Coronavirus

Closure extended to curb COVID-19 outbreak

(Update: Adding video; more details, reaction)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday that Oregon’s K-12 schools will remain closed though the end of the academic year due to the coronavirus outbreak, placing the state’s more than 550,000 students and their teachers in uncharted territory as districts with vastly different resources plan for weeks of remote learning.

Seniors who had passing grades and were on track to graduate when the state’s stay-at-home order began in mid-March will be able to graduate, said Brown.

School districts are being explicitly urged to work closely with seniors who did not have passing grades at that time to help them earn those credits so they can graduate, said Colt Gill, the director of the Department of Education. Those students will have until Aug. 31 to improve their grades and graduate with the Class of 2020, he said.

Proms, graduation ceremonies and other year-end celebrations will be put on hold or held online, Gill added. District are being urged to work with students and parents to come up with an alternative way to celebrate that fits each community, he said.

“Missing school is especially difficult on our students and their parents,” Brown said. “To all the moms and dads, I can’t imagine what you’re up against balancing parenting during this very scary crisis.”

Last year, Oregon saw signs of improvement in its fight to raise high school graduation rates, which have been some of the lowest in the nation. In 2019, 80% of students graduated — an all-time high since the state tightened how it tracks the rate more than a decade ago.

The state has set a goal of 100% graduation by 2025, and Brown said she was concerned about how the school closure would affect those rates.

“I’m certainly concerned about Oregon’s high school graduation rate ... and a want to keep improving on that rate,” she said.

Gill, the education director, said the state’s 197 school districts are very different when it comes to the resources and challenges each one has in implementing distance learning. One district in eastern Oregon, he said, is sending school buses to deliver work packets to students and then again to pick them up because internet access is spotty in the area.

Other districts must figure out how to provide tablets and internet access to families that don’t have it.

“It looks different all across the state but our teachers …. are striving to make this work,” he said, specifically thanking teachers. “It’s a heavy lift.”

Schools were to have opened on April 28 after closing on March 12.

The state has about 582,000 students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade.

Brown announced on March 12 that schools would be closed through March 31. Five days later, on March 17, the governor extended the closure through April 28.

On March 31, in a letter sent to superintendents and principals throughout Oregon, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Colt Gill said there was a possibility that students wouldn't return to their classrooms for the remainder of the school year, relying instead on online learning.

Many school districts have started distance learning over the past couple weeks with supplemental lessons and assignments. According to the Oregon Department of Education's "Distance Learning For All" plan, every district in the state is required to have a distance learning plan in place by April 13.

On Monday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced that all Washington in-person classes at public, private and charter K-12 schools would be closed through the academic year.

Asked at the news conference when businesses might be able to reopen, Brown said, "We simply don't know" -- but that the social distancing and other measures are working to blunt the impact of COVID-19.

"We also know if we take our foot off the brake and begin to eliminate all those social distancing measures, the virus numbers then go through the roof," the governor said.

Brown also said she hasn't been seen in public the last couple of weeks because she's had a cold. She was tested for COVID-19 and the results were negative. Other than an occasional cough, she said, "I'm in really good health."

News release from Gov. Kate Brown's office:

Governor Kate Brown Extends Coronavirus School Closures Through End of School Year

(Portland, OR) — In light of the necessity to continue social distancing measures during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, particularly her Stay Home, Save Lives order, Governor Kate Brown today announced she is extending Oregon’s physical closures for the K-12 and post-secondary education systems through the end of the current academic term and school year. She directed school districts, community colleges, and universities to complete the final weeks of the regular academic year by continuing distance learning and support to students.

“We have Oregon’s students at the forefront of every decision we make about education,” said Governor Brown. “Their health, happiness, and safety is our priority. The best thing we can do for the health of our children, and for the thousands of educators across the state, is to give everyone certainty by announcing the decision today to close in-person classes for the remainder of the school year. School, and learning, will continue as best as we can using remote means.”

Recognizing that physical closures of schools under unprecedented circumstances impact Oregon’s high school seniors in particular, the Oregon Department of Education today released new guidance for pathways for seniors to graduate.

A full transcript of the Governor’s written remarks is available here.

View the Governor’s press conference livestream video here.

News release from the Oregon Department of Education:

Graduation Pathways 2020 Released

The guidance empowers students to graduate from high school and

move on to the next step in their life





(Salem, Ore.) – COVID-19 won’t stop Oregon’s high school seniors.

