“As you know, deep blue Oregon is a one-party state that’s been controlled by Democrats since the 1980s. Its business and social fabric are shredded. Once one of the nation’s leading K-12 educational states, it now suffers the ignominy of having fallen to near the bottom of education rankings. Oregon’s leftist Democrats and their powerful teachers’ union allies have proven again that a socialist government and agenda are doomed to failure.”
John V., who was raised in South Africa, moved to an upscale suburb of Portland, Oregon in 1973, in part, due to the highly-rated schools. He and his wife raised their children there.
Oregon Ranks 35th Nationally in Return on Investment for Education Spending
By Kathryn Hickok, Cascade Policy Institute, November 6, 2024
Is more money the answer to Oregon’s abysmal K-12 academic rankings?
The Heritage Foundation annually releases an Education Freedom Report Card, which ranks states according to school choice, academic transparency, regulatory freedom, and education spending. The report assesses what each state does well, identifies where it can improve, and suggests how local leaders can better address education issues.
Oregon ranks at or near the bottom of all states in each category, including 51st overall and 35th in return on investment for education spending.
Oregon students’ National Association of Education Progress (NAEP) scores rank 42nd in the country, even though Oregon spends above average per pupil annually (the 21st-most at $17,374 per student).
Oregon also has a high ratio of non-teaching to teaching staff: There is one non-teacher for every two teachers in Oregon public schools.
In early October, the Portland Tribune reported that Oregon elementary students’ academic proficiency remains “significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, with only 31% of all Oregon students testing at proficiency in math, 43% in English and 29% in science.”
The Tribune noted that while every state “experienced a decrease in average assessment scores…between spring 2019 and 2022,” “compared to every other state, Oregon was third last for improvement in reading test scores…”
All children deserve effective educational options that meet their learning and developmental needs. Spending more money—in the same district schools that haven’t helped students succeed for decades—isn’t the answer.
To show we’re serious about improving education outcomes, Oregon should reinstate graduation requirements, provide school choice including open enrollment across public school districts, and minimize time and expenditures focused on non-academic services and initiatives.
Kathryn Hickok is Executive Vice President at Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization, and Director of Cascade’s Children’s Scholarship Fund-Oregon program.
Literacy rates have been dropping nationwide FOR GENERATIONS, faster in Blue States than in Red States.
Education Officials Declare: Oregon’s Black & Brown Students Are Too Stupid To Learn
From Donald Trump’s DeskThe Department of Education is On Its Way Out
The author, Diane L. Gruber, is a First Amendment advocate who writes for Substack. She calls her Substack newsletter America First Re-Ignited.
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