Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Funding for public education is in constant jeopardy. Our community colleges struggle to maintain the programs that will train the workforce of the future. Very little progress has been made to narrow the achievement gap between high-income and low-income students, and between white students and students of color. Public schools see talented teachers leave the system for lack of support or more lucrative private sector jobs.

Education doesn't just happen while students are in the classroom -- our children's minds need nourishment after the bell rings, and beyond the September-June school year. Educational outcomes are strongly tied to environmental health and safety, strong communities and economic stability in addition to high quality teachers and active parents.

Lew will champion legislation to make after-school and summer programs accessible to all students to close the achievement gap and ensure all students have an opportunity to thrive, and to screen alternative educational tools like online schools to make sure Oregon students have access to the very best of them.

To have the strongest schools, we need the strongest teachers, so Lew will work to support and expand new teacher mentorship programs to attract and retain the best talent for all of Oregon's schools.

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