STATE
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
A7
State education system reeling from challenges presented by COVID-19
By Sam Stites
Oregon Capital Bureau
With schools closed now
through April 28, and colleges and
universities told to move online to
teach, educators and students across
Oregon are facing a mass disruption
in learning the state has never seen.
Gov. Kate Brown has imposed
some of the nation’s strictest social
distancing measures in an effort to
slow the spread of the new coronavi-
rus. But how different industries and
state programs respond, such as Ore-
gon’s education system, is yet to be
fully realized.
The State Board of Education is
soon expected to consider adjusting
the requirements for class time that
local school systems must meet to
keep their state funding. Currently,
school districts must offer over 256
days at least 900 hours of instruction
for K-8 students, 990 hours for grades
9-11, and 966 hours for high school
seniors.
State and federal waivers would
allow the state’s 197 school districts
more latitude in moving toward offer-
ing online learning and virtual teach-
ing as more than 580,000 Oregon stu-
dents are kept out of their physical
classrooms for at least the next five
and a half weeks.
Colt Gill, deputy state superinten-
dent and director of the state Depart-
ment of Education, said during Thurs-
day’s Board of Education meeting the
state’s priority is amending gradu-
ation requirements for current high
school seniors.
According to Jim Green, presi-
dent of the Oregon School Boards
Association, the waiver on instruc-
tional hours is the biggest question
for school leaders, along with ensur-
ing that any approach to online learn-
ing provides all Oregon students
the same options. The problem with
online learning is that not every Ore-
gon home has internet access, and
homeless students in particular would
be disadvantaged if online learn-
ing proceeds. There are also barriers
around providing options to non-En-
glish speaking students.
“This is a civil rights issue,” Green
said. “There are a variety of things
that districts need to think about how
they’re going to address those issues.”
Green said Oregon’s school dis-
tricts are generating somewhere in
the neighborhood of 200-300 ques-
tions for his organization per day.
The association is triaging requests
and questions on a number of topics
as state education leaders continue
releasing new information and direc-
tives to school officials.
One of the few heartening mes-
sages, Green said, is that funding for
schools won’t be pared.
“I think one of the things that
the governor in talking with all of
us made very clear and her execu-
tive order is state school fund dol-
lars will flow to school districts as if
schools were operating,” Green said.
“As a matter of fact, we’re telling our
school district members, pay your
staff as if they’re working.”
According to Marc Siegel, Edu-
cation Department spokesperson,
charter schools also face the same
terms of closures. All Oregon charter
schools — 132 schools serving more
than 30,000 students — are subject
to the governor’s executive orders,
and most charter schools operating
from a physical location where stu-
dents attend, such as a school build-
ing or school campus, are shut down,
but virtual schooling continues in
some cases. The number of charter
schools continuing with virtual learn-
ing wasn’t immediately available.
“A number of charter schools are
currently operating as full virtual
schools. Some were previously oper-
ating as virtual schools and adjusted
their program to be 100% virtual,”
Siegel said. “And some brick-and-
mortar charter schools have flipped
their program to meet the standards
for virtual education.”
The impacts of social distancing
measures including bans on gath-
erings of 25 or more and restricting
food service at bars, restaurants and
other establishments to takeout and
delivery only are threatening many
businesses and workers throughout
Oregon. Some of the state’s top busi-
ness minds are exploring solutions to
help workers and employers who’ve
been hit hard by the economic erosion
caused by the spread of coronavirus
and measures to stop it, but the Ore-
gon Education Association, the state’s
teachers union, is also asking leaders
to help teachers and other staff who
might be facing financial ruin as well.
“During these uncertain times,
OEA is focused on advocating for
the health and well-being of all of
Oregon’s students and educators,”
said John Larson, president. “That
includes ensuring no student is left
behind as some districts transition to
distance learning programs and urg-
ing elected leaders to pass strong
financial protections for educators
and staff at Oregon’s institutions of
higher learning.”
State wants workers to telecommute and people to keep their distance. Is it following its own advice?
By Jake Thomas
Oregon Capital Bureau
Across Oregon, schools
and restaurants are shuttered,
employers are encouraged to
allow telecommuting and peo-
ple are being told they should
just stay home as the state tries
to slow down a deadly surge
of the new coronavirus.
But getting state govern-
ment, which employs about
40,483 people with nearly
half of the jobs located in
Salem, to follow Gov. Kate
Brown’s lead hasn’t been as
straightforward.
State agencies have taken
steps to allow employees
to work remotely or to stay
home to prevent spreading
the virus. But such arrange-
ments encountered techno-
logical constraints and a pub-
lic that is increasingly calling
on state government for help
with health care or economic
insecurity.
In response to the out-
break, the state Depart-
ment of Administrative Ser-
vices signed agreements last
week with the two large state
employee unions.
The agreements, which
last through June, expand
leave options and specify that
employee requests to tele-
commute “will be presumed
to be acceptable.” But the
work-at-home requests can be
denied if there is a lack of lap-
tops, cellphones or network
availability.
David Kreisman, commu-
nications director for Ore-
gon AFSCME Council 75,
said, while the agreement has
helped, issues remain.
“The biggest issue with the
(agreement) and telecommut-
ing is there is not enough tech-
nology and laptops to do this
work,” he said.
He said the union, which
represents
about
4,000
employees, has heard of state
workers being denied tele-
commuting requests because
of a lack of laptops. Kreis-
man pointed out the state has
a shortage of masks and other
protective equipment to keep
workers from contracting the
virus. He said he heard a report
of behavioral health work-
ers using bandanas instead of
medical masks when working
with clients who tested posi-
tive for the coronavirus.
Kreisman said that to
keep workers and the pub-
lic safe, it’s time for the gov-
ernor to mandate shelter-in-
place, a drastic measure that
would shutter nonessential
businesses and government
services. He said demand for
some government services is
already diminishing.
“Nobody is going to get
a building permit. Nobody
needs to take a driving test,”
he said.
Liz Merah, a spokeswoman
for both the governor’s office
and the Department of Admin-
istrative services, said in an
email that there were no plans
to layoff any state employees
because of the outbreak. So
far, the Department of Envi-
ronmental Quality, the Ore-
gon Lottery and Oregon Driver
and Motor Vehicle Services
have curtailed operations and
services in response to the
outbreak.
Melissa Unger, executive
director for SEIU 503, said her
union isn’t calling for a shelter-
in-place order and is working
with each agency to balance
protections for state workers
while also making sure that
government agencies are carry-
ing out services at a time when
they’re especially needed.
She said her union rep-
resents the largest share of
government workers, about
23,000. Those include employ-
ees who have regular con-
tact with other people at the
Employment Department, the
Department of Human Ser-
vices, the Oregon State Hos-
pital and the Oregon Youth
Authority.
“It’s challenging because of
all the needs,” she said. “And,
to be honest, we are on the
front line of those needs.”
Unger said other state func-
tions that may not seem obvi-
ously essential need to con-
tinue amid the outbreak. She
said one example is the work-
force needed for state tax ser-
vices to send rebates to a cash-
strapped public.
She said a barrier to tele-
commuting is that the aging
technology used by state gov-
ernment can’t be easily trans-
ferred to a laptop. She also said
the shortage of masks and pro-
tective equipment is an issue
for her union.
Calls for comment Friday to
the representatives of Human
Services and Transportation
departments weren’t returned.
Pastor Keith
John Day Valley
Mennonite
Church
Meeting every Sunday
at Mt. Vernon Grange Hall
Sunday School.......................9:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship...10:50 a.m.
Pastor Leland Smucker
Everyone Welcome • 541-932-2861
JOHN DAY
UNITED
METHODIST
CHURCH
Sunday Worship • 9AM
(541) 575-1326
johndayUMC@gmail.com
126 NW Canton, John Day
Food Pantry Friday 3-4p.m.
Like us on Facebook!
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Catholic Church
Corner of S Canyon Blvd and SW 2 nd
Mon. - Fri. Mass - 12:05 pm
Saturday Mass - 5:00 pm
Sunday Mass - 9:00 am
Holy Days Mass: Noon & 6 pm
Confession: Saturday 4:00-4:45 pm
Anytime by appointment
541-974-8638
St. Anne
Redeemer
Lutheran Church
Come Worship with us at
TV & Radio Networks
Tune into KSPL 98.1 FM
Valley View Broadcasting
PO Box 151, Mt Vernon, Or 97865
Antenna: Digital Channel 15
Blue Mountain Cable Channel 2
CHURCH OF THE
NAZARENE
Sunday School..............................9:30 am
Sunday Worship Service..............10:45 am
Sunday Evening Service................6:00 pm
Children & Teen Activities
SMALL GROUPS CALL FOR MORE INFO
Weekdays: Sonshine Christian School
Pastor Randy Johnson
521 E. Main • John Day • 541-575-1895
wwww.johndaynazarene.com
627 SE Hillcrest, John Day
1 st Sunday Worship/Communion.......10am
3 rd Sunday Worship/Communion/Potluck...4:30pm
2 nd , 4 th & 5 th Sunday Worship ..........10 am
Wednesday Evening Bible Study.......6 pm
For information: 541-575-2348
FIRST CHRISTIAN
CHURCH
Sunday School.......................9:45 am
Sunday Worship.......................11 am
Fox Community Church..............3 pm
Sunday Evening Bible talk..........6 pm
Saturday Men’s Study................6 pm
Full Gospel- Come Grow With Us
541-575-1202 Church
311 NE Dayton St, John Day
Pastor Al Altnow
MT. VERNON
PRESBYTERIAN
Community Church
SUNDAY SERVICE..............9 am
SUNDAY SCHOOL...............9 am
541-932-4800
EVERYONE WELCOME
Cornerstone
Christian
Fellowship
139 N.E. D AYTON S TREET , J OHN D AY
541-575-2180
Sunday Worship Service 10 am
Sunday Youth Group 3 pm
Thursday Celebrate Recovery 6 pm
Pastor Levi Manitsas
cornerstonejohnday@gmail.com
ccfjd.org
Monument -
2nd and 4th Sundays at 12:30 pm
St. Thomas
Episocopal
Church
Join us on Facebook
live Sunday 10am
Like us on Facebook!
2
Every Sunday in the L.C.
Community Center
(Corner of Second & Allen)
Contact Pastor Ed Studtmann at
541-421-3888 • Begins at 4:00pm
FIRST
BAPTIST
CHURCH
Sunday School....................... 10 am
Church....................................11 am
Afternoon Service.................... 2 pm
No Mid-week Services
Pastor Jesse Gosnell
300 W. Main, John Day
541-575-1355
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 9 am - 12 Noon
Seventh-Day
Adventist
Church
SATURDAY SERVICES
JOHN DAY
110 Valley View Dr.
541-575-1216
Head Elder......................541-575-2914
Bible Classes (all ages)............9:30 am
Worship.......................................11 am
LONG CREEK
E. Main Street
541-421-3033
Head Elder............................421-3468
Bible Classes (all ages)...............2 pm
Worship........................................3 pm
S175340-1