3 good education bills voted down

HOUSE DEMOCRATS REJECT COMMON SENSE EDUCATION PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES
By Oregon House Republican caucus

SALEM, Ore. – Today, House Democrats voted down three common sense Republican bills to provide more educational opportunities for Oregon students and to protect the rights of parents to ensure they play a role in their children’s educations.

HB 4095 re-establishes basic proficiency standards for reading, writing, and math as conditions for a student to receive a high school diploma or a modified diploma.

“We are selling our kids a false hope in education. Graduating kids without letting them prove to themselves that they have fully grasped the k-12 standards is not what we should be doing,” said Rep. Emily McIntire (R-Eagle Point), chief sponsor of HB 4095. “Our kids ARE capable of great achievement – we should treat them that way. Having a graduation requirement allows students to confidently walk across that stage and into life with the knowledge they need.”

HB 4161 effectively removes the cap on students who can enroll in a virtual charter school without their resident school district’s approval. Current law caps the percentage of students from a school district who can attended virtual charter schools that are not sponsored by their school district.

“Each kid is unique and deserves the chance to be in the educational environment that works best for them,” said Rep. Ed Diehl (R-Stayton), chief sponsor of HB 4161. “School choice is sweeping across the country. It is coming to Oregon. It’s only a matter of time. We are gaining momentum and we are not giving up.”

HJR 203 proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution to establish the fundamental right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.

“Every parent should have the constitutional right to be involved in their children’s upbringing from start to finish,” said Rep. Werner Reschke (R-Medford), chief sponsor of HJR 203. “It’s disappointing that the majority party rejected this and the other simple, common-sense ideas.”