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Education Government Math

Oregon Law Allows Students To Graduate Without Proving They Can Write Or Do Math (oregonlive.com) 337

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Oregon Live: For the next five years, an Oregon high school diploma will be no guarantee that the student who earned it can read, write or do math at a high school level. Gov. Kate Brown had demurred earlier this summer regarding whether she supported the plan passed by the Legislature to drop the requirement that students demonstrate they have achieved those essential skills. But on July 14, the governor signed Senate Bill 744 into law. Through a spokesperson, the governor declined again Friday to comment on the law and why she supported suspending the proficiency requirements. Charles Boyle, the governor's deputy communications director, said the governor's staff notified legislative staff the same day the governor signed the bill.

Boyle said in an emailed statement that suspending the reading, writing and math proficiency requirements while the state develops new graduation standards will benefit "Oregon's Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color." "Leaders from those communities have advocated time and again for equitable graduation standards, along with expanded learning opportunities and supports," Boyle wrote. The requirement that students demonstrate freshman- to sophomore-level skills in reading, writing and, particularly, math led many high schools to create workshop-style courses to help students strengthen their skills and create evidence of mastery. Most of those courses have been discontinued since the skills requirement was paused during the pandemic before lawmakers killed it entirely.
The state's four-year graduation rate is 82.6%, up more than 10 points from six years ago. However, it still lags behind the national graduation rate averages, which is 85 percent.

Oregon's graduation rates currently rank nearly last in the country. But it's complicated because states use different methodologies to calculate their graduation rates, making some states appear better than others.
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Oregon Law Allows Students To Graduate Without Proving They Can Write Or Do Math

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  • by zkiwi34 ( 974563 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @03:46PM (#61677447)
    Not literate, means unemployable. This screws every kid in the state, and most particularly the minorities whom it thinks it is helping.
    • by Aighearach ( 97333 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:02PM (#61677561)

      My brother isn't literate, and he got his HS diploma here in Oregon.

      Instead of a "workshop" to help "show mastery," he just played on the football team. That's the truth of this change; it is already this way for certain people. Not everybody, some people they just flunk out. It depends on the biases of the school and district administration.

      It turns out there are lots of jobs where everything is taught by saying and doing. He's had jobs like that in multiple fields, and even found that is generally respected. He can also barely use a computer, but he can still manage to go down to the public library and watch a youtube video that teaches him a new job skill.

      The funny part is; I'm not even exaggerating.

      • by rtb61 ( 674572 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @08:13PM (#61678417) Homepage

        The rare example is a solution to nothing. The rare example is completely and utterly pointless, in the majority of instance, those people are totally and utterly screwed.

        No problem, little writing and math test at future employment and they are done, gone and forgotten. Attempt higher education with bullshit grades and now have to read, write or do math, and shock horror, they are part of university car park syndrome. Chock a block fall for the first half the of year and well only about half full in the second half of the years, every year, year in and year out. Well it Oregon I guess car parks will be overflowing with the clueless only to be near empty in the second half of the year.

        Basically they are just dumping the problem up the line to tech schools and universities, the mass loss of students mid year and having to do special remedial classes for the uneducated.

        The real criminal act, the younger you are the easier it is to learn, not bothering to teach and dumping them in late teens on the street and well, tough luck. They will change it back, what they really want to hide is how extremely badly online learning performed (basically all children in Oregon lost a year and would fail this year if the administration did not cheat).

        Of course you can not have different grading systems for different people, it is extremely racist and prejudiced. Want to fix the problem, well, you fucking bloody idiots, promote education over sport and not the other fucking way around, promote brains over brawn, make learning a socially preferred goal. Else continue to strive to fail, job well done, clearly already succeeding.

      • Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)

        by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @10:13PM (#61678673)
        Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Point of order, this is about *English* literacy. The people graduating are not necessarily illiterate, they just might be literate in a language other than English.

