Issue Position: Promoting a System of Educational Excellence

Issue Position

Education is the cornerstone of our communities and economy. In recent years we've worked hard to invest in Oregon's system of education by maintaining Head Start funding, protecting K-12 education, and supporting the Oregon Opportunity Grant to improve access to post secondary education despite enormous budget challenges. In 2011, we transformed our system of higher education by granting Oregon's universities new flexibility with accountability and bringing community colleges to the same table with Oregon universities. We also took a huge step forward with passage of Senate Bill 248, making full day kindergarten the norm in Oregon by 2015. But our work is not done. We need to continue our commitment going forward. I'm looking forward to efforts to find ways to make the most of education funding, and to find innovative ways to serve students. I'm sure we can all agree that students deserve to begin school ready to learn, to be taught in small classes, to enjoy a rich set of instruction including music, art, and extracurricular activities including athletics, and to graduate from our public system well prepared for career or college.

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