That was the message the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) delivered today as it released Graduation Pathways 2020, the official guidance detailing how Oregon’s high school seniors can earn their final set of high school credits and graduate on-time.

“COVID-19 won’t knock Oregon’s students off their path to graduation,” Gill said. “This guidance assures our students’ hard earned futures even during this global challenge.”

Oregon’s Graduation Pathways 2020 is the result of collaboration with educators, administrators, culturally specific community-based organizations, and the education community. This guidance recognizes that this closure is impacting less than 2 percent of our seniors’ time spent learning from kindergarten to grade 12. It is important that we honor the dedication and accomplishments of the class of 2020.

Key components of the guidance:

Maintains Oregon’s rigorous credit requirements while providing a clear path to graduation for seniors who were on-track to graduate prior to the statewide school closure.

Ensures that schools focus their resources to first support students who need to complete additional credits to graduate and then prepare all graduates for their next steps in life.

Suspends Essential Skills and Personalized Learning Requirements.

“The Graduation Pathways 2020 guidance celebrates the nearly 13 years of work and accomplishment by these graduating seniors and empowers students to move on to the next step in their life,” said Oregon PTA President Kriste Dille.

“We have to remember that we have a global pandemic occurring and we must be dedicated to doing what’s right for each student and their families,” said Gresham-Barlow School District Superintendent Dr. A. Katrise Perera. “I believe we, as education leaders, have a moral obligation to keep students' futures whole and their graduation pathways clear. This statewide approach to graduation is our best option.”

“The new guidance gives districts the information we need and puts the right focus on supporting each and every senior and honoring their work over their 13 years of study," said Cascade School District Superintendent Darin Drill.

Oregon’s seven public universities and Oregon Health & Science University issued this statement in response to the guidance.

“The Oregon public universities are committed to ensuring that incoming freshman students who intend to enroll at our institutions are considered fairly in light of the educational interruption they have endured in their final year of high school. No student admitted to our institutions for fall 2020 will have their admission rescinded due to changes in grading policy or the inability to complete their coursework, as long as they graduate high school. Students who apply to our institutions are still subject to a review process that focuses on their ability to succeed in college, but the Oregon public universities recognize that some situations are beyond their control. We look forward to supporting students and high schools through this challenging time, both now and with future high school graduating classes impacted by the pandemic.”

Graduation Pathways 2020 guidance can be found on the ODE website within the Distance Learning for All guidance document, section four.

Statement from House Republican Leader Christine Drazan on Decision to Close Schools for Remainder of Academic Year

Salem, ORE. – Today, House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) released the following statement:

“Today’s announcement that Oregon schools are closed for the academic year comes as no surprise. The Oregon Department of Education indicated they would likely close schools for the remainder of the year in their earlier guidance.

This announcement confirms the decision to move forward with distance learning. Let’s support the work of our graduating seniors by giving them access to a comprehensive education through the end of their k-12 career. This is the leadership needed to honor their years of hard work and commitment to achieve the future of their dreams.

All willing seniors must be given the opportunity to complete creditable distance learning courses whether they were on track to graduate in the new pass/fail system or not, to complete their senior year with the achievement of a full diploma. Our students attend school to learn, not to simply progress through a system to achieve a credential. Let them learn.”

Statement from OEA President John Larson on the Closure of Oregon Schools for Remainder of the Academic Year and Revised Graduation Requirements

Portland, OR – Today, following Governor Kate Brown’s announcement that the closure of Oregon’s K-12 public schools would be extended through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year, and the release of new graduation requirements for Oregon seniors, Oregon Education Association President John Larson released the following statement:

“OEA applauds Governor Brown’s decision to prioritize the safety of students and educators by extending the closure of Oregon’s K-12 public school for the remainder of the academic year,” said OEA President John Larson. “However, it remains critically important that Governor Brown and the Oregon Department of Education release guidance for districts that truly prioritizes equity in the distance learning that will take place while schools are closed.”

“ODE’s revised graduation requirements for Oregon seniors are a strong step in the right direction for ensuring equity in education for our students during these school closures,” Larson added. “The new graduation requirements will allow the greatest number of Oregon seniors to graduate, while helping to ensure that students who need additional support or assistance to complete their high school education will be able to receive it.”

“In this moment of national distress, the education being provided by our public schools should be rooted in meeting the social and emotional needs of our students and ensuring that resources are being directed to learners at the greatest risk of falling behind. That means giving educators flexibility to meet their students’ needs and avoiding student accountability measures like grades or attendance that will penalize students who aren’t able to thrive under the distance learning model.”