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Oregon Policy Update


Greetings!

Last Friday, June 25th, Governor Kulongoski released the final report created by his Reset Cabinet, a group of public and private individuals tasked with reviewing the function of state government and making recommendations for priorities and opportunities to improve efficiency. Gov. Kulongoski has said he hopes this report will begin a vigorous debate. We hope you will join the dialogue.

Governor's Reset Cabinet Report
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The Reset Cabinet's final report, which focuses on the three largest spending categories in Oregon's budget (health and human services, public safety, and education), includes a number of recommendations for improving service to Oregon's 197 school districts and 560,000+ students in the K-12 system. The cabinet recommends that the state:
  • Create a "shared services" model for districts and ESDs in which the Legislature would mandate a list of services that must be shared through the ESD, rather than the current program in which such decisions are made at the local-level. Long-term, the cabinet recommends that ESDs transition to a smaller number of Regional Service Providers. It is estimated that mandating the consolidation of certain services, such as accounting and information technology, would save the state nearly $43 million per year.  
  • Create a statewide option for public virtual education to ensure that all students have access to virtual academic courses in order to increase academic opportunities for all students. The cabinet sees this as an opportunity to increase academic partnership with Oregon universities and community colleges and also to save 20-30% for some courses.
  • Expand the dual credit system, which allows students to simultaneously earn college credit and meet graduation requirements.  The cabinet states that all Oregon students should have access to dual credit programs and also that a list of common standards for such courses must be agreed upon by high schools and institutions of higher education (such a list is already in progress and is expected to be adopted by fall 2013).
The cabinet also made recommendations targeted at increasing accountability.
  • Continue to develop and improve a public, web-based, statewide data system that accurately reflects student performance based on standards that are on par with national and international expectations for student learning.
  • Expand the statewide Direct Access to Achievement (DATA) Project, which trains educators to use student data when developing curriculum and improvement plans at the classroom, school and/or district level.
  • Work with educators to reform professional development programs; to develop new performance evaluation systems, new career pathways for educators, and new salary schedules; and to expand the new teacher and administrator mentoring program.
You can read the full version of the reset cabinet's recommendations for education here: http://bit.ly/d8bXXA

Read about the full report in the press release: http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/P2010/press_062510.shtml

Read the governor's remarks from the Portland City Club: http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/speech/2010_0625_resetreport.shtml

What do you think of the reset cabinet's recommendations? Do you agree with their priorities and suggestions? Tell us what you think on the bulletin board: http://bit.ly/akxCuH
  
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