Sen. Knopp receives award for Parental Choice in Education

Salem, OR – On the Capitol Steps, in front of hundreds of families, Senator Tim Knopp (R-Bend/Redmond/Sunriver/Tumalo) received the Golden Apple Award. The award is given each year to lawmakers who have made an impact on policies that give parents the right to choose the school that best fits their children’s educational needs. Sen. Knopp received this award for his leadership on Senate Bill 100 during the 1999 legislative session. SB 100 significantly increased the education options for Oregon Parents.

“When I championed SB 100 during the 1999 legislative session, our intentions were to remove a layer of regulation impeding educational opportunities for Oregon families” Knopp states. “It’s truly amazing what can happen when government steps back and allows families to figure out solutions to their specific difficulties. I will continue to look for every opportunity to empower families to develop unique solutions.”

Currently, 23,235 students are enrolled in non-traditional education opportunities in the state of Oregon. Since 1999, there has been a steady increase in students utilizing charter schools. Oregon charter schools now offer a wide range of instructional programs and grade configurations including Montessori-like, Arts and Sciences, Military Academy, Dual-Language Immersion, and International Baccalaureate.  Rimrock Expeditionary Alternative Learning Middle School (REALMS) located in Bend, serves 90 students teaching them through active learning focusing on the living world around them.

Sen. Knopp was previously in the Legislature from 1999 to 2005 for three terms, including one as Oregon House Majority Leader. During the 1999 session he supported SB 100, which created a legitimate avenue for parents, educators, and community members to take responsible risks to create new, innovative, and more flexible ways of educating children within the public school system. Sen. Knopp was elected to his first term in the Oregon State Senate in November 2012, in Senate District 27, which encompasses the Central Oregon communities of Bend, Redmond, Sunriver, and Tumalo.