How should we improve the Oregon school system?
Last week I was in Jackson County talking with a great group of folks about how we can improve the Oregon school system. One of the challenges we face is that our views on education, in some respects, are still stuck in the 70’s. This is especially true when talking about the importance and accessibility of a post-secondary education.
When I was starting out as a legislator from Roseburg, kids in the area frequently left high school and went on to get a good job in the lumber mill. That was fine – some kids went to college and some kids didn’t. Those who didn’t still felt confident because they knew that good jobs would be waiting for them once they graduated high-school, and even if they didn’t.
The job market has changed since then (not just in the timber industry) and the importance of having a post-secondary education has increased dramatically. That means we need to rethink the way we talk about education and focus on giving all of Oregon’s youth access to skills they need in order to get them the jobs they want.
So I want all of the recent graduates and soon-to-be graduates who are out there to know something…
I want you to know that I am committed to identifying and addressing problems like the one above.
However, the options are going to be better at the end of the day if we get everyone involved. So if you have any good ideas or thoughts on how we can achieve this goal, post them on ideas.johnkitzhaber.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
John
