Oregon Suspends Proficiency in Reading, Writing, or Math for Graduation, Citing Harm to Students of Color

What in the world are they thinking?

A school board in Oregon just suspended proficiency requirements in reading, writing, or math.

In other words, students can now “graduate” without proving proficiency in these subjects.

Why?

Because of race.

They claim that these requirements hurt students of color.

They want to lower standards so that everyone gets a trophy.

Tell me:

How will this strengthen our workforce?

How does this benefit the kids, who now believe they can do the bare minimum to succeed?

How will society pay the repercussions for years to come?

Prior to the pandemic all 11th graders in Oregon were required to demonstrate competence in essential skills like reading, writing and math through either a standardized test or a portfolio of work.https://t.co/9OJyyHIILv

— KATU News (@KATUNews) October 20, 2023

Oregon education officials believe minority students are too inherently stupid to succeed under standard graduation requirements.

If that’s not racist, I don’t know what is. https://t.co/LpjgX3lcqC

— The Pragmatist (@pdxpragmatist) October 20, 2023

By unanimous vote, the Oregon state Board of Education recommends that you don't have to be able to read, write, or do math to graduate high school. Why? Too many black kids can't, and that hurts their feelings. Suicide of a society right here. https://t.co/xxvHgkjPoa

— Rod Dreher (@roddreher) October 20, 2023

How is this move not considered racist?

Is the school board not implying that they think minority students are too stupid to pass based on merit?

Because that’s what this action suggests.

As confirmed by the local Oregon Capital Chronicle:

Oregon high schoolers will not need to fulfill an essential skills requirement in order to graduate for at least the next five years.

The Oregon Board of Education on Thursday voted unanimously to pause a decade-old requirement that students show additional proficiencies in reading, writing and other skills on top of taking regular courses in those subjects. The essential skills requirement will be suspended through the 2027-28 school year.

The decision sparked criticism from Republican lawmakers, including a group led by former gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan, who said the requirement is needed to ensure students have the necessary skills.

The decision followed an earlier decision by the board to suspend the requirements throughout the pandemic due to school closures. It has since received feedback from districts and the Oregon Department of Education that it was burdensome to teachers and students, and that it was being misapplied. Republican legislators say the board is reneging on its duty to ensure students are prepared to graduate.

“If I had to distill this into one simple statement, it’s quite simply that they did not work,” Dan Farley, assistant superintendent of research, assessment and data at the agency, told the board Thursday.

A report from the Oregon Department of Education to the Senate Committee on Education in September 2022 recommended ending the requirement, because schools were mostly using students’ state standardized test scores, called the SBAC test, to measure whether they were proficient in essential skills. This was counter to what the requirement was intended to do, said state Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, who was on the state education board when the requirement was approved.

This policy will last until 2028.

Basically, over the next 5 years, they will graduate students who are not necessarily skilled in writing, reading, and math.

Don’t be surprised if the repercussions of this don’t make themselves clear for years to come.

Skillset matters.

Hard work matters.

Why are we teaching our children that failure is ok?

Why are we sending a signal and a message that you can “succeed” in this world without putting in the work?

This isn’t how the world works.

If anything, it’s likely that this move will backfire.

Oregon education officials show their blatant racism and belief that students with darker skin aren't capable of passing basic graduation standards. They don't want to admit their culpability in giving ALL kids a crappy education. https://t.co/wO8jO8tbFu

— Oregon Tea Party 🇺🇲 (@OregonTeaParty) October 20, 2023

The Oregon State Board of Education Board Chair just spent almost 10 minutes comparing graduation standards to syphilis experiments on black men in the mid 1900s. #orpol #orleg

— Dru Draper (@drudraper) October 19, 2023

When asked what her top priority for Oregon is, ⁦@GovTinaKotek⁩ said, “housing production has to be the number one priority for the session.” Not drugs, not poor education, not gas prices. Is it possible for a governor to be more out of touch? https://t.co/BFpsphxHrp

— pnw working mom (@PNW_working_mom) October 19, 2023

Here’s the scary part.

Far left ideas tend to spread, regardless of whether or not they’re successful.

It’s likely that other states might want to “try what Oregon is doing.”

Of course, the irony is that the people who are supposedly focused on education don’t care about whether or not kids actually learn anything.

Isn’t that the purpose of school?

ABC affiliate KATU2 confirms:

Prior to the pandemic all 11th graders in Oregon were required to demonstrate competence in essential skills like reading, writing and math through either a standardized test or a portfolio of work.

Students who did not demonstrate proficiency in the skills had to make up the work in their senior year to graduate.

That requirement, put into place in 2012, was suspended during the pandemic. The Oregon Board of Education voted Thursday to continue the suspension until 2027.

They say the way the assessment results were being used was marginalizing students of color and students with disabilities.

“We are unable to ethically make a different decision at this point. It is also unethical for us to continue to require this when we know it can continue to cause harm and has had no change in how students are performing,” said Guadalupe Martinez Zapata who chairs the board.

Some parents feel removing the requirement is devaluing Oregon’s diploma by giving students an easy pass.

Mary Miller was one of two parents who spoke against the decision at the meeting. Others submitted testimony against it online.

“Any parent of a teenager knows that students are more motivated, and they study, if there is going to be a test,” Miller said.

So what do you think?

Is this a wise decision?

Or is this a woke decision?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

It’s important that all of us with common sense stand against these radical ideas.

These ideas will spread, and it will take good people standing up for what’s right.