There’s a reason the “E” in DEI stands for equity and not equality. Equality in public schools would mean that all students were given an equal opportunity to succeed; equity strives for equal outcomes, even if that means distorting the playing field.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown recently signed a law that suspends the state’s proficiency standards for reading, writing, and math to promote equity in public education.
Gov. Kate Brown signed a law to allow Oregon students to graduate without proving they can write or do math. She doesn’t want to talk about it. https://t.co/TesufHhRms
— Hillary Borrud (@hborrud) August 6, 2021
The Oregonian’s Hillary Borrud reports:
Through a spokesperson, the governor declined again Friday to comment on the law and why she supported suspending the proficiency requirements.
Brown’s decision was not public until recently, because her office did not hold a signing ceremony or issue a press release and the fact that the governor signed the bill was not entered into the legislative database until July 29, a departure from the normal practice of updating the public database the same day a bill is signed.
…
[Deputy communications director Charles] Boyle said in an emailed statement that suspending the reading, writing and math proficiency requirements while the state develops new graduation standards will benefit “Oregon’s Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color.”
Wow, Latino, Latina, and Latinx students. They’ve covered all the bases.
Governor of Oregon signs bill into law removing requirement that HS graduates show they can read, write and do math at a high school level, declines to comment on the decision to the press https://t.co/iY0QMtJVpP
— Wesley Yang (@wesyang) August 10, 2021
“Boyle said in an emailed statement that suspending the reading, writing and math proficiency requirements … will benefit ‘Oregon’s Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color.’”https://t.co/YloISr49fe
— Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey) August 10, 2021
OR Governor signed law suspending the state's proficiency standards for reading, writing and math in the name of "equity." https://t.co/F0ZQTtvk8J pic.twitter.com/Ug9Iz8CUvg
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) August 10, 2021
This perfectly illustrates the kind of debilitating prejudice I wish to avoid when I say I am no longer participating in the all-American game of race. I don’t want anyone to ever think they can ever target me or my children with this kind of patronizing soft bigotry. https://t.co/mDIjn8K03F
— Thomas Chatterton Williams 🌍 🎧 (@thomaschattwill) August 10, 2021
And if as a parent you want the school to suspend standards for your kids, I don’t even know what to say
— Thomas Chatterton Williams 🌍 🎧 (@thomaschattwill) August 10, 2021
The only solution is to simultaneously fight racism wherever it manifests while also rejecting the racial construct full stop and retiring from race. Even winning by the rules of this game amounts to losing.
— Thomas Chatterton Williams 🌍 🎧 (@thomaschattwill) August 10, 2021
In which Oregon's high school diploma becomes a participation trophy. @hborrud via @Oregonian https://t.co/YUf8GIk9ku #orleg #orpol @OregonHouseGOP @ORSenateGOP
— Dale Chu (@Dale_Chu) August 10, 2021
Shouldn’t the standards be , you know, standards? Then we work to educate everyone to a similar high level?
— just me (@ScoPi_tweets) August 10, 2021
That’s awful. The schools have failed these students. Instead of admitting to this failure, they are just going to gloss over it? That’s not equity. It’s ignoring a problem that, if left unaddressed, will absolutely lead to inequity by any definition of the word!
— Bill Glick (@BillGlickYk) August 10, 2021
I wonder whether the governor realizes how deeply insulting and patronizing this must be for the supposed beneficiaries of such decisions in addition to making a mockery of the global quest for literacy.
— Kris Janowski (@JanowskiKris) August 10, 2021
Getting rid of standards without having a replacement ready is pure politics. Has Oregon completely lost their ability to see through pandering nonsense? Curious how this will benefit Asians who are already at the top of the academic hierarchy.
— B (@FunInVa1973) August 10, 2021
Doing to Education what Democrats have done to every major city they run. Destroy it, and leave the poor behind to suffer, as the rich white Libs flee to ruin another city, or in this case they'll put their kids in private schools.
— James Rhine (@jamesrhine) August 10, 2021
Translation: "Now we can better hide how horrible public education is failing poor students."
— BattleSwarm (@BattleSwarmBlog) August 10, 2021
Employers will start testing during the hiring process to determine qualified applicants. What they don’t take care of in school will be taken care of at the next level….adