An Attack on Preschool for All

In the middle of the night, Salem lawmakers introduced a shameful amendment to a bill that would overturn the will of Multnomah County voters, cancel the county’s Preschool for All program, and deliver massive new tax cuts to some of the wealthiest people in our state.

With the legislative session ending as soon as tomorrow, we need to make our voices heard right now. Tell lawmakers: HANDS OFF our kids’ preschool and NO new tax breaks for the wealthy.

Voters overwhelmingly supported the creation of the Preschool for All program, which aims to provide 3- and 4-year-olds in Multnomah County with free, culturally responsive, inclusive preschool. At a time when folks are struggling to afford the rising cost of childcare, Preschool for All is a lifeline for working families.

But some lawmakers see things differently: they’re listening to the ultra-wealthy and corporate lobbyists who want to kill this program and create Trump-like tax breaks for themselves. These lawmakers know it’s a popular program – nearly 2 in 3 voters supported it – which is why they are choosing to cancel Preschool for All behind closed doors, without any public input.

We may only have a few hours to make our voices heard. Will you send Senators Kate Lieber, Kathleen Taylor, and Mark Meek an email today demanding they keep their hands off Preschool for All?

Oregon's Grow Your Own Program is at Risk!

Oregon’s Grow Your Own (GYO) program - one of our most effective tools for recruiting and supporting future educators from within our own communities - is on the chopping block. 

The program has already been cut from the proposed EAC budget, and unless legislators hear from us now, we risk losing this critical investment in a diverse, community-rooted educator workforce. 

Here’s what’s at stake: 

• Hundreds of classified staff and community members currently on the path to licensure 
• A proven, cost-effective pipeline for educators who reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of Oregon students 
• Programs supporting over 29 grantee institutions across the state, including ESDs, school districts, community colleges, and universities 

If we don’t act, these pathways will disappear - and with them, the opportunity to build the educator workforce our students deserve. 

Take Action Today: 

Use our letter writing tool to contact the Ways & Means Co-Chairs Sanchez and Lieber, Speaker Fahey and Senate President Wagner and urge them to restore GYO funding in the EAC budget. Let them know what this means for your school, your students, and the future of public education in Oregon. 

Together, we can still protect this vital program - but we need to act now. 

Share Your Story

Thank you for taking action! We want to hear how these reckless and unnecessary layoffs could impact you.

• What are you most worried the impact of your layoff and other layoffs will be to students?
• How is this layoff impacting you personally and your resiliency as an educator?
• What are the greatest needs for your students and community at this time?

Lawmakers Must Protect & Invest in Neighborhood Public Schools

The final economic forecast of the legislative session painted a clear picture for lawmakers about the pressing needs of Oregon’s neighborhood public schools. The good news was that it appears Oregon is likely to miss a recession in the near future. However, economic growth is slowing significantly. With multiple revenue streams that fund education – like the corporate activities tax, property taxes, and personal income taxes - performing weaker than anticipated. This, coupled with continued threats from the federal government, means that Oregonians are facing more and more uncertainty.

The legislature must act – pushing back against uncertainty and recommitting to investing in our students and in the communities served by our neighborhood public schools. We must ensure that lagging economic growth does not result in deep cuts for our students, and that means keeping the State School Fund whole at $11.417B.

Additionally, while there may be less flexibility in the budget than we hoped for in March, lawmakers still have the opportunity to make critical new investments to support our students receiving special education services in our K-12 public schools. We should follow the lead of our neighbors in Washington and take action to support our most vulnerable students. This is possible if lawmakers forego appropriations to the state’s rainy day fund.

Oregon must also increase funding for the Community College Support Fund, providing students with stable tuition rates and ensuring our state’s community colleges are able to break the longstanding practice of paying part-time faculty substandard wages for doing the same work as their full-time colleagues.

Lastly, lawmakers must dip into the Student Success Act reserve funds to ensure that the SIA remains whole and that our neighborhood public schools are able to continue providing students with mental health supports and other critical resources they need to thrive.

