Survey places Oregon’s public schools among lowest nationwide

A new report ranks Oregon’s K-12 public schools as 45th out of 50 states, based on a methodology emphasizing “quality” and “safety” factors.

“It’s important for parents to find a school system that will provide their children with all the resources they need to thrive, both academically and emotionally,” writes Adam McCann for WalletHub.

“Unlike other research that focuses primarily on academic outcomes or school finance, WalletHub’s analysis takes a more comprehensive approach. It accounts for performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials.”

As a result, Oregon received a “High Spending & Weak School System” evaluation from the personal finance company’s survey.

Other states in the same category are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming, in addition to Washington, D.C.

“Getting enough funding is essential for a productive school system, but simply having more money doesn’t guarantee success,” explained Cassandra Happe, analyst at WalletHub.

“How funds are applied also plays a big role in how good a school system is, as does the quality of educators, other professionals and the curriculum. In addition, schools need to focus not just on test scores but also on making sure that students feel safe, comfortable and cared for.”

‘A toxic system’

Last year the Oregon Board of Education removed requirements for students to demonstrate proficiency in reading and writing before they graduated, which raised questions from educational observers nationwide.

“No district that has sought to cut academic standards has seen an improvement in academic performance,” wrote Tony Kinnett for The Daily Signal. “Why would Oregon be any different?”

Kinnett cited reports from Ohio, Maryland, California, Michigan, New York and South Carolina where public schools lowered academic standards in the name of “racial equity,” then saw student performance drop even further.

“American education is rapidly becoming a toxic system of promoting the ‘good enough’ benchmark to bolster self-esteem by pretending students’ failure is either nonexistent or not their responsibility,” he wrote.

Oregon public schools have also received criticism for instructing teachers to dismantle “systematic inequities” in math classrooms, while only 30% of the state’s students demonstrated math proficiency in 2023.

“In light of the already failing math scores, Oregon bureaucrats are more concerned with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mantra than providing students with solid academic instruction,” said Suzanne Gallagher, Executive Director of Parents Rights in Education and mom.

The WalletHub report evaluated schools based on metrics including high school graduation rates, test scores, pupil-teacher ratios, and rates of bullying and disciplinary incidences.

It ranked Massachusetts as the state with the best school system, followed by Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.