      • Well look on the bright side, he won't get caught up in Facebook conspiracy theories by himself.
    • We need tree loggers, bricklayers, recyclable sorters, and many others, who apparently Oregon is happy to supply us with in the next generation. There's room for everyone, if this doesn't become a wider trend.

      • by taustin ( 171655 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:18PM (#61677651) Homepage Journal

        We need tree loggers, bricklayers, recyclable sorters, and many others

        And they all need to able to balance their checkbook, if they are going to function as adults. And that is the level of math we're talking about.

        Oregon has become more of a third world banana republic and Louisiana.

        • Why would they need to balance their checkbook? Whatever they don't spend on the bare essentials they just spend at the local bars, titty and non-titty variety.

          Tough in all seriousness, who actually uses checks these days? I'm 39 and I can only recall all of two checks I've written in my life, one was to make an earnest payment preceding a down payment (which was a money wire) for my house, and then I had to write a check to the company that installed my solar system. Literally everything else has been eft,

          • by Brain-Fu ( 1274756 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @09:08PM (#61678559) Homepage Journal

            The phrase "balance their checkbook" is often used as a metaphor for "manage their money correctly and wisely." At least, that's how I interpreted Taustin.

            As eager as I am to chalk this up to stupidity on the part of Kate Brown, I am having a hard time accepting that any adult in her position would actually be THAT stupid. She MUST realize that this will only reduce the quality of education for all students, and all this will do is leave all or Oregon's children equally disadvantaged against the graduates of other states.

            It almost makes me suspect there is a darker motive here. A conscious political effort at keeping "the masses" stupid. It would ensure they lack critical thinking skills, and therefore are completely vulnerable to manipulation from social media, as well as being completely dependent on the government for providence (given their unemployability). Or maybe it is an effort at preventing the well-known effect of people being dissatisfied and refusing to work jobs that they deem to be below their education level. If the level is low, then those menial jobs are more acceptable.

            I dunno. I feel like a conspiracy theorist typing that. Though history has shown that all governments are capable of egregious evil, and a widespread effort at keeping people stupid is even a strategy that has been used in the past. So maybe it isn't so crazy. I dunno.

            • I dunno. I feel like a conspiracy theorist typing that.

              Agreed, you should pay attention to that instinct.

              The bind that Brown is in is really obvious: (a) The pandemic learning has been devastating. (b) It's compounded, as the article says, by the remedial supports for the basic skills being removed entirely. (c) Systems get judged on graduation rates (as in summary), and those will clearly dip if the standards are maintained. (d) This always hits minority groups extra-hard, so she's on the line to be accused of running a racist system.

              It sucks and you can tell

        • by quonset ( 4839537 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:41PM (#61677771)

          And they all need to able to balance their checkbook, if they are going to function as adults.

          Haven't looked around lately at "functioning" adults, have you? I can assure you, they don't know the meaning of balance.

          Also, these are the same people who won't have a bank account because a) the government can track them, b) they'll have to pay taxes on the interest, c) some other excuse such as not being able to properly read or write. Instead, they'll use a check cashing place or get paid under the table, then complain they're always short of cash.

          • My HS proficiency test had me fill in a sample tax form, the simple version. Still a real world life skill, probably more vital than balancing a checkbook.

        • by kopecn ( 1962014 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @05:19PM (#61677921)
          I work in robotics and we make robots for these jobs and those robots needs robot operators that can read robot manuals and math to run robotics calculations.
      • I was thinking Amazon warehouse workers, Uber drivers...
        In the past, those were entry-level jobs. They were harder physically and lower-paying since skills or experience weren't required. Also in the past, those were jobs you took until you had more skills and experience, then moved up. If the new crop of kids comes in with even fewer skills and training, how long till they can move up? If ever.
      • by lamer01 ( 1097759 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:29PM (#61677707)
        Drop out and do any of those jobs. What is the point of a HS diploma if it doesn't actually confer any meaningful information about the owner's acquisition of knowledge?
      • by sgage ( 109086 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:59PM (#61677855)

        This is true. School isn't for everyone. College isn't for everyone. But to be a citizen, you have to be able to read, you have to have some appreciation of numbers.

