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Oregon Policy Update


Greetings!

Oregon primary elections are in full swing with ballots being mailed to voters today through Tuesday. As you sort through the voter's pamphlet remember that elected officials have the ability to help make education a priority in our state.
 
This month we are highlighting each of the four poll-leading gubernatorial candidate's plans for education. After you read through the plans, join the discussion. Did anything surprise you? Were you particularly impressed by one candidate's education platform? Was there something missing from all four? Share your opinion on the bulletin board: http://bit.ly/cAG4kn

Democratic Candidates
Bill BradburyChalkboardProjectlogo
Bradbury's education platform is focused on fully funding the Quality Education Model (QEM). His materials state:
"When people talk of the need to dramatically overhaul public education in Oregon I point them to the Quality Education Commission and their model for public schools. The Quality Education Model (QEM) was created a decade ago in a bi-partisan manner. It identifies the elements of high performance schools and the costs associated with them. Designed to serve as a tool for use by state lawmakers in developing the K-12 education budget, the model puts a price tag on quality K-12 education in Oregon. As your next Governor I can promise you that the QEM will not just be the nice report that we have ignored for the past decade. Over 70% of Oregonians said in 1999 we should fund schools at the QEM level and I believe they meant it! It will become one the guiding forces of my Administration in helping Oregon public schools become a model to the nation."
 
Bradbury's plans include reducing tax expenditures by 5% to fully fund the QEM, community colleges and higher education. His plans also mention the need to support educators with mentoring, protect collective bargaining rights, and oppose any efforts to make further reductions in the benefits of the Public Employees Retirement System. 
 
Bradbury writes, "What separates my leadership from mere sloganeering around public education is the willingness to be specific, propose new and innovative ideas and lay out a path to accomplish them."
 
Bradbury's education plans can be found at http://www.bradbury2010.com/issues/quality-education

John KitzhaberChalkboardProjectlogo
Kitzhaber's education platform is divided into five topics: Transforming the Education Budget Process, Connecting Early Childhood Education and Development to K-12, Transforming Primary and Secondary Education, Connecting High School to Postsecondary Education, and Transforming Post-Secondary Education.
 
In the introduction to his plans, Kitzhaber writes, "I know how hard educators work and I know that work is made more difficult because our public schools at all levels do not have the resources they need. Securing those resources is a central priority for me. In this incredibly challenging fiscal environment, however, I believe that the task of winning public support for more funding will require making a much more transparent connection between the dollars we are investing in public education and the results we are getting in terms of student performance."
 
Kitzhaber's plans in his five areas of focus include replacing the current education budgeting systems with "one unified, transparent education budget" that encompasses the P-20 continuum; creating "uniform standards for early care and education programs;" creating, with teachers, "a fair and meaningful evaluation tool linked to student performance and growth;" "restoring instructional time by eliminating redundant high-stakes standardized testing;" "guaranteeing access to at least two years of community college or Oregon university education for students earning the Oregon Diploma;" and "guaranteeing transfer of credit among all Oregon public colleges and universities."
 
Kitzhaber concludes his plans by writing, "This is purposely an aggressive agenda to improve education throughout a student's educational experience from birth until earning a degree or certificate. It reflects what we know we must do to transform our education system in Oregon - and we must get started even in the face of predicted revenue shortfalls. In fact, our current fiscal realities make it even more urgent to advance this agenda now...Our future prosperity depends on it."
 
Kitzhaber's education plans can be found at:
http://www.johnkitzhaber.com/transforming-education/
Republican Candidates
Allen AlleyChalkboardProjectlogo
Alley frames his education platform around three proposed reforms: giving local communities the power of the purse, promoting school district level innovations to keep the best teachers in the classroom, and expanding virtual learning opportunities. 
 
He writes, "There is no more important investment we can make as a society than the education of our children.  The public education system commands the greatest share of our state budget, and for good reason.  The statistics tell the story.  A person's level of education directly correlates to their level of income, overall health, and the stability of their home life...In short, a more educated community creates greater stability, wealth, and resources with which to care for those who are the most vulnerable among us.  But if we want our kids to compete in the global marketplace, we need to improve."  
 
Alley's platform is focused on giving local schools and communities greater control over education. He writes, "Regardless of the issue, I believe the best solutions are developed by those closest to the problem. Our education system is built on a theory that those furthest away know what's best." His proposal calls for the minimization of "state mandated top down solutions" and giving local districts and schools the funding and authority to innovate. He also calls for school alternatives such as charter schools and virtual schools to better meet individual student needs.
 
Alley's education plans can be found at: http://www.allenalley.com/imagine-oregon.html (Scroll down to "Imagine Oregon Learning")

Chris DudleyChalkboardProjectlogo
Dudley defines his education plan objectives as: preparing students for college, work, and the world; stabilizing funding with incentives for improvement and reform, quality schools essential for a positive business climate, reforming PERS to curb long-term budget impacts, and transforming higher education.
 
Dudley's materials focus on six education issues, which are labeled: Prioritize and Stabilize K-12 Funding; Timber for Textbooks; Healthy Kids Make Better Students; Transform Oregon Higher Education; Reform PERS to Cut Short and Long-Term Costs; and Improve Teacher Preparation, Excellence. Within these issues Dudley calls for the creation of a rainy day fund by setting aside 3% of forecast revenue, an increase in sustainable timber harvest to provide additional dollars to K-12, a reinvestment in higher education, and the building of a "sustainable future pension system."
 
In regards to improving teacher preparation, Dudley's materials state, "As Governor, Chris Dudley will make improving teacher quality his top education reform through more professional training, incentives for outstanding performance and providing teachers the tools and support they need to be effective in the classroom; will support participation in federal 'Race to the Top' incentives to improve teacher and student performance."
 
Dudley's education plans can be found at: http://www.chrisdudley.com/jobs-first-oregons-recovery-plan/ (Scroll down to "Educate For Our Economic Future")

All photos courtesy of candidates' Facebook pages.
  
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