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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2015)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, April 1, 2015 &RPLQJVRRQ Judging success on a harder test O regon students are SUHSDULQJIRUWKHLU¿UVW crack at the Smarter %DODQFHGWHVW <RXFDQIRUJLYHWKHPDQG teachers and administrators, for suffering from testing whiplash, DQGPD\EHHYHQVRPH377' SRVWWUDXPDWLFWHVWGLVRUGHU 7KHWRSGRZQH[HFXWLYH branch approach to education UHIRUPKDVWULHGWRUHLQYLJRUDWH primary and secondary HGXFDWLRQLQWKHFRXQWU\RYHU WKHODVWGHFDGH±WRYDU\LQJ GHJUHHVRIVXFFHVV%XWWKHUH is no debate that the United 6WDWHVUHPDLQVGHFLVLYHO\ behind many European FRXQWULHVDQGPDQ\¿UVWZRUOG Asian countries in quality of HGXFDWLRQ7KHPXFKPDOLJQHG and misunderstood Smarter %DODQFHGWHVWVDQG&RPPRQ &RUHFXUULFXOXPLVWKHODWHVW attempt to resuscitate our HGXFDWLRQUHSXWDWLRQ ,WZRQ¶WFRPHHDVLO\ Students in grades three through eight and high school MXQLRUVZLOOEHVXEMHFWHGWR VHYHQKRXUVRILQWHQVLYHWHVWLQJ RYHUWKHQH[WWZRPRQWKV The goal is to measure their reading, writing, listening, math, research and thinking VNLOOV7HDFKHUVDUHSUHSDUHGIRU the worst; more than half of all students who take the test are H[SHFWHGWRUHFHLYH³IDLOLQJ´ JUDGHV$QGDGPLQLVWUDWLRQV DUHEXV\SLYRWLQJWRWKHQHZ curriculum so more students SDVVWKHFKDOOHQJLQJWHVWVHYHU\ \HDUIURPKHUHRQRXW $Q\WKLQJQHZXQSURYHQDQG GLI¿FXOWPDNHVSHRSOHIHDUIXO 0DQ\WHDFKHUVKDYHH[SUHVVHG WKDWIHDUDQGVRPHKDYHSDVVHG What’s in a name? If the moniker for the test – Smarter Balanced – seems a little ungainly, you can blame the folks behind the plan. The test takes its name from the multi-state coa- lition of education officials that developed the test, who named themselves the Smarter, Balanced Assessment Consortium. those fears along to their VWXGHQWV0RVWDWKOHWLFFRDFKHV NQRZWKDWFRQ¿GHQFHLVNH\WR VXFFHVVDQGFRQYLQFLQJWKHLU SOD\HUVWRJLYHWKHLUEHVWHIIRUW And what is true on the pitch LVDOVRWUXHRQSDSHU:HWKLQN VFKRRORI¿FLDOVVKRXOGUHPLQG students that Smarter Balanced WHVWVWKH86HGXFDWLRQV\VWHP as much as it tests the students WKHPVHOYHV Sure, it won’t be easy for WKHPDMRULW\RIVWXGHQWVWRVHH their low scores, especially for children who are used WRJHWWLQJJRRGJUDGHV%XW those good grades in less- challenging work weren’t cutting it on the international VFHQH7KLVFRXQWU\KDGWR up its game and any short- term setbacks will make our children smarter (and EDODQFHGLQWKHORQJUXQ For now, remind your son and daughter, or niece or nephew, to take a deep EUHDWK7RWU\KDUGEXWQRWEH RYHUZKHOPHG7RUHPHPEHU their self-worth no matter what a computerized score tells WKHP7KHNH\PDQWUDVKRXOG be the old parental standby that all young people should hear RYHUDQGRYHUDJDLQ'R\RXU EHVW OR wage hike would be good … for Idaho By Joe Beach EO Media Group Farmers and processors in Eastern Oregon are keeping a close eye on pro- posals in the Legislature that would in- crease the state’s minimum