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Ballot measures should be well-written, well thought-out and clearly defined to receive the approval of Oregon voters. This is especially true when a dozen state ballot measures crowd an already comprehensive ballot, one providing for the election of president all the way down to city council members.
Of the measures on the Nov. 4 ballot, two concern the education of students in kindergarten through high school, Measures 58 and 60. If passed, both measures could have unintended consequences for our schools and their students. Neither should get your “yes” vote and become law.
We have to admit that both are immediately suspect to us because they are proposed by activist Bill Sizemore, who’s placed five measures on this year’s ballot and draws upon out-of-state money for the measures’ support. Why would we want a man who has been rejected by voters in his attempt to run for statewide office, and who put his own children in private school — not that there’s anything wrong with private school; that should be a parent’s choice — to tell us how to operate our public schools in Oregon?
This is a particularly important point to make because we have a group called the Chalkboard Project that is conducting a long-term, comprehensive assessment of our schools in order to make practical suggestions for how we can improve them, make teachers more accountable and get better results for students. It’s a group that we should be able to trust to be impartial because it’s funded by foundations that don’t have a vested interest in schools, only the success of students.
Measure 58 would limit non-English speakers to two years or less of instruction in a language other than English. For example, students in kindergarten through fourth grade would have just one year to gain command of English and all of their classes would be exclusively in English after that time.
Local school officials who already teach English-language immersion to non-native speakers say the measure would have little effect locally because the population of English language learners is so small. But they acknowledge it generally takes five to seven years to become proficient in English for those who aren’t native speakers.
Statewide, the measure would be expensive and likely would not produce better students.
The same can be said for Measure 60, though its focus is on teachers. Measure 60 states “ teacher ‘classroom performance,’ not seniority, determines pay raises, ‘most-qualified’ teachers retained, regardless of seniority.”
It sounds like a wonderful idea, but it does not outline how performance will be determined. It’s far too open-ended to evaluate. Furthermore, it could increase local school spending by up to $72 million in the first year, but there’s no funding for it.
Having to implement this “Kids First Act” that would supersede all existing laws, rules or policies with which it conflicts could put kids last instead. The only way for local school districts to come up with the increased funds would be to cut programs or teachers and increase class sizes. We all know that does nothing to improve their education nor increase teacher accountability.
Please make wise choices and vote “no” on both Measures 58 and 60.
Of the measures on the Nov. 4 ballot, two concern the education of students in kindergarten through high school, Measures 58 and 60. If passed, both measures could have unintended consequences for our schools and their students. Neither should get your “yes” vote and become law.
We have to admit that both are immediately suspect to us because they are proposed by activist Bill Sizemore, who’s placed five measures on this year’s ballot and draws upon out-of-state money for the measures’ support. Why would we want a man who has been rejected by voters in his attempt to run for statewide office, and who put his own children in private school — not that there’s anything wrong with private school; that should be a parent’s choice — to tell us how to operate our public schools in Oregon?
This is a particularly important point to make because we have a group called the Chalkboard Project that is conducting a long-term, comprehensive assessment of our schools in order to make practical suggestions for how we can improve them, make teachers more accountable and get better results for students. It’s a group that we should be able to trust to be impartial because it’s funded by foundations that don’t have a vested interest in schools, only the success of students.
Measure 58 would limit non-English speakers to two years or less of instruction in a language other than English. For example, students in kindergarten through fourth grade would have just one year to gain command of English and all of their classes would be exclusively in English after that time.
Local school officials who already teach English-language immersion to non-native speakers say the measure would have little effect locally because the population of English language learners is so small. But they acknowledge it generally takes five to seven years to become proficient in English for those who aren’t native speakers.
Statewide, the measure would be expensive and likely would not produce better students.
The same can be said for Measure 60, though its focus is on teachers. Measure 60 states “ teacher ‘classroom performance,’ not seniority, determines pay raises, ‘most-qualified’ teachers retained, regardless of seniority.”
It sounds like a wonderful idea, but it does not outline how performance will be determined. It’s far too open-ended to evaluate. Furthermore, it could increase local school spending by up to $72 million in the first year, but there’s no funding for it.
Having to implement this “Kids First Act” that would supersede all existing laws, rules or policies with which it conflicts could put kids last instead. The only way for local school districts to come up with the increased funds would be to cut programs or teachers and increase class sizes. We all know that does nothing to improve their education nor increase teacher accountability.
Please make wise choices and vote “no” on both Measures 58 and 60.
