By Mac Larsen
Oregon Capital Bureau
With an eventful state legislative session finally over, policymakers were pleased to see a wide range of education bills make it to the finish line.
After the six-week walkout by Oregon Senate Republicans ended on June 15, the last 10 days of the session generated a tidal wave of legislation. Some of the final bills that were negotiated and passed during the last week included education legislation that will impact schools across the state.
Senate President Rob Wagner, who represents Lake Oswego in Salem, shared his perspective on what he viewed as victories for students, teachers and Oregonians in this session’s education bills.
State School Fund
Oregon passed Measure 5, which radically changed the way that public schools are funded in the state, in 1990. Instead of putting the onus on local governments to support their schools, the state would bear a larger share of the funding burden.
School financial directors across Oregon recommended that the State School Fund increase to maintain current funding levels and save financial reserves. Lawmakers approved an increase for the next two-year biennium increase from the initial 9.7-to-$10.2 billion.
Early literacy success initiative
Another major piece of legislation and investment of state resources toward education is House Bill 3198, called the “early literacy success initiative.”
“The state Legislature did everything we could with the monumental investment of state resources, both in terms of the State School Fund, but also with the Student Success Act, and then a big component of that, close to $100 million, that it is targeting literacy programs across the state,” Wagner said.
The initiative will provide schools with the opportunity to apply for additional resources and new grants, similar to the grants provided by the Student Success Act in 2021, to aid in the improvement of reading comprehension and literacy for elementary-aged students.
Literacy renewal, especially after the challenges of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a priority for many school districts in the state. The initiative follows the Oregon Department of Education’s new Early Literacy Framework for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The new framework is intended to help Oregon’s students get back on track and incorporates reading models based on the cognitive science of reading.
Recovery high schools
House Bill 2627 establishes a model for “approved recovery schools” in Oregon. Similar to Harmony Academy, a charter school in Lake Oswego, recovery high schools provide an educational setting for students dealing with substance use disorders.
“I think the opportunity that we have is not only just building on that model, but also you’ll see the intentional supports for trying to address the wraparound needs of students with both mental, behavioral and then substance use disorders in our high schools and in our schools writ large,” said Wagner.
Wagner has a unique lens on HB 2627 because he served on the Lake Oswego School Board when the initial charter for Harmony Academy was approved.
“I think that the recovery model is a great model; it’s going to work really well in some places. We can’t ignore the fact that a lot of districts aren’t going to be able to leverage at that scale. So we also need to think about the intentional supports for students that are struggling with substance use issues,” said Wagner.
Addressing the teacher shortage
Like many industries, the education sector is facing workforce shortages for teachers and special educators.
“It is a real challenge. It’s not just in Oregon; it’s across the country,” said Wagner.
Senate Bill 283 provides $10 million for apprenticeship and mentorship grants for teachers and close to $1 million to establish a task force to analyze the workforce shortage for substitute and full-time teachers. The bill also establishes policies for increasing pay for educators who spend significant time working with students who need individualized education plans.
“We do need to figure out how to provide those supports and best practices to encourage more people into the profession,” said Wagner.
Historic abbreviated school hours legislation
Another piece of legislation that supports students with special needs is Senate Bill 819, which establishes that a school cannot shorten the number of full school days for students with special needs because they lack qualified teachers and special educators.
“The abbreviated school days legislation that Senator (Sara) Gelser Blouin advanced is really landmark work that across this country people are going to be able to start thinking about and investing in,” said Wagner.
Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis, shepherded the bill from the House to the Senate. While SB 819 establishes the basic right of all students to have full school days, it makes addressing special education workforce shortages more pressing.
“They’re providing professional development opportunities for these direct service professionals and also the teachers in our classrooms,” said Wagner. “It’ll be interesting to see as this gets implemented, but, really, I think other states are going to be looking at this model. So I’m really proud of her and the work that she was able to accomplish.”
Financial and future planning credit
Another notable bill that Wagner advocated for on the Senate floor is Senate Bill 3, which will require high school students to take one credit of future and financial planning curriculum.
“Senate Bill 3 was a real take-home for me,” said Wagner. “‘I’m really proud of that idea that students will be able to graduate knowing a lot more about how to manage the finances and just being able to kind of survive in the world.”
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