        As someone said upthread, this doesn't help anyone, much less the people it purports to help. And it makes a High School diploma meaningless, a joke.

    • by GoTeam ( 5042081 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:06PM (#61677577)
      We'll get everyone on a level playing field! The diploma's have no value at that point. You don't catch up by holding everyone back. In my school district (in north Texas), they just got rid of programs to give higher achieving kids the chance to take advanced classes. "It isn't equitable" is the exact excuse we were given. Might have to pull my kids out of this district... ugh.
      • > my school district (in north Texas), they just got rid of programs to give higher achieving kids the chance to take advanced classes. "It isn't equitable" is the exact excuse we were given. Might have to pull my kids out of this district

        "North Texas" might be pretty near Garland ISD, which covers some neighboring cities like Sachse. GISD has several different programs for students who excel in different areas.

        My daughter is in the "Academy for Excellence" program, which has slightly accelerated classes

      • They still have grades and you still have to pass your classes to get your degree. You just don't have to take a standardized test. Students were already having a hard time and around the margins are now going to have to worry about one less thing.

        Standardized tests often have nothing to do with what you're being taught in class or what you need to know to move on to college or employment. When my kid was getting ready to graduate high school that was a constant complaint I heard from them and from othe
      • We'll get everyone on a level playing field! ...they just got rid of programs to give higher achieving kids the chance to take advanced classes.

        Do they also select members of school sports teams by random lottery? If not then the playing field is the one place where things are not level.

        It always amazes me how the people pushing to make sure education is absolutely "equal" think it is ridiculous to apply the same concept to sports. The problem is that the reason for providing more programs for smarter students is the same as providing more training for those good at sports. Society as a whole benefits when we can all reach our maximum potential

    • Agree completely. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Brain-Fu ( 1274756 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:06PM (#61677583) Homepage Journal

      The metric "number of graduates" was made into a goal, and at that point it became worthless.

      The education is where the benefit is, not the certificate. A bogus no-skills-proven certificate will not be respected by employers or colleges, and won't do the kids any good at all, and will harm the kids by removing the last incentive they had to study at all.

      If we don't want to leave any kids behind, then we must see to their ability to show results. Maybe they must repeat a grade or two and graduate late. Maybe they need summer school and tutors. Maybe they need teachers who are themselves held to objective standards for teaching ability. Whatever their needs are, a certificate does them zero good if they don't have the skills, and the way we help them is by doing whatever it takes to impart the skills.

    • by gweihir ( 88907 )

      Indeed. And for those that can reach competency, it will be harder to find out how to get there. The people behind this probably cannot write or do math either.

    • by raymorris ( 2726007 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:18PM (#61677657) Journal

      According to the governor, REMOVING "The requirement that students demonstrate freshman- to sophomore-level skills in reading, writing and, particularly, math" ...
      will benefit Oregon's Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color."

      According to the governor, not teach them to read and write, and not expecting that graduates be able to read and write at a 10th grade level, benefits everybody but white people. It sounds to me like the governor thinks only white kids can learn to read and write.

      Either that, or the governor thinks they can learn to read it write, but "students of color" benefit from not being taught, they benefit from being illiterate, according to the governor.

      The governor sounds a bit racist to me.

      My ("black") daughter reads about 2-3 years above grade level. If the governor thinks that black kids can't learn to read, even at two years behind grade level, she's quite mistaken.

    • Just because they aren't testing you on it specifically doesn't mean everyone graduating from Oregon schools is going to be illiterate and unable to do basic math.

