For Salem school psychologist Chris Moore, it isn't uncommon to see a student come to school, settle into a routine and then, without warning, go into crisis. Maybe the student punches another kid in the face, flips over a desk and curses at the teacher, Moore said. Then they run out of the school. And the teacher hasContinue reading "Student mental health crisis spurs Oregon to try in-school programs"

The youth of America are sending a very loud message — grownups are not doing their job. From Parkland, Florida, to Washington, D.C., to Salem, Oregon, teenagers are speaking against gun violence in a way only they can. This value-based generation, armed with the Internet and social media, may be the first group of itsContinue reading "Analysis: How teens are spearheading activism, gun violence debates"

Used by dozens of districts nationwide, the Salem-Keizer Threat Response System is considered the gold standard for school prevention efforts. The protocol includes step-by-step instructions to report, investigate and prevent potentially dangerous situations. The topic returned to the forefront Wednesday with the Parkland, Florida school shooting that left 17 people dead and more than a dozen wounded. ReadContinue reading "Florida shooting puts focus on safety plan developed by Salem-Keizer schools"

A bill coming before the Oregon Legislature, which convenes Monday, could finally assuage teachers of crammed classrooms. House Bill 4113 changes only five words to existing collective bargaining laws, but would make class size a mandatory subject. This means districts would be required to discuss class size along with things like salaries and benefits when making budget decisions. "(Class size) tendsContinue reading "Proposed Oregon law would force class size into school budget talks"

Despite national efforts to end DACA, undocumented students in Oregon will continue to have access to tuition equity if Senate Bill 1563 passes. Students who are not citizens have historically had to apply for "official federal identification" — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals documentation — before they can be eligible for resident tuition at public universities. Otherwise, they have toContinue reading "Oregon bill combats DACA termination, continues college tuition equity"

Teachers may no longer be required to report sexual activity between teenagers under a bill that a legislative committee sent to the full Senate Tuesday. Under current law, school staff and other mandatory reporters have to report any sexual activity — from kissing to intercourse — involving someone under the age of 18. The reportContinue reading "Oregon mandatory reporting bill gets traction, age amendment brings controversy"

Half of Oregon's homeless students aren't graduating from high school on time. For the first time, the Oregon Department of Education published a four-year graduation rate for students experiencing homelessness. The rate was included in statewide data released Thursday. The result — only 50.7 percent of these students are graduating in four years. When including students who graduated inContinue reading "Only half of Oregon’s homeless students graduate on time"

Whether students are graduating in four or five years, or completing high school by earning a modified diploma or GED, the goal is to finish. And more than 83 percent of Oregon students are doing that. But typically, the four-year graduation rate — students who earn a traditional diploma in the preferred amount of time — is used toContinue reading "Oregon graduation rates up, Latino students see substantial progress"

For nearly two years, presidents from Oregon's four NAACP branches have voiced objections to how the Oregon Department of Education allocated money meant for African American students statewide. Thursday, the State Board of Education voted for groups outside the Portland area to start receiving some of the millions of dollars legislators earmarked for black students and their families inContinue reading "Oregon OKs money for African American students"

Story by Tracy Loew and Natalie Pate | Published Jan. 19, 2018 The U.S. government shut down at midnight Friday after Congress failed to resolve a partisan standoff over immigration and spending. A flurry of last-minute negotiations failed to beat the deadline. The shutdown left Northwest officials and residents wondering what could happen to programs and jobsContinue reading "Oregon’s local, state agencies brace for federal government shutdown"