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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2018)
Page 4A East Oregonian Tuesday, March 20, 2018 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor Founded October 16, 1875 OUR VIEW Divide present in student survey The most sobering aspect of a new survey of Oregon high school students is how much their views align with those of their elders. Each generation wishes for future generations to be better off. Yet Oregon’s high school population feels the same divides and discontents as the rest of the country. There is a divide between those high schoolers who are satisfied with their lot in life and those who are not. There is a yearning for greater respect and for greater involvement in the governmental decisions that affect their lives. There is widespread concern about access to mental health care. These issues are revealed in the newly released “State of Our Schools: Examining Oregon’s High Schools Through Students’ Eyes,” which might be the first statewide student survey conducted by Oregon students themselves. More than 2,200 high schoolers participated in an online survey or focus groups. Oregon Student Voice, which is open to students in sixth through 12th grades, conducted the study with the assistance of two respected partners — the Chalkboard Project and DHM Research. Participation was voluntary, so the statistics might not carry the same weight as randomized surveys. But the conclusions remain relevant, especially because they were written by students. High schoolers are insightful. They know who’s a good teacher and who’s not. They recognize whether discipline is administered fairly, equitably and consistently. They care whether the school administration — all the way up to the school board — heeds their ideas. As a society, we know that students who feel valued and engaged are more likely to carry those attitudes into civic life as adults. In contrast, the Oregon Student Voice report states: “Exclusionary cliques, social tensions and bullying are all present within schools. Students assert that those who do not fit into the typical high school student mold do not receive the respect, stability and support needed to succeed in their school. Students believe that high schools are oriented towards helping those already on a path to success, leaving behind everyone else.” Among the research findings: ▪ Most students enjoy high school, but 32 percent cite a lack of trust and mutual respect in their schools. ▪ 40 percent consider access to mental health resources to be the most important issue facing K-12 policymakers. The No. 2 issue, identified by 22 percent, is career and technical education. ▪ 77 percent of students feel engaged in class. Among those who do not have post-high school plans — college, trade school or the military — that figure drops to 49 percent. ▪ 76 percent have a teacher or other school staff member whom they trust as a mentor. Again, that figure drops significantly among students who do not plan to attend college. ▪ 81 percent say their teachers are good, but only 51 percent think the content of required courses is relevant to their futures. ▪ Students favor teachers who welcome feedback and adapt their teaching accordingly. The report states: “Students want to learn in interactive, collaborative and hands-on environments. Students are critical of rote memorization and inflexible approaches that favor higher-achieving students while leaving others behind.” The research contains many positives about students’ views of their education. But their concerns should generate a statewide call to action. Otherwise, the divides that roil our state and nation will continue to manifest themselves. YOUR VIEWS More funding, teachers needed in schools As a mother of nine and a parent volunteer for the past 20 years, my thoughts on the school shootings might be a little different. I have seen news documentaries, Facebook rants, and personal opinions thrust upon the world, and have not one time seen a solution that everyone agrees upon. This morning as I watched another person share their views, a thought came to me. What if, instead of taking away guns, locking down schools and destroying the Constitution of the United States of America, we put more adults in the schools to help teachers and students? If there was one adult per 5-10 children in a classroom, there would be less bullying, more individual help, more compassion, positive redirection, accountability and overall guidance. I’ve seen the dynamic in a classroom when just one extra adult is present to answer questions and redirect frustration. Students need help, teachers need help, families need help. We would not take 30 children to the zoo by ourselves, or throw a birthday party for 12 without help, yet we expect our teachers to share their knowledge with 30 individuals with varying learning abilities. If anything, could we figure out how to devote some of our time each week to these children? What if every parent willingly spent 1-2 hours a week in their kids’ classroom? Anny Welch Pendleton OTHER VIEWS The myth of education skepticism I n Alabama’s recent special Senate to be in a never-ending crisis, and election, the