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To: Superintendents (ESDs and Districts), Charter School Leaders, Principals, K-12 Public Information Officers, Education Partners, Community Based Organizations
From: Dr. Charlene Williams, Director of the Oregon Department of Education
Date: February 10, 2025
Re: Oregon's Continued Commitment to Youth & Community - Stay Focused. Stay Strong.
Dear Education Leaders,
Oregon remains unwavering in its dedication to fostering opportunity, equity, and success for every student.
As changes occur at the federal level, Governor Tina Kotek has made it clear that she stands with Oregonians and that she will not back down from a fight. She will stand firm, for all of us. We are actively working with her administration to analyze executive orders and changes at the federal level. This work is ongoing. We are in a marathon, not a sprint.
We are currently working with state and national partners, analyzing and sensemaking to ensure we provide schools and districts with the best support possible. As a result, in some instances our response has been delayed as information is rapidly changing and time is needed to truly assess impact on Oregon.
We are currently:
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Monitoring and assessing each and every executive order and other shifts that impact the educational landscape in real time.
- Continuing to assess the impacts of a potential federal funding freeze for schools, districts and partners, including sharing this guidance message with schools and districts.
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Remaining committed to transgender Oregonians and all members of the LGBTQ2SIA+ community.
Please keep the following in mind as we continue to navigate these stormy waters:
- Things are changing quickly and we need to be ready, but we can best serve students and one another by remaining calm amid the chaos;
- Oregon schools and districts have the full support of the Oregon Department of Education and when we have factual information that we can present with clarity, we will share it in a timely manner;
- Be clear that this work is ongoing, we will not have all the answers at once, and the federal government won’t act all at once
- While changes at the federal level mean outcomes are uncertain, we can promise that we will stand up for ALL Oregonians with the tools available to us
- There is a real need to tend to the impacts that rumors and fear-mongering can have on the well-being of staff, students, and communities; and
- Regardless of what happens federally, Oregon, as a state with specific rights and responsibilities, must continue to serve all youth with humanity and care.
To that end, Oregon education leaders have a right and a responsibility to:
- Protect students and educators.
- Continue to center high quality learning experiences.
- Stay committed to equity and inclusion.
- Remain steadfast in our commitment to providing culturally responsive, relevant learning experiences.
- Listen to the people of Oregon - educators, community members, leaders, and advocates who know that every student deserves the opportunity to be seen in their full humanity, valued for their incredible array of gifts and talents, lifted up as their whole intersectional identity, held to high academic standards, and believed in regardless of the barriers that they may be facing.
What has not and will not change is our tireless commitment to the safety, well-being, and success of every scholar. Our mission is clear: to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally—especially in times like these.
Resources to Support the Commitment to Students, Families, Educators, and Communities:
Stay focused. Stay committed. Lean on each other.
In love & justice,
Dr. Charlene Williams
Director, Oregon Department of Education
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