Oregon students won’t have to display proficiency in reading, writing, or arithmetic to graduate high school until at least 2029. This decision was made unanimously by the Oregon State Board Of Education on Thursday, October 19, 2023. This is an extension of a controversial decision made back in 2020. Dozens of Oregon citizens submitted public comments in opposition to the rule, saying that standards on education should be reinstated.
Opponents say that “pausing” the academic requirement of achieving a high school diploma cheapens it. Which, of course, is fundamental common sense. If a person cannot read or write well, then their high school diploma is meaningless. Leaders inside the Oregon Department of Education argued that requiring academic standards creates harmful hurdles for “historically marginalized students.” This is clearly referencing black and Hispanic students. Oregon’s Department of Education is also speaking about all of the recent migrants who do not speak English as their first language.