At a time when education is under attack at the federal level and the needs of billionaires are being prioritized over people, we are asking that Oregon legislators invest in our communities to the greatest extent possible and help build Oregon up. 

Lawmakers Must Protect & Invest in Neighborhood Public Schools

There are just two weeks left in the 2025 legislative session. Educators must use this time to demand that lawmakers make critical investments in our neighborhood public schools.

The final economic forecast of the legislative session painted a clear picture for lawmakers about the pressing needs of Oregon’s neighborhood public schools. The good news was that it appears Oregon is likely to miss a recession in the near future. However, economic growth is slowing significantly. With multiple revenue streams that fund education – like the corporate activities tax, property taxes, and personal income taxes - performing weaker than anticipated. This, coupled with continued threats from the federal government, means that Oregonians are facing more and more uncertainty.

The legislature must act – pushing back against uncertainty and recommitting to investing in our students and in the communities served by our neighborhood public schools. We must ensure that lagging economic growth does not result in deep cuts for our students.

Additionally, while there may be less flexibility in the budget than we hoped for in March, lawmakers still have the opportunity to make critical new investments to support our students. This is possible if lawmakers forego appropriations to the state’s rainy day fund.

Oregon must also increase funding for our community colleges, providing students with stable tuition rates and ensuring our state’s community colleges are able to break the longstanding practice of paying part-time faculty substandard wages for doing the same work as their full-time colleagues.

Lastly, lawmakers must dip into the Student Success Act reserve funds to ensure that the SIA remains whole and that our neighborhood public schools are able to continue providing students with mental health supports and other critical resources they need to thrive.

At a time when education is under attack at the federal level and the needs of billionaires are being prioritized over people, we are asking that Oregon legislators invest in our communities to the greatest extent possible and help build Oregon up. 

Sample Script

"Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m an educator living in [City]. I’m calling to ask Representative [NAME] to strongly support HB 3652. This bill is about basic labor rights—ensuring that educators have a say in the conditions that directly impact our work and our students’ learning. Class size and caseloads are core working and learning conditions, and we deserve the right to bargain them. What is the Representative’s position on the bill? Can we count on Representative [NAME] to stand with Oregon’s educators and commit to supporting HB 3652?" 

Talking Points

• Support HB 3652 because it affirms the right of educators to collectively bargain over our working conditions—just like any other unionized workforce. 

• Class size and caseloads are not abstract policy issues—they are the daily realities that shape educator workload and student success. We must have a say in them. 

• HB 3652 does not impose mandates. It gives educators the legal right to bring these critical issues to the bargaining table through local negotiations. 

• This bill empowers collaborative, district-specific solutions by allowing workers and employers to come together to address real challenges. 

• Overcrowded classrooms and overloaded caseloads directly harm students—especially those who rely on individualized attention and services. 

• Educators know what our students need, but without HB 3652, many are blocked from even raising concerns about workload. That’s unacceptable. 

• Passing HB 3652 is a clear way to show support for frontline educators and the students we serve. Let us bargain for what’s right. 

About HB 3652

In 2021 the Oregon legislature passed Senate Bill 580, making class size and case load a mandatory subject of collective bargaining in Title 1 schools. HB 3652 will expand the statute to include all K-12 schools.

Despite consistently being named as one of the top issues for parents, students and community members, class size and case load are not mandatory subjects of collective bargaining in all Oregon schools. This means there is no guarantee that class size and case load will ever be meaningfully discussed at the bargaining table during a contract negotiation.

As a result, discussion on class size and case load can often be delayed or deprioritized during the bargaining process, drawing out the negotiation timeline and delaying resolution on a settled contract.

Use OEA’s letter writing tool to join fellow educators from across the state in urging your lawmakers to support HB 3652 and make class size and case load a mandatory subject of bargaining for every K-12 school in Oregon.

At a time when corporate billionaires are dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and making sweeping cuts to programs meant to supporting working families, it's never been more important for the Oregon legislature to take real action on corporate accountability and transparency. It is time to tell the Oregon legislature to fight back! 

Sign our petition demanding that lawmakers use their power to shine a light on the ways that corporations are abusing the system, and to make real changes to hold those corporations accountable.