In my previous newsletter, Education Failure, Part I, I outlined several problems with Oregon’s public education system: extremely low proficiency scores, elimination of essential skills standards and teaching of radical gender theory to children as young as kindergarten. It is worth noting that the “Elimination of Essential Skills” was led by Democrat legislators in 2021 and last month was extended by Gov. Kotek’s Oregon Department of Education.
Unfortunately, there is more bad news for Oregon’s public education system. Over the past 20 years, Oregon’s legislature has spent tens of billions of dollars on public education, yet the results continue to remain dismal. What’s more troubling is there is now little way of knowing, how well or poorly, students are doing since Oregon’s essential skills for graduation have been eliminated. An Oregon high school diploma is now little more than a record of attendance, versus a functioning level of understanding or mastery of key subjects.
Pre-K & Kindergarten
About 15 years ago, the Democrat-led legislature began placing more emphasis on Pre-K & Kindergarten enrollment. Since then, state-funded enrollment has increased from 3,438 children in 2006-07 to 10,009 in 2021-22 — an increase of almost 200%. While that may be encouraging news to some, the question then is how much did this cost? That answer is staggering. The budget for Pre-K & Kindergarten in 2006 was roughly $27.7 million. In 2022, it was about $662.3 million — an increase of 2,229%! What’s more, over the past several years the Oregon Department of Education has created a brand new state agency to handle Pre-K & Kindergarten: Department of Early Childhood Learning (DELC). Yes, more bureaucracy.
But Wait, There’s More
Over the past 20 years staffed positions at ODE and their budget have also increased significantly. Note, the ODE budget described below is just to fund the state agency itself. The money districted to school districts and schools is an entirely different, and larger, budget.
In 2001 there were 463 ODE state-staffed positions. As of June 2023 the number was 896, an increase of 93%. The concurrent budget during that same period was more than $1 billion for 2001-03, and over $7 billion for 2021-23, an increase of 600%.
These increases might be acceptable if student enrollment had also increased in a like manner at the same time. However, that is not the case. Instead student population decreased, as the chart below shows. According to testimony in November, ODE does not expect enrollment to return to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon, which was less than a 7% increase over 20 years.
Conclusion
The Democrat-led legislature has created a new state agency (DELC) to handle Pre-K & Kindergarten, now spending 2,229% than 15 years ago. The Oregon Department of Education has increased staff 93% over the past 20 years as its budget has increased 600%. All that to serve a student population that is now less than it was 20 years ago. Why should Oregonians accept the nearly doubling of ODE staff and a 600% budget increase to run an agency which serves fewer students? Maybe, if proficiency scores and graduations rates were the best in the nation, all this spending and effort would be worth it. Sadly, Oregon’s public education system continues to rank as one of the worst in the nation.
Bottom line — It is time to stop throwing more money at a system which is clearly failing our children. Instead the legislature must address the root causes to this systematic failure. We need to rethink Oregon’s outdated public education system with major reforms in order to give children the quality of education they need and deserve. In addition, serious consideration should be given to the idea of school choice, as has implemented in other states across the country. This would make schools compete for students by providing quality education opportunities, instead of the current system which forces students to attend the nearest school to their home, whether it is a good school or not. Whatever path the legislature choses, continuing to do the same thing year after year should no longer be acceptable to Oregonians. The legislature can — and for the sake of our children — must do better.
It is an honor to serve the people of Central & Southern Oregon. If you need assistance on a state matter, plan on visiting the Capitol or have an idea for legislation, please reach out to my office.
Best regards,
E. WERNER RESCHKE State Representative, HD 55 The Crater Lake District
Capitol Phone (503) 986-1455
Capitol Address 900 Court St. NE, H-383 Salem, OR 97301
Email Rep.EWernerReschke@oregonlegislature.gov
Website www.oregonlegislature.gov/reschke
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