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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2019)
10 Wednesday, February 13, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Governor Brown discusses funding with local educators By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent Governor Kate Brown paid a visit to Central Oregon on Friday, February 1, and made her first stop of the day in Redmond where she met with a group of 18 teachers and school counselors represent- ing school districts in Madras, Prineville, Redmond, Bend, and Sisters. Among the group were Sisters Elementary teacher Clay Warburton and Sisters Middle School teacher Deborah Riehle. The Central Oregon office of Oregon Education Association helped organize the visit which was intended to allow the governor to hear directly from those <in the trenches= the needs of K-12 public education in the state. For an hour Brown listened and responded to teachers, some very experienced and others new to the field, who chronicled their experiences that have been impacted by the lack of funding in Oregon over the past 30 years, all the way back to Measure 5, that has seen Oregon9s class sizes grow, school year length shrink, and graduation rates dip. Brown has made similar visits around the state as she put together her budget for the next two years. Her vision is for a seamless system of edu- cation from <cradle to career.= <My goal is to figure out how to invest in the K-12 schools 9.1 billion this bien- nium,= she said. <I know cer- tainly we can do more than that which is why I have also created (an) investment pack- age totalling two billion extra dollars focused on reducing class sizes for K-3 and extend- ing the school year, as well as supporting Career Technical Ed (CTE).= Brown made mention of her previous visits to Bend and Sisters and complimented both as having <some extraor- dinary programs= in the CTE area. She quoted statistics that show the students who have access to CTE programs have a graduation rate as much as 10 percent higher than stu- dents who don9t, which is attributed to the learning being more engaging and relevant. On this topic, one middle school teacher made the point that CTE needs to extend down into the lower grades as well as the improvements at the high school. Brown noted that the state has struggled since 1992, when she first ran for secre- tary of state, to stabilize fund- ing for education. Measure 5, which passed in 1990, was followed by Measures 47 and 50 in 1996 and 1997, a decade marked by anti-tax fervor in the state. These measures, which cut property taxes, effectively took away local control for funding schools in Oregon and placed those decision in the hands of the legislature, which has resulted in over 25 years of funding erosion. She looks forward to the upcoming legislative session because she believes <it is an incredible opportunity to make a significant investment in our education system.= Clay Warburton, long-time fourth-grade teacher at Sisters Elementary, sees a number of places that need further invest- ment, but in no way wants anyone to misunderstand his gratitude for the local support from the Sisters community that sets our school district apart from most in the state. <One thing we heard repeatedly is that there is a critical need for more coun- selors and behavior programs K-12,= he said. <This has really emerged as one of our greatest needs here in Sisters and throughout Central Oregon. The need for more care of our students, along with the dedication to teach- ing and learning was echoed by all of the educators who shared with the governor,= he said. <As our colleagues from around the region described what was happening in their buildings, it became very apparent what a special sce- nario we have built here in Sisters&a scenario that is only being realized through the grants, generous families, local option bonds, and com- munity partnerships that have supported and enhanced the many wonderful opportunities available to our students,= he said. <I feel a deep sense of gratitude to be a part of such a dedicated and professional staff that gets to deliver learn- ing experiences to our stu- dents within this framework of community support.= I feel a deep sense of gratitude to be a part of such a dedicated and professional staff that gets to deliver learning experiences to our students within this framework of community support. — Clay Warburton PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG Deb Riehle and two other teachers laugh with Governor Kate Brown following a meeting with 18 Central Oregon educators February 1. her plan, with up to $50 mil- working to increase educa- lion to be added, earmarked tional funding in Oregon. specifically for more early A number of Sisters School childhood access in that area. District educators plan to A student support special- attend. ist from La Pine spoke to the Following the meeting, need for school districts to be Riehle said, <I appreciated how more free to allocate funding Governor Brown was listening tailored to that school or dis- and responding to the individ- trict9s specific needs. <Fair is ual questions, and not being not always equal,= she said. too broad in her responses. A rally of educators from I think she realizes how dif- throughout Oregon is sched- ficult this job has become for uled for President9s Day at school personnel, and also the 10 a.m. at the state capitol importance of our students Everyone in the group in Salem. The rally is part and our future. I hope she meeting, along with the gov- of a growing movement stands true to her ideas and can ernor, agreed that Oregon has among educators and citizens make some positive change.= gone too long underfunding education. 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