Learning is Now Optional in Oregon

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I want to read you from the Oregonian.

"For the next five years an Oregon high school diploma will be no guarantee that the student who earned it can read, write, or do math at a high school level. Governor Kate Brown had demurred earlier this summer regarding whether she supported the plan passed by the legislature to drop the requirement that students demonstrate they have achieved those essential skills, but she has signed the legislation. Brown's decision was not public until recently, because her office did not hold a signing ceremony or issue a press release. And, the fact that governor signed the bill was not entered into the legislative database until July 29th. A departure from normal practice. Boyle, the governor's deputy communications director, Charles Boyle said in an email that suspending the reading, writing, and math proficiency requirements, while the state develops new graduation standards will benefit Oregon's black, Latino, Latina, Latinex, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color. Leaders from those communities have advocated time and again for equitable graduation standards. Along with expanded learning opportunities and supports."

"The requirement that students demonstrate freshmen to sophomore level skills in reading, writing, and math led many high schools to create workshop style courses, to help students strengthen than their skills and create evidence of mastery. Most of those courses have been discontinued since the skills requirement was paused during the pandemic before lawmakers killed it entirely. Democrats in the legislature overwhelmingly supported ending the longtime proficiency requirements, while Republicans criticized it as lowering standards. Proponents said the state needed to pause Oregon's high school graduation requirement, in place since 2009, but suspended during the pandemic, until at least the class of 2024 graduates in order for leaders to re-examine its graduation requirements."

I want to read for you again, what Charles Boyle, the governor's deputy Communications Director said. "Suspending the reading, writing, and math proficiency requirements while the state develops new graduation standards will benefit." And, this is part of his direct quote, "Oregon's black, Latino, Latina, Latinex, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color."

It will benefit its black and students of color.

Maybe this guy has failed the proficiency standards.

"Leaders from those communities have advocated for equitable graduation standards."

Now, what's going on here is a shakedown of the wokes that the Oregon Democrats have fallen for. Is it not an admission against interest that the proficiency standards, if they're not met by white students is fairly well an identifier that they're failing these kids. They're failing these kids. So, what are the white people of the Oregon legislature and the white governor want to do? They want to get rid of the standard so they can't be held culpable for failing these kids. They don't want these kids to have the opportunity to go to better schools. They don't want to improve the schools. They think just pouring money at the schools will improve the schools and this is where we are here.

This is where we are. They've decided to get rid of the basic standards to make sure the kids can read, write and do math before they graduate. And, they claim that that will help non-white students. How the hell does it help non-white students to ensure that they don't have to read, write and do math when they get out of high school? They're lowering the standards, they're defining deviancy down essentially. When you get to a point where the non-white kid is going to be helped by not having to show he can read and write and do math. That's a kind of damning indictment on the public schools in Oregon. That the white people in the legislature and the white governor have decided to go along with, because it benefits them to not be held culpable. It benefits them to not be blamed. Well, how can you say they can't rewrite new math? We don't have that standard anymore.

And then, to use all of these labels, it doesn't make sense. Oregon's black, Latino, Latina, Latinex, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color. Not, "It will benefit Oregon's black students, Latino, Latina, Latinex students, indigenous students, Asian students, Pacific Islander students, Tribal students and students of color." No, no, no. Black, Latino, Latina, Latinex, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color. You're so busy trying to do a catch all for all of them that you are failing them all.

These lawmakers are failing Oregon students. An Oregon high school degree will be largely worthless because, it will be no guarantee that a student has the core competencies that they're supposed to get in education. Our public school systems are failing our kids.