wage – now ±WRDVKLJKDVDQKRXURYHU WKHQH[WIHZ\HDUV They say if that happens they would KDYH WR FRQVLGHU PRYLQJ RSHUDWLRQV to nearby Idaho, where the minimum ZDJHLV Shay Myers, Owyhee Produce gen- eral manager,said that type of increase ZRXOG PDNH LW H[WUHPHO\ GLI¿FXOW IRU Eastern Oregon farmers and agribusi- nesses to compete with their colleagues DFURVV WKH VWDWH OLQH$ PLQLPXP wage would increase labor costs 62 percent at his company’s onion packing VKHGDQGIDUPLQJRSHUDWLRQV “How do we take a 62 percent re- GXFWLRQLQZKDWRXUHDUQLQJVDUHDQG think that we can remain in business FRPSHWLWLYHO\"´KHVDLG Myers and other producers say WKH\¶GKDYHWRFXWFRVWVHLWKHUWKURXJK PRUH DXWRPDWLRQ RU PRYLQJ ODERULQ- WHQVLYHRSHUDWLRQVWR,GDKR Supporters of a minimum wage hike VD\WKH\¶YHKHDUGDOOWKLVEHIRUH2UH- gon has the second-highest minimum ZDJHLQWKHFRXQWU\:DVKLQJWRQVWDWH KDVWKHKLJKHVW7KH\VD\WKHUHKDVQ¶W been a noticeable migration of busi- QHVVHVDFURVVWKHVWDWHOLQH ³:H KHDU WKHVH SUHGLFWLRQV HYHU\ time we propose raising the minimum wage and yet we don’t see that hap- SHQLQJ´6HQDWH0DMRULW\/HDGHU'LDQH 5RVHQEDXP'3RUWODQGVDLG A bill she sponsors would increase WKH PLQLPXP ZDJH WR QH[W \HDUDQGWRLQ$VHSDUDWH measure in the House calls for a hike to QH[W\HDUWKH\HDUDIWHU DQGLQ Supporters note that 400,000 low- wage earners in Oregon qualify for JRYHUQPHQW DVVLVWDQFH WKDW FRVWV WD[- SD\HUVELOOLRQD\HDU Rosenbaum said low-wage earn- ers “work hard at some of the hardest MREVWKHUHDUHDQGZHWKLQNWKHVHSHR- ple should earn a wage that is closer to ZKHUHWKH\FDQVXSSRUWWKHPVHOYHV´ We agree that some of the talk about PRYLQJLVEOXVWHU7KHFXUUHQWGLVSDULW\ KDVQ¶WSXVKHGPDQ\LIDQ\WRPRYHWR ,GDKR%XWWKHUH¶VDELJGLIIHUHQFHEH- WZHHQDQG Farmers and packers are price tak- HUV QRW SULFH PDNHUV 7KH\ FDQ¶W MXVW PDUNXSWKHSULFHRIWKHFURSWRFRYHUD mandate from Salem — particularly if SURGXFHUVLQWKHQH[WFRXQW\KDYHVXFK DFRPSHWLWLYHDGYDQWDJH Raise the wage high enough and ODUJHRSHUDWRUVZLOO¿QGDZD\WRUHGXFH ODERUFRVWV²PRYHRUDXWRPDWH6PDOO operators and their employees will be IRUFHGRXW The way to raise wages is to in- crease demand for labor, not reduce LW (OLPLQDWH WKH EDUULHUV IRU H[LVWLQJ businesses to hire, and on new business IURPVWDUWLQJLQWKH¿UVWSODFH3XWPRUH people to work, and the market will LQFUHDVHWKHLUZRUWK7KHHPRWLRQDODS- peal of a higher minimum wage is easy WRXQGHUVWDQG8QIRUWXQDWHO\LWGRHVQ¶W KROGXSWRWKHODZVRIHFRQRPLFV7KH JRYHUQPHQWFDQQRWPDQGDWHSURVSHULW\ Joe Beach is the managing editor of the Capital Press, an EO Media publi- cation. C OMMENTARY It’s time to take a new tack, reinvest in schools By Sen. Ted Ferrioli To the Blue Mountain Eagle Blue Mountain EAGLE 195 N. Canyon Blvd. • John Day, OR 97845 541-575-0710 • Fax 541-575-1244 Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper USPS 226-340 John Day, Oregon MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION P UBLISHER E DITOR A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT E DITORIAL A SSISTANT C OMMUNITY N EWS S PORTS M ARKETING R EP C USTOMER S ERVICE R EP Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com Scotta Callister, editor@bmeagle.com Kristina Kreger, kristina@bmeagle.com Cheryl Hoefler, cheryl@bmeagle.com Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Lindsay Bullock office@bmeagle.com Despite years of campaign prom- LVHV 2UHJRQ¶V 'HPRFUDW PDMRULW\ KDV underfunded Oregon schools for more than a decade, shortchanging our chil- GUHQ When Republicans last controlled WKH EXGJHW SURFHVV LQ SHU- cent of the discretionary budget went WR.HGXFDWLRQ7RGD\LWLVRQO\ SHUFHQW 'HPRFUDWVDSSHDUWREHOHYHUDJLQJ our children to manipulate the budget forecast (Senate Bill 929) to steal the YRWHUDSSURYHG NLFNHU WD[ UHIXQG IRU 2UHJRQLDQV $UH WKH\ XQGHUIXQGLQJ education to generate public support IRU XQLRQEDFNHG LQLWLDWLYHV WKDW ZLOO increase business and personal income WD[HV" Regardless of their tactic, under- IXQGLQJHGXFDWLRQLVWKHZURQJFKRLFH 5HSXEOLFDQVSURSRVHDEHWWHUZD\ While Oregon wastes money on ex- SHQVLYHIDLOXUHVOLNH&RYHU2UHJRQZH DUHIDLOLQJRXUFKLOGUHQ:LWKWKHZRUVW on-time graduation rate in the United States, Oregon is ranked at the bottom RIWKHFODVVQDWLRQDOO\2UHJRQ¶VIDLOXUH to prioritize education has resulted in PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY: EO Media Group Tell it to court 3HULRGLFDOV3RVWDJH3DLGDW-RKQ'D\DQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County Elsewhere in Oregon Continental U.S., Outside Oregon Outside Continental U.S. 1 year $40.00 $48.00 $55.00 $60.00 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery See the Blue Mountain Eagle on the Internet www.MyEagleNews.com POSTMASTER — send address changes to Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 Copyright © 2015 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. D'UDQNLQJIRUVWXGHQWDFKLHYHPHQW placing Oregon behind states like Ar- kansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, 9LUJLQLDDQG:DVKLQJWRQ What does this mean for Oregon’s VFKRROV" )HZHU WHDFKHUV ODUJHU FODVV VL]HV DQG UHGXFHG VFKRRO GD\V &XU- rently, Oregon has the second largest FODVV VL]HV LQ WKH QDWLRQ 7KLV KDV WR FKDQJH Here are choices that we should be discussing to strengthen education in 2UHJRQDQGPRYHXVEDFNWRZKHUHZH belong, the top of the class: Oregon continues paying up to $35,000 each for criminal defense costs RI ¿YH &RYHU 2UHJRQ RI¿FLDOV XQGHU )%, LQYHVWLJDWLRQ 1RZ IRUPHU *RY -RKQ.LW]KDEHUDQGKLV¿DQFpH&\OYLD +D\HVPD\DOVRTXDOLI\IRUVWDWHIXQGV This is an inappropriate use of taxpayer GROODUV $IWHUDVLJQL¿FDQWLQFUHDVHLQVWDWH employee salaries in the last budget, Senate Republicans would freeze state HPSOR\HH VDODULHV WR IUHH XS PLOOLRQWRDGGEDFNVFKRROGD\V 7KH 2UHJRQ (GXFDWLRQ ,QYHVWPHQW %RDUG LV D .LW]KDEHU ³IHHO JRRG´ LQL- WLDWLYH WKDW KDV ORQJ EHHQ RSSRVHG E\ WHDFKHUV DQG HGXFDWLRQ DGYRFDWHV (OLPLQDWLQJLWFRXOGUHGLUHFWPLO- OLRQ IURP ODUJHO\ DGPLQLVWUDWLYH FRVWV GLUHFWO\WRFODVVURRPV Democrats want $5 million to subsi- GL]H$PWUDNUDLO:K\ZRXOGZHZDVWH more money subsidizing a failed feder- DOEXUHDXFUDF\WKDWKDVORVWPRQH\HY- HU\\HDUIRUPRUHWKDQ\HDUV" The Elliott State Forest is held in WUXVW WR JHQHUDWH UHYHQXH IRU VFKRROV through sustainable forest manage- PHQW+RZHYHUWKHIRUHVWDFWXDOO\lost money the last few years as Democrats pandered to a radical, anti-management SKLORVRSK\5HVWRULQJVXVWDLQDEOHPDQ- agement practices across Oregon, con- sistent with the Oregon Forest Practice Act, could raise $80 million per bien- nium for schools while creating fami- O\ZDJHMREV :HFRXOGJRRQ7RUHLQYHVWLQ. HGXFDWLRQZHQHHGWRLQFUHDVHUHYHQXH WKURXJKMREFUHDWLRQDQGVWDUWVSHQGLQJ tax dollars responsibly so we can fully fund education, putting much-needed GROODUV EDFN LQWR RXU FODVVURRPV 5H- publicans choose to prioritize our kids ¿UVWDQGQRWWRKROGWKHPKRVWDJHWRWD[ LQFUHDVHVDQGSDUWLVDQHIIRUWVWRKLMDFN WKHYRWHUDSSURYHGNLFNHU Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, represents District 30, which includes Grant County and most of Eastern Oregon. L ETTER TO THE E DITOR To the Editor: 7KHUH¶VEHHQDORWZULWWHQRYHUWKH months about the pending closure of RXU PRXQWDLQV DQG ZKR LV GRLQJ LW :KLOHWHFKQLFDOO\WKH)RUHVW6HUYLFHLV planning and implementing these clo- sures, they are being permitted by the *UDQW &RXQW\ &RXUW DV WKH\ KDYH WKH DELOLW\WRDGGUHVVWKHVHLVVXHV *UDQW &RXQW\ 2UGLQDQFH ³:KHUHDVWKHURDGVWUDLOVVWRFNGULYH- ZD\V DQG E\ZD\V RYHU DQG DFURVV WKHVH SXEOLF ODQGV KDYH FXVWRPDULO\ been utilized unrestricted by Grant &RXQW\UHVLGHQWVIRUVHDUFKDQGUHVFXH ¿UHSURWHFWLRQ¿UHZRRGJDWKHULQJDF- FHVVIRUKXQWLQJDQG¿VKLQJOLYHVWRFN PDQDJHPHQW ORJJLQJ DFWLYLWLHV PLQ- ing, recreational uses and general wel- IDUH³ “Therefore, be it hereby ordained that for the safety and well-being of *UDQW&RXQW\FLWL]HQVDOOURDGVWUDLOV VWRFNGULYHZD\VDQGE\ZD\VRYHUDQG across public lands within the boundary RI*UDQW&RXQW\2UHJRQVKDOOUHPDLQ open as historically and customarily uti- OL]HGFRQVLVWHQWZLWKWKH*UDQW&RXQW\ plans and policies, unless otherwise au- WKRUL]HGIRUFORVXUHE\WKH*UDQW&RXQ- W\&RXUWDQGWKH*UDQW&RXQW\6KHULII´ We all need to engage with the For- HVW6HUYLFHDQGWHOOWKHPKRZWKHFOR- sures impact us, but it’s more important WKDW\RXWHOOWKH&RXQW\&RXUWWKDWSHU- mits these actions to close the roads that LWLVQRWDFFHSWDEOHWR\RX :KLOH ZH KDYH QR UHDO ZD\ RI UH- PRYLQJ)RUHVW6HUYLFHVWDIIWKDWZLOOQRW look out for the local residents, we do KDYH WKH DELOLW\ WR UHPRYH LQHIIHFWLYH ³OHDGHUV´IURPFRXQW\OHDGHUVKLS Or, maybe this is really what the &RXQW\&RXUWZDQWV±³&XUUHQWO\RII URDGYHKLFOHWUDYHOLVDOORZHG2+9XVH has the potential to disturb wildlife and reduce security for elk and deer, prey VSHFLHVRIJUD\ZROYHVDVZHOODVGLV- SHUVLQJJUD\ZROYHV´(ON9HJHWD- WLYHSURMHFW Is the court’s desire to expand ³ZROIKDELWDW´" Who’s going to be to blame when WKH\GR" We are, because we chose to be VLOHQW John George Bates