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Focusing On Education
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The calendar and thermometer still say summer, but families with kids noticed an abrupt shift last week. In the Hass house, we ushered in the new morning chaos that includes overlapping sports schedules and the return of “unfair” piles of homework.
Ahhhh. School is back in session.
After a painful period of budget cuts and larger classrooms, it feels like things are getting better. Attendance rates have steadily increased, whereas in 2012 Oregon reported 93% of students attended school regularly, this year is expected to reach 94% across the state and nearly 95.3% in Beaverton. Last year’s approval of a historic increase of $1 Billion in the K-12 budget also helped, but as a parent, I’ll be the first to say that we’ve got a long way to go towards ensuring all of our children reach their potential.
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Even though the Legislature is not in session, much work is underway. Legislative committees are meeting this week at the capitol to look at a host of issues that will be ready for action next year when the Legislature convenes. In the Senate Education Committee, which I chair, we will discuss two areas that I have focused on: how to get more college credits in high school and how to bring down the cost of community college so that it is an affordable option for all Oregon high school graduates.
Increasing access to higher education is essential to ensuring a promising future for Oregonians. It is no longer realistic to believe that our children can walk directly out of high school and into a stable, good paying job that can support a family and a home. Thus,the Senate Education Committee will be assessing the viability of state-provided community college tuition next week.
I encourage you to share your vision of how to improve education with myself, Representative Tobias Read, and Representative Jeff Barker. We will be meeting at the Beaverton Library Auditorium at 7pm on Monday, September 22nd. There will be a donation book drive as well, so clear off your old bookshelves and share the gift of reading!
Yours Truly,
 Senator Mark Hass
Senate District 14
email: Sen.MarkHass@state.or.us I phone: 503-986-1714
address: 900 Court St NE, S-207, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/hass
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