforts to encourage more family involvement in schools, through partnerships with many Oregon school districts.

This month, Chalkboard also welcomed Aimee Craig as its new information and technology coordinator. Aimee will provide important behind-the-scenes support for our outreach activities, including designing and distributing this newsletter and maintaining our Web site.

Click here for a link to updated contact information for the Chalkboard team

Turn on your radios and listen to Chalkboard
New ads feature statewide citizens' corps members

Chalkboard’s growing citizens’ corps is reaching out with an important message: We need to make research-based, common sense improvements to our schools. Several members joined forces to create new ads running on radio stations throughout Oregon this month. Next Sunday, you’ll also see the first of several related ads in regional Oregon newspapers.

Click here to listen to Chalkboard’s radio messages

What others are saying about us
Chalkboard in the news

Support for Chalkboard’s 2007 legislative agenda remains strong as we enter the new year. Here’s a sampling of the high-profile endorsements we’ve received recently:

Salem Statesman Journal, editorial
January 3, 2007:

"The foundation-funded Chalkboard Project has been working since 2004 on one lofty goal – figuring out how to make Oregon’s schools some of the best in the nation. The effort should command attention when Chalkboard presents its education proposals to the Legislature next month. . . .

Until now, Chalkboard has operated from the sidelines . . . Now it’s about to take on a stronger role. Oregonians should make good use of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that generous foundations have given this state.”

Oregonian, guest column
December 19, 2006
Joint opinion piece by State Rep. Arnie Roblan (D), Coos Bay, and State Sen. Bruce Starr (R), Hillsboro

"Chalkboard’s reform proposals belong to everyone. Doing what’s best for our kids isn’t a partisan issue. The reforms represent the best research about what will work to improve our schools and what Oregonians from all walks of life can support."

Visit our In The News section to read recent reports from around the state.