progressive group college debt has become a new crisis. Priorities USA was looking for A much-discussed Pew Research ways to lift African-American voter Center poll recently found a jump in turnout. So Priorities tested several the number of people saying colleges different advertisements, to see had a negative effect on the country. which ones made people want to In truth, though, Americans’ vote. attitudes toward education are much There was no shortage of potential simpler than all of this noise suggests David ad material in Alabama. Roy Leonhardt — just as that Alabama ad test found. Moore, the Republican nominee, Whatever complaints people may Comment had a trail of bigoted statements have about their local school or and alleged sexual molestation. college costs, most have no doubt Doug Jones, the Democrat, had prosecuted that their children need a good education. Ku Klux Klansmen for murder. Priorities People see it as the most reliable path to a tested each of these themes and others, too: good life, and they are right. Moore’s ties to white supremacists; Moore’s The unemployment rate for college closeness to President Donald Trump; Jones’ graduates is a mere 2.3 percent. College endorsements from civil-rights leaders. graduates earn vastly more than Yet none of these tested as well as a non-graduates. Educational gaps in life 15-second ad that never mentioned Moore. expectancy and health status are growing “My kids are going to do more than just too. survive the bigotry and hatred,” a female When you start to dig into the education narrator says, as the video shows a Klan skepticism, you find that much of it march and then a student at a desk. “They’re collapses. Those journalists and academics going to get an education, start a business, publicly questioning the value of education? earn a good living, make me proud. Many are desperately trying to get their Education is my priority. That’s why I’m own children into strong school systems and voting for Doug Jones.” colleges. Their skepticism apparently applies The test results surprised the leaders of only to other people’s kids. Priorities, and no wonder: We’re supposed to And that Pew poll? It was legitimate be living in a time of education skepticism. but misunderstood. The rise in negative The media regularly run stories suggesting feelings toward colleges came largely education is overrated. K-12 schools are said among Republicans, many of whom see Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. campuses as bastions of liberalism. Yet those Republicans still want their children to attend college. They understand that the benefits of education outweigh any risks of lefty brainwashing. Last week, I asked the research group Morning Consult to conduct a poll on education. The main question gave parents a list of schooling levels — high school, community college, four-year college — and asked which they wanted their own children to attain. The results were overwhelming: 74 percent chose four-year college, and another 9 percent chose community college. The progressive think tank Demos recently commissioned its own poll that found strikingly similar support for increased higher-education funding. The popularity of education offers a giant opportunity to politicians. It’s a chance to talk about something other than Trump — and be heard. Many voters, understandably, care more about their lives and their children’s future than about Stormy Daniels or Jared Kushner. Conor Lamb, the Pennsylvania Democrat, just won in a heavily Republican district by focusing relentlessly on his constituents, not Trump. Education was one of his themes. He told voters he was bothered that his brother and sister — both teachers — didn’t receive the gratitude that he did for being a Marine. Given the passions of the Trump era, this isn’t the moment to settle for the modest, technocratic education proposals that Democrats often favor. It’s a time for big, ambitious ideas. In education, that means universal preschool, which would address both inequality and child-care needs, and universal tuition-free community college. A century ago, the United States led the world toward universal high school, and today’s economy demands more than a high-school diploma. Community colleges are part of the answer, and are also a common pathway to four-year degrees. Importantly, free tuition there isn’t a huge subsidy for the upper middle class and the affluent, who typically start at four-year colleges. I was glad to see New Jersey’s new Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, propose free community college and expanded pre-K for his state last week. And these ideas don’t need to be partisan. Tennessee’s Republican governor, Bill Haslam, has made his state’s community colleges tuition-free, while Georgia and Oklahoma have been pre-K leaders. Sometimes, good policy and good politics align quite nicely. The single best bet that a society or an individual can make — education — also turns out to be the rare idea that transcends today’s partisan divide. ■ David Leonhardt is an op-ed columnist for The New York Times. The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to managing editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.