Senator Dennis Linthicum (R-Klamath Falls) released the following statement in observance of National School Choice Week:

"Under the control of Democrats, Oregon schools have been failing our kids and parents for years. Oregon has consistently ranked in the bottom in terms of graduation rates, currently tied for third-worst in the county, despite spending nearly $14,000 in tax money per pupil per year. Barely 50% of our students are proficient in English, and less than 40% are proficient in math. Yet, year after year, the Legislature gives public schools more and more money even while they are shut down by Gov. Brown’s disastrous lockdowns.

"Every legislative session, Senator Linthicum proposes common-sense school choice reforms, like SB 659, that would give kids and parents the freedom to escape failing schools. But Democrats and their public-sector union special interests deny statistical reality and continue the decades-long cycle of poorly-performing schools that fail to provide for Oregon’s kids.

“I have been a consistent advocate for school choice because the best way to give people opportunities to be successful, to break cycles of poverty, and to allow people to lead fulfilling lives is through high-quality education. For too long, outdated government dictates have trapped our kids in failing schools, just because they happen to live in a particular zip code.

“Increasing school choice for our kids and parents doesn’t just promote freedom, competition, and quality of education, it also provides a way to break cycles of poverty. School closures due to the Governor’s lockdowns have only exacerbated educational disparities of failing schools which are disproportionately found in low-income and minority communities.

“That is why I am introducing SB 659. It will allow students to attend any school in the state. There is no justification to lock students into struggling schools. I call on the Democrat supermajority to hear this bill so that students can get the education they deserve and makeup lost learning due to school shutdowns.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-01-26 07:02:03