SIA Update

Earlier this week, Governor Brown released her 2021-23 Recommended Budget. The budget is a reflection of the ongoing economic challenges arising over the last nine months, while also signaling the Governor’s continued priority of racial justice and equity in education. The pandemic and the fires have only exacerbated existing disparities, disproportionately impacting Oregon’s Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American and Tribal communities. This budget centers these experiences while balancing the needs of all Oregonians and upholding a commitment to fostering equity and excellence for every learner, aligning closely with the work of the Student Investment Account.

The Governor’s Recommended Budget puts forward a funding level of $778.8 million for the Student Investment Account over the next two years. The next phase of the budget process begins in January with the start of the legislative session. This is not the final budget, which likely will not be approved until May or June of 2021 as the legislature determines the budget. As more information becomes available throughout the budget process the SIA team will continue to share it with you through our weekly updates. The Governor’s prioritizing of the SIA speaks to the important work that you have been doing over the last year. 

In the meantime, you might remember our recent SIA messages have pointed toward new guidance we are calling, “Supporting Quality Implementation.”’ It will detail both quarterly and annual reporting templates as well as how grant recipients will update their three-year SIA plans previously submitted. We are looking forward to releasing that guidance this month.

News & Resources

• The Educator Advancement Council recently published their 2020 Oregon Educator Equity Report that tracks key data, patterns, findings, and developments for Oregon educational equity and diversity
• As you may have seen, the Office of Indian Education recently released this Tribal Engagement Toolkit which provides resources for districts, Tribal Leaders, and Tribal Communities. 
• Oregon State School Board resolution on Black Lives Matter.
• We are now posting on the ODE Website the weekly report from the COVID-19 School Status Tracking Report. If you do not see your school reported on the weekly status report please email odecovid19@ode.state.or.us or check with your district administrator. With the release of Ready Schools, Safe Learners Guidance Version 4.0.0  and the revised metrics the weekly COVID-19 School Status report has been updated. We have released updated Instructions and Definitions for schools to use to submit the weekly update to the report. If you have not been receiving updates and believe you should please email odecovid19@ode.state.or.us to be added to the mailing list for the updated submission guidance for the weekly collection.

Please send any questions or comments to SIAInfo@state.or.us.  You’ve been automatically added to this listserv based on your role, but you can manage your subscription as needed. We encourage you to share this message with new staff in your school/district who may be interested in receiving these weekly updates.