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Oregonians Will Protect Our Public Schools & Students

Educators and parents know that Oregon's students need more opportunities to succeed, and that starts by protecting and strengthening our neighborhood public schools.

What's At Stake

Public schools and the U.S. Department of Education exist because all students, with and without disabilities, in every neighborhood, have the right to an education that imparts academic lessons, life skills, and a lifelong love of learning.

Public education is a cornerstone of our democracy. Unfortunately, some politicians seek to dramatically slash funding that helps reduce class sizes, feed hungry students, provide special education services, and lower the cost of college and vocational schools. While the loss of funding would impact all students, students and their families with lower incomes or from historically marginalized communities would be hit the hardest.

This is why we are coming together to protect equitable educational opportunities and access to critical resources for schools, students, and educators. We will be heard from the school board to the Senate to protect and strengthen public schools for our students, families, and ourselves.

Use our resources to learn more about the issues impacting schools, students, and teachers and support staff and actions you can take to protect public education. 

Actions You Can Take

To Stand Up for Schools & Students

Looking for more ways to take action?

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Our Students

Public education cuts lead to larger class sizes and less support for students and educators, especially those who are most vulnerable or in need of special services, financial aid for college and career training, and protections from discrimination. We can work together to ensure all students have what they need for success.

Student with rainbow pain on hands

Special Education

Students with disabilities and their families would lose the support they need at school and at home.
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Higher Ed classroom

College Affordability

Students and families who receive support to receive career training or attend 2- and 4-year colleges could lose Pell Grants or federal student loans, leading to more students dropping out, fewer choices, and less options for families.
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Immigration Justice

We need immigration policies that are humane, functional, and just—not ones that sow isolation and fear.
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Protecting LGBTQ+ Students

Our LGBTQ+ students need us to ensure our schools are places where all students are protected and empowered.
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A student goes through a school lunch line

School Meals and Child Nutrition

Our students learn better when they are not hungry. We need to protect free and reduced-price school meal programs like SNAP from disastrous cuts.
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OEA President Reed Scott-Schwalbach stands smiling at the camera in a red blazer with foliage in the background.
OEA is working closely with partners and stakeholders here in Oregon and nationally to protect educators, students, and our communities. Our union is rooted in core values that include Respect for Diversity, Democracy, and Social Justice, and our continued advocacy efforts will reflect those values in the coming weeks and months.
Quote by: Reed Scott-Schwalbach, OEA President

Our Schools

Some politicians want to use public funds for private schools, forcing public schools to increase class sizes and eliminate afterschool programs and funds for improving school buildings. Together, we have the power to defeat the effort to dismantle our neighborhood public schools.

Arizona vouchers

Vouchers

Vouchers steal scarce funding from public schools—which serve 90 percent of students—and give it to private schools that are unaccountable to taxpayers.
Learn More Release: Executive order overreaches to steal money from public school students to fund private school vouchers
class size matters

Education Funding

Class sizes will balloon and after-school programs will disappear if federal funding goes away for public schools that serve lower income students and their families in rural, suburban, and urban communities in every part of the country.
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School Modernization

Some politicians want to roll back President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which allocates funds to replace lead pipes. It also improves and builds new school buildings.
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OEA members stand together all dressed in red at a Red for Ed rally to urge elected officials to fund public schools. Many hold signs that say, "I am #RedforEd." Some other signs say, "Invest in our Schools," "Fund Our Future!

Educator Advocacy Rights

This guide helps public school teachers and support staff understand their rights when speaking up for public education and students.
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Our Communities

Oregon's neighborhood public schools are meant to serve our communities - providing students and families with the resources and opportunities to help every Oregon family thrive. Some politicians are seeking to use the resources of the federal government to attack and intimidate families in our community. Oregon educators will stand with our community as we fight against these attacks.

3 activists hold a banner protesting immigration policy

Oregon's Sanctuary Law Toolkit

Everyone has the right to live, work, play, and learn safely in Oregon. This toolkit covers the essential information needed to understand, report, and combat violations of Oregon’s Sanctuary Promise Laws.
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diverse students sitting together

Safeguarding Oregon's Schools Toolkit

Innovation Law Lab has prepared this toolkit for the Oregon For All coalition to help staff, administrators, and school districts to safeguard Oregon schools so that all students feel safe and welcome to pursue the education that they deserve.
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Family Preparedness & Protection Guide

Information for from the Oregon Law Center and the Latino Network to help families in Oregon to plan for time of unavailability.
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Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education was founded to help realize the promise of a quality public school for every student no matter where they live, the color of their skin, or how much their family makes.

Proposals to eliminate or defund it will force our students and public schools to pay the cost.

Larger class sizes and less support for students and educators.
Lower income students and their families in rural, suburban, and urban communities in every part of the country would lose needed funding.
Students and families who receive support to attend college and vocational schools could lose Pell Grants or federal student loans, leading to more students dropping out, fewer choices, and less options for families.
Students with disabilities and their families would lose the support they need at school and at home.
Students with disabilities and lower-income students and their families would lose access to Upward Bound, TRIO and other programs that encourage them to participate in higher education.
Cuts to afterschool and summer programs will undo the progress educators make with tutoring, reductions in chronic absenteeism, and providing skill-building programs.
Oregon Education Association logo

Keeping the Promise of Quality Public Education

The Oregon Education Association (OEA) is a union committed to the cause of providing the basic right of great public education to every student. OEA represents about 41,000 educators working in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 public schools and community colleges. OEA’s membership includes licensed teachers and specialists, classified/education support professionals (ESPs), community college faculty, retired educators, and student members. OEA members also belong to the 3.2 million members of the National Education Association (NEA).
About us
Join OEA

The Oregon Education Association is a state affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.

Learn more at NEA.org