      I also find that if you dig into the details a bit more on subjects like this one, you find that the news summaries are often a bit simplistic and sensationalist with the actual proposal being much more nuanced and considered. However, most people (and I've been guilty of this plenty of times) would much rather just make a knee-jerk reaction based

      • by noodler ( 724788 )

        Just because they aren't testing you on it specifically doesn't mean everyone graduating from Oregon schools is going to be illiterate and unable to do basic math.

        Yes it will, because if they are not testing these skills they will not teach these skills.

    • by kenh ( 9056 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:38PM (#61677761) Homepage Journal

      But they all have such big smiles when they get their diploma, only to find they can't read the help wanted ads or balance their checkbook.

      If you can't expect a 12th grader to read and do basic math, what the hell are you paying the teachers to do? Seriously, why even bother with schools, just admit your HS diplomas are little more than participation awards.

    • by samwichse ( 1056268 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @06:44PM (#61678177)

      This whole article is bait.

      I also didn't have to take any tests to prove my proficiency before graduating high school. Most states don't have this. Oregon is eliminating these because... you prove your proficiency by passing the required classes.

      What a load of wasted mod points on this flamebait bullshit.

  • Nice! (Score:4, Informative)

    by JBMcB ( 73720 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @03:46PM (#61677453)

    Less competition for my kids when they enter the workforce. Now if we can get California to do the same...

  • by Sebby ( 238625 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @03:50PM (#61677475)
    If the U.S. really wants to stay competitive, but not allow immigrants that can actually add, etc., maybe, just maybe, they should make sure U.S. students can actually have basic (essential) skills.
  • I suppose the worst case scenario is that potentially underqualified people will be working at the gas pumps?
  • by jfdavis668 ( 1414919 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @03:51PM (#61677485)
    or Race to the Top, or Common Core. Too many states found it easier to lower standards rather than put the work into actually fixing the problem. When they were forced to, they again turned to gaming the system instead of focusing on improving education. When kids graduate under this method, they suddenly find out they aren't prepared for college or employment.
    • NCLB cut gifted and talented programs to better fund remedial and general curriculums - it was an effort to better serve the lower-performing students.

      This just consigns under-performing students to the trash bin. Teachers can't be bothered to get their students LITERATE after 13 years of public school education? What in the holy hell are the teachers doing for 9 months a year, for 13 years (K-12)? I mean, how many YouTube videos can a teacher run and still feel good about themselves?

  • by Fly Swatter ( 30498 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @03:52PM (#61677493) Homepage
    Maybe you don't need as much funding...
  • will not educate your child. To make things equal and ensure the rush to the bottom. But their kids will learn the 3 R's in their private schools.
  • by Asynchronously ( 7341348 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @03:57PM (#61677527)

    Boyle said in an emailed statement that suspending the reading, writing and math proficiency requirements while the state develops new graduation standards will benefit "Oregon's Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color."

    Basically, he is saying that these ethnicities are too dumb to learn the basics. Wokeness only seeks to lower everyone down rather than elevate everyone up.

    • No, the "teachers" are incapable of teaching them, you can't blame the students for the teacher's failures.

      They are cutting over to 'social promotion' and 'participation diplomas' for students, because forcing them to actually learn is too hard.

      • by Asynchronously ( 7341348 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @05:23PM (#61677929)

        It takes two to tango. Some teachers are shit, but if the student wants to learn and is encouraged by their parents to learn they will. It starts at home.

        • I wish had mod points for you, but at least I can back up your point. Maybe some gifted kids will do well in school and with their adult lives afterwards even if left alone, but for most kids parental support is essential. And a lot of parents think that boils down to complaining to the teachers if the kid comes home with a bad grade, which is utterly wrong.

          Most parents are glad to offload the complete responsibility of education to the teachers. But if there is no substantial encouragement at home to achie

  • TLDR (Score:5, Funny)

    by Scarred Intellect ( 1648867 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @03:58PM (#61677535) Homepage Journal

    ...states use different methodologies to calculate their graduation rates, making some states appear better than others.

    We're happy to announce that 100% of our students receiving diplomas has graduated.

