Oregon Progressives Lower Academic Expectations for Minority Students in Name of ‘Equity’
Oregon | August 16, 2021
Last month, Democratic Gov. Kate Brown quietly signed a bill suspending high school graduation proficiency standards in reading, writing, and math.
Oregon’s high school graduation rate is on the rise. But maybe not for the right reasons.
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic prompted state guidelines that essentially mandated a no-fail policy for high school seniors whose course work became remote during the latter half of the 2020 school year. Now, state graduation rates will likely remain artificially inflated, thanks to a new law that will allow Oregon students to get their diplomas without proving proficiency in core academic skills.
Last month, Democratic Gov. Kate Brown quietly signed Senate Bill 744 into law, suspending proficiency requirements in reading, writing, and math for high school students on track to graduate for at least the next five years.
A spokesperson for the governor said suspending the standards will allow the state to develop new criteria for graduation that will benefit “Oregon’s Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color.”.. (Excerpts from Virginia Star)