Greetings!
Welcome to the new monthly newsletter for Friends of the
Chalkboard Project. Our goal is to provide essential snippets of
news about our effort to make Oregon's K-12 public schools among
the nation's best while still living within our means. So
whether you have a child in public school or just want to keep
updated on unbiased research about Oregon's public schools, we
promise to keep it short and sweet.
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Why We Exist |
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The Way We See It If you're confused about the future of
Oregon's K-12 public schools, you're not alone. Right now,
Oregonians are polarized, paralyzed, and apathetic about the
condition of our schools. In fact, communication about how to
improve our public schools has all but collapsed.
Who We Are Enter Chalkboard Project, a collaborative
effort led by
five independent Oregon foundations with no axe to grind.
Chalkboard is not your usual policy- wonk or political suspects.
We are Oregonians - and parents, voters, neighbors, mothers,
grandfathers - who believe every public school student deserves
a quality education that will lead to success in college, in the
workplace and in life. Chalkboard is Oregon's neutral education
information broker. Chalkboard doesn't claim to have the answers
- but believes the people of Oregon do.
What We're Doing Chalkboard Project aims to jumpstart
thoughtful and intelligent discussion throughout the state, and
ultimately develop an action plan. But we can't do it alone ...
we need your help. For our public schools to progress, there
must be involvement from all Oregonians. All voices and ideas
must be heard.
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Top 10 Things Your Mother Never Told You About Oregon's
Public Schools
We all read the local newspapers and hear the sound bites
that Oregon's public schools are all over the map in terms
of test scores, absenteeism, class size, and even length
of the school year. But what's fact and what's fiction?
Here at the Chalkboard Project, we've spent the last year
exploring those very questions and just recently released
the first of a series of
fact-based findings.
"As we begin to engage Oregonians and help solve the
communications break-down that has occurred around public
education, we must start with a solid foundation of facts
and research," explains Chalkboard President Sue Hildick.
"These facts won't be a surprise for those who have been
on the frontlines of education for decades, but it will
give all of us a common starting point to consider ideas
for longtime improvements in quality, accountability and
financing."
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Expanded Web Site: Live and at your fingertips! |
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As part of a new interactive campaign, we've just kicked off our
newly
upgraded web site, specially designed to quickly connect
Oregonians to education research and to provide an online forum
for discussing tough choices and tradeoffs regarding Oregon's
public schools. The expanded site incorporates a ton of new
tools and education information that is easy to access along
with dedicated sections tailored to the needs of everyone from
journalists to teachers to grandparents to education experts.
Here's a list of some things to check out: interactive surveys
where Oregonians can
weigh in on education issues, a knowledge base of
focus group summaries and
statewide polls, bilingual access for
Spanish-speaking users, answers to
FAQ's, and links to
other Oregon groups working to improve the state's public
schools.
We're excited about our newly expanded site and hope that you
are, too! Please "click through the site" and let us know what
you think. The design and architecture of the newly-styled site
was led by Portland-based
Curiosity Group, who donated significant time and resources
to the effort.
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Quick Links... |
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