Oregon needs educators speaking out for the policies and programs that will improve their practice and raise student achievement.
The educators in the CLASS Project districts have helped to shape their careers and shift the culture of teaching and learning. We believe every district should have the opportunity to go through such a process. We also believe that state level policies should support effective teaching across the state.
We invite you to become an Educator 4 Reform and speak out about your profession!
Legislative Successes
2011 Session
Bold change starts with bold leadership. We can all thank Oregon’s legislators and Governor Kitzhaber for working together and taking action. And that same spirit of collaboration and forward thinking drove the efforts of parents, business leaders, and many superintendents across the state in their advocacy for Oregon’s educators. It’s that kind of teamwork that will put Oregon schools among the nation’s best.
School District Collaboration Fund
A great future relies on great schools. That’s why the Oregon Legislature recently approved the establishment of a School District Collaboration Fund. The fund will provide grants to school districts to design and implement teacher-led initiatives that improve student achievement. It’s a bottom-up strategy for improving schools across the state by empowering teachers to do their best work in the classroom, and rewarding them for excellence.
The School District Collaboration Fund will provide grants to school districts that voluntarily pilot locally-designed initiatives that aim to improve student achievement by addressing:
- new career paths,
- professional development strategies,
- evaluation processes,
- and teacher-designed compensation systems.
Statewide Performance Standards
Every child deserves a great education. That’s why the Oregon Legislature recently approved the establishment of statewide performance standards for teachers and administrators. Providing educators with clear goals and meaningful feedback will help make Oregon’s schools more effective, and Oregon’s kids more successful.
SB 290 directs the State Board of Education to develop, along with the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission stakeholders, statewide teacher and administrator performance standards. Districts will revamp their performance evaluation systems to align with the standards and include multiple measures of student achievement.
Oregon Mentoring Program
Every child deserves a great teacher. And every teacher deserves the opportunity to be great. That’s why the Oregon Legislature recently approved continued funding of the Oregon Mentoring Program. The program pairs new teachers and administrators with experienced mentors, and it has a track record of making educators, and their students, more successful.
The Oregon Mentoring Program received $4.5 million this session to continue to provide high quality mentoring to new teachers and administrators. Learn more about the program.
Read legislative testimony from Chalkboard board member & Oregon Education Investment Team member Dr. Orcilia Zuniga Forbes to learn more about the goals behind these bills.
We will continue to need your support to advocate for new education reforms in future legislative sessions. Follow us on Facebook at Educators 4 Reform to find out about new opportunities to speak out.