By State Representative Tracy Cramer (HD 22-Woodburn),
In 2021 (before I had the honor of representing House District 22), the Legislature passed SB 744 to suspend graduation standards that ensured kids could read, write, and do math before earning a diploma. That suspension lasts through the end of the 2023-2024 school year. But just last month, the Oregon Board of Education unanimously voted to suspend them for another four years.
The Board first proposed voting on the item in September but removed it from their agenda after I wrote a letter to the Board asking them to allow for more public comment. Sure enough, they brought it back for their October meeting and passed it unanimously despite over 1,400 Oregonians submitting written testimony in opposition.
The trend of Oregon education officials lowering standards in our schools has serious consequences. It doesn’t just harm students who earn a diploma without having the skills required to succeed in the real world. It has long-term impacts on our economy. Businesses bear the brunt of our education system’s lackluster performance. Today’s students are our future workforce and if they can’t read, write, or do math, our businesses—small and large—are left to pick up the pieces.
That’s not a concern for the future, it’s already happening. At the same time as graduation rates are increasing in Oregon, proficiency is declining. Our school system is graduating students who are less prepared for the real world than previous generations. As the workplace becomes more technologically advanced the essential skills of math, reading, and writing are only becoming more important.
How do we increase academic achievement for our students?
I believe a big part of the answer is giving parents and students options to pick the best educational environment. Much like competition in business, I think we’ll have better outcomes if we can create competition in our school system and empower parents to make decisions about the best path for their children’s education.
Rep. Cramer with her husband Jake and their children
During the 2023 legislative session, I introduced a comprehensive school choice measure that would have given families these options. Unfortunately, the Majority Party rejected it straight away. It never even received a public hearing.
I also introduced a more modest proposal that would have given Willamette Career Academy, a local career and technical education school, funding to reach more students. Our career and technical education programs are essential to building up the workers we need for our economy.
I was able to get that passed through the House and Senate, but Governor Kotek vetoed the measure. The Governor has told me that the veto was because of a flaw in the technical language, and she is willing to sign a corrected bill. I am hopeful that we can pass a bill that supports local options for students.
Looking to the future
As we approach the 2024 session, there is tremendous pressure from school districts like Portland Public Schools (PPS) to backfill any concessions they give to the striking teacher’s unions. This is concerning on several levels.
Firstly, just this year, the Legislature passed the largest education budget in Oregon history. But it’s still not enough, according to school districts like PPS. Secondly, I am concerned about what the Majority Party in Salem might come up with as the “solution.” While I wasn’t elected, I remember the controversy of the Corporate Activities Tax. It was sold to Oregonians as the solution to solve all problems when it came to education funding. Yet, here we are a few years after passing that tax and we seem to be in an even worse place than before. I will fight to ensure we don’t saddle businesses with yet another tax to solve our education funding issues.
I sit on three education-related committees in Salem, and I want to tell you that it is a challenge. Not because I don’t have a clear idea of what needs to be done to fix our problems, but because my like-minded colleagues and I are often going it alone. If you sit on business-related committees, you have paid advocates to help you better understand the nuances of policy. If you are a Majority Party member on education committees, you have the Department of Education whispering in your ear, and teacher’s unions telling you the pros and cons of policy.
But parents, students, and families don’t have lobbyists. My colleagues and I are the closest thing they get to lobbyists, but we need reinforcements. We are entirely dependent on them having enough free time to tell us what is going on in their student’s education. That is difficult for most families.
It is clear that education directly impacts the workforce and the future of our economy. Business groups would be wise to start making long-term investments in advocating for better education policy in Oregon before it’s too late.
As always, I welcome your feedback and input. It helps me better represent our community. You can e-mail me at [email protected] or call my office at 503-986-1422.
Rep. Tracy Cramer was elected in 2022 to represent House District 22 which includes part of Marion County, including the cities of Woodburn, Gervais, Brooks, and part of Salem. Cramer was born and raised in Gervais, Oregon.