SB 227 Adoption of Ethnic Studies Standards

This bill appropriates $2,500,000 from General Fund for Educator Advancement Council to provide professional learning opportunities related to ethnic studies standards adopted by department.

Personal Choice and Responsibility
Ethnic studies is a way to force a point of political view on educators and thus on students.

Fiscal Responsibility
In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropriated to the Department of Education for the Educator Advancement Council, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2021, out of the General Fund, the amount of $2,500,000, which shall be used by the council to provide professional learning opportunities related to the ethnic studies standards adopted by the department, with priority given to opportunities for school districts that have demonstrated a commitment to implementing the standards before implementation of the standards is required. This is not the time to spend millions on new projects when the state is $2 billion short on funds. Oregon has one of the lowest graduation rates and the money should be spent improving that rather than on ethnic studies.

Limited Government
The Educator Advancement Council is an innovative partnership aimed at helping Oregon achieve high-quality, well-supported and culturally-responsive public educators in every classroom. Beginning in Fall 2019, EAC planned to distribute funds to Regional Educator Networks (RENs) across the state who will then facilitate content, process, and infrastructure support to school districts. The system will not initially organize around a solution, program, or an initiative, but rather around improving systems of support for educators along the educator advancement continuum. This bill adds a new program for ethnic studies.