Oregon
U.S.
Rank
Rank
#40 D
Overall PPI Score: 62%
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Leadership
Your Governor:
Tina Kotek (D) (0)
First term began in 2023 (two-term limits).
Governor Tina Kotek, like her predecessor, is not supportive of education change and clearly states in her education plan that she “opposes any effort to undermine public schools by providing taxpayer dollars to private schools in the name of ‘school choice.’”
STATE LEGISLATURE:
Not content on waiting for the Governor or legislature, efforts to place the Oregon School Choice Account Amendment on the ballot in 2024 began two years ago and are now in the signature gathering phase. It looks like a healthy dose of parent power is in play in Oregon.
Constitutional Issues
"The Oregon Blaine Amendment has been viewed as a parallel interpretation to the federal Establishment Clause by Oregon courts," (Institute for Justice) which does not prohibit educational choice programs.
Transparency
School and district report cards are easy to access from the homepage of Oregon's Department of Education website, and can be found under the “Schools & Districts” heading. School report cards are formatted in "at-a-glance" profiles, making information easy to read and understand. Data is relevant and complete, showing parents both academic indicators of the school as well as non-academic indicators such as school environment and teacher quality.
Enhancing school accountability and transparency, educational options can be readily found on the homepage under the “Learning Options” heading.
School Board elections in Oregon occur separately from the general election cycle, often resulting in reduced parental influence and a diminished ability to make their voices heard due to lower voter turnout.