BRINGING EDUCATION TO ITS KNEES

To those who were blessed to receive an education that included basic reading, writing, mathematics, history and at least a smattering of the arts, it might seem like a shock to learn that this summer Governor Kate Brown of Oregon signed Oregon Senate Bill 744, which abolishes competency in core subjects as a requirement for graduation from public high schools in Oregon.  Proponents of the bill lobbied for it in the name of "equity" for minority students, but it is difficult to understand how such a bill will would help any student of any background.  Some even view this law as a direct assault against minorities, whose innate abilities might now be dismissed as a result of a largely Caucasian legislative body's attempts to downgrade education and academic accomplishment.

To be fair, the law holds place for the next five years and then will be subject to review, but the harm that it could potentially generate could last much longer.  Tragic that the very institutions that were granted the sacred task of imparting knowledge are now working against it.

It is imperative that we ALL learn as much as we can about our schools, even those who have no children, because their lives will be impacted as surely as children's lives.  We should all study the funding, the curriculum, the training of teachers, the philosophy in place, the percentage of funds spent on administration and non-essential expenditures.  It is our right and our duty.