  • This is a ridiculous headline. They demonstrate proficiency by taking and passing lots of math, science and language arts classes as per the Oregon State HS Diploma requirements: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/OregonDiploma/Pages/Credit-Req.aspx Good lord isn't there enough in the world to get upset about without creating controversy from nothing.

    • This is a ridiculous headline. They demonstrate proficiency by taking and passing lots of math, science and language arts classes as per the Oregon State HS Diploma requirements: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/stu... [oregon.gov] Good lord isn't there enough in the world to get upset about without creating controversy from nothing.

      If this is true then why would they need to suspend the reading, writing and math proficiency requirements, and how could it then benefit "Oregon's Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color."? Of what benefit could it be if they are proficient as you contend?

      The reality is they are being promoted through to graduation without actually gaining these proficiencies.

  • by StevenMaurer ( 115071 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @03:59PM (#61677549) Homepage

    The actual text is here [oregonlegislature.gov]. You can read it yourself.

    What the bill actually does is make it so that students don't have to take the proficiency exam (in crowded test taking classrooms) during any public health emergency. It also declares that that there currently is a health emergency (*ahem* COVID). It automatically causes the declared public health emergency to no longer be in effect in 2023 if the legislature does nothing.

    It also calls for the education department to reevaluate the current "Essential Learning Skills" standard, and if the department concludes that the test isn't doing a good job, to (and I quote): "the department shall provide recommendations for alternative methods for students to demonstrate proficiency in skills or academic content areas that are not related to career and technical education"

    So no, this really isn't the forever and for all time repeal of educational standards like the Oregonian (and its new right-wing Republican owner) is trying to pretend it is.

  • by magzteel ( 5013587 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:02PM (#61677557)

    From the article:

    "Boyle said in an emailed statement that suspending the reading, writing and math proficiency requirements while the state develops new graduation standards will benefit "Oregon's Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color."

    So only the white kids are graduating able to read, write and do math?

  • Falling dominoes (Score:5, Insightful)

    by stikves ( 127823 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:02PM (#61677559) Homepage

    Clippy: Hey there! Your public school system is failing? Do you want a solution?

    Governor: No, thanks, I will just graduate everyone, no more failure!

    Clippy: Hello again! Your high school graduates are failing SAT and other tests. Do you need help placing them at college?

    Governor: No thanks, I will just eliminate objective exams from admissions consideration. Now I can place as many students into college as I want.

    Clippy: Sorry to bother again! Many of your students are unable to keep up and dropping out of college. And they are now saddled with loans with no jobs to show for it. Do you need help fix this mess?

    Governor: Not to worry! I will add tutoring and remedial classes to improve their odds!

    Clippy: Ahem, it looks like the professors just gave up, and handing out inflated grades. Our once prestigious institutions now graduate weaker alumni.

    Governor: Not a problem! We will nicely ask companies to hire more local people, and have them catch up with internal teaching program.

    Clippy: I think you should know, those companies are now hiring foreign graduates en masse, and we have an H1B problem...

    Governor: I love H1Bs!

    Clippy: ...

  • by ChangeOnInstall ( 589099 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:02PM (#61677563)
    Governor Kate Brown responded to criticism by stating, "their is know raisin y pee pole shud half too reed right goodful."
  • send jobs overseas, get better workers. Thank US Education System - and the republicans who disemboweled it. BTW, the US is currently ranked 38th in math and 24th in science globally
    https://worldpopulationreview.... [worldpopul...review.com]
    • by CrimsonAvenger ( 580665 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:30PM (#61677713)

      Of course, it should be noted that Oregon's government is controlled by the Democratic Party (governor and Senate are Dem, House has 30 each Reps and Dems).

      I've got no particular respect for any State's education system, but this particular case was implemented by the Democratic Party...

  • by v1 ( 525388 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:10PM (#61677605) Homepage Journal

    They're so completely blurring the line between satire and reality, the south is going to drive The Onion out of business!

  • Is this the Giuliani Alma Mater?

  • See, we must challenge a system that simply shuffles children through grade to grade, without determining whether they can read, write, and add and subtract. It's a system -- see, I like to call it this: We need to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. If you have low expectations, you're going to get lousy results. (Applause.) We must not tolerate a system that gives up on people.

    -- Bush II, in a 2006 speech to the NAACP [nytimes.com]

    It seems to me there are five general cognitive classes in society:
    * the cognitive elite
    * cognitive upper class
    * cognitive middle class
    * cognitive lower class
    * cognitive underclass

    Gearing different academic tracks for the different groups would probably be to the benefit of the individuals and also to society.

    The solution proposed in Oregon is that, instead of shoehorning everyone in a cognitive upper class or middle class track, they're shoehorning everyone into a c

  • Latinx is some stupid shit that idiot white leftists are trying to socialize. The vast majority of Hispanics don't self-identify that way, but white people know better for sure.

    From: https://www.billboard.com/arti... [billboard.com]

    Although the term “Latinx” can be often found in English-language press releases, especially when pertaining to U.S. born or raised artists, it’s a rarity in Spanish language releases. Most telling, very few (if any in recent memory) Latin artists self-describe as Latinx, even

  • and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

    When living in Newport, Oregon, I used to take my bottles into the local grocery store for the five cent refund. I soon discovered that the kid whose job it was to count the bottles couldn't to over about fifty. I used to count them for him. This was over twenty years ago. I can't imagine that it has gotten any better in the interim.
  • by mveloso ( 325617 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:30PM (#61677715)

    Basically, what Oregon is saying it that their Persons of Color aren't smart enough to perform well on tests. Instead of teaching kids so they understand the material, they will just not test.

    Isn't that insulting to the LatinX and African-American community?

  • Kids who don't want to learn are just waiting for the bell. Holding them back just interferes with their ability to go find gainful employment in a trade and do something productive. Kids who are in garbage schools need to escape as soon as possible and not be held back from attending a community college if they want to make up for what they didn't get in K-12.

    There is nothing to be gained by withholding a diploma.

    Kids who want to learn will learn. Kids who don't function well in an antiquated education

    • Learning to read a ballot or calculate income taxes are not 'high level' cognitive skills, if you can't teach a child how to read and do basic math after 13 years of public education, you aren't a teacher.

      Please, describe all the 21st century jobs that don't require literacy or basic math? Pumping gas requires math skills, as does working the register at your local fast-food restaurant, but then again, it's very risky for a restaurant to hire anyone that can't tell sugar from rat poison because they can't r

  • In 2020 there were 13 high schools in Baltimore that didn't even have ONE STUDENT in the entire building that could read or do math at GRADE LEVEL.

    Let that sink in.

    That means their valedictorian, salutation, and so on were all performing below grade level at math & reading.

    Now Oregon is waiving the requirement that high school graduates be able to do math & write? Why? Is it because the students found the tests insulting, or was it because teachers find it hard to get their students to meet such lof

  • by quonset ( 4839537 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:43PM (#61677783)

    will benefit "Oregon's Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color."

    By stating this, she's admitting these groups of people aren't able to come up the standard of that other group. Either that, or that these groups are incapable of learning basic English and math. Take your pick.

    • by magzteel ( 5013587 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:51PM (#61677819)

      will benefit "Oregon's Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color."

      By stating this, she's admitting these groups of people aren't able to come up the standard of that other group. Either that, or that these groups are incapable of learning basic English and math. Take your pick.

      You can't expect them to "act white", you racist. From: https://www.newsweek.com/smith... [newsweek.com]

      "The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture recently unveiled guidelines for talking about race. A graphic displayed in the guidelines, entitled "Aspects and Assumptions of Whiteness in the United States," declares that rational thinking and hard work, among others, are white values. In the section, the Smithsonian declares that "objective, rational, linear thinking," "quantitative emphasis," "hard work before play," and various other values are aspects and assumptions of whiteness.

      That chart from the Smithsonian is a real eye-opener. If that's what it means to be white then I wonder what it means to be anything else.

  • From the summary: (Score:4, Insightful)

    by kenh ( 9056 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:54PM (#61677833) Homepage Journal

    Boyle said in an emailed statement that suspending the reading, writing and math proficiency requirements while the state develops new graduation standards will benefit "Oregon's Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color."

    How?

    "Leaders from those communities have advocated time and again for equitable graduation standards, along with expanded learning opportunities and supports," Boyle wrote.

    Yes, technically "no standards" is equitable, but can it be called "education" if graduates can't read or do basic math?

    You found basic math and writing requirements "in-equitable"?

    The requirement that students demonstrate freshman- to sophomore-level skills in reading, writing and, particularly, math led many high schools to create workshop-style courses to help students strengthen their skills and create evidence of mastery.

    Well for goodness sake, wouldn't want to force anyone to actually learn basic skills!

    Most of those courses have been discontinued since the skills requirement was paused during the pandemic before lawmakers killed it entirely.

    Please, out of respect for others, please stop calling yourselves educators - you are classroom monitors now - continuing to call yourselves teachers would inevitably give your 'students' the impression they might learn something while in your presence... that, sadly, is no longer the case.

  • Not surpised (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Morpeth ( 577066 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @04:54PM (#61677837)

    After working as a developer for a couple of decades, I took an offer to teach CS/Robotics in a private HS -- just finished my 5th year, then quit. First 2-3 years were challenging, tiring, but enjoyable -- the focus being on programming and robotics. But in the last 2 years, CRT and identity politics completely took over the school (supported by admin, so I had little power to do much), I couldn't stand it. I literally got in trouble for not including identity politics in my intro programming courses -- the school decided DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) had to be included in EVERY piece of curriculum, including yes, even programming. They also, without my input, dropped our AP Comp Sci A class (the Java based OOP course), because it suddenly didn't fit into their new model. I have a high exam pass rate (100% in some years) and it was a popular, well attended course. But standardized tests are suddenly bad and biased or not part of this new 'vision'. It's insane. The school is planning to eventually drop all APs and replace it with with their own 'stuff', I can only imagine.

    It's ALL about your identity group now, and where you fit on the hierarchy of the oppressed, it's as bad as you've heard.

    To be clear, I'm not a Trumper or even a Republican, so you know when a lifelong liberal is losing his mind over this sh*t, it's THAT bad.

    Oh yeah, the summer before my final year, all faculty HAD to read Kendi's "How to be an anti-racist" amd attend book" discussions". And it wasn't discussions, it was clearly the new dogma that you had to accept or become a pariah. I felt like I was suddenly in a cult...

  • by Anubis IV ( 1279820 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @05:17PM (#61677919)

    What could be more equitable than making your standard—a diploma—meaningless for everyone? Mission accomplished. Everyone and everything is "equitable".

    Though I have a sneaking suspicion that this may have been driven out of concerns that fewer students would be successfully graduating due to not taking things as seriously during COVID. Eliminating the requirement may be a way of covering up that shortcoming.

  • by galabar ( 518411 ) on Tuesday August 10, 2021 @05:59PM (#61678027)
    Why would the statement include asian students (who outperform other students in Oregon)?
  • by Solandri ( 704621 ) on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @12:31AM (#61678861)
    The synergy between this and colleges choosing to drop standardized testing as an entrance requirement is going to be amazing. The whole point of standardized testing is to normalize the different grading curves and graduation requirements at different high schools. Blaming and banning standardized testing because their outcomes don't seem "fair" is like banning COVID testing because you don't like that the test results show COVID spreads more readily in urban areas.

"I shall expect a chemical cure for psychopathic behavior by 10 A.M. tomorrow, or I'll have your guts for spaghetti." -- a comic panel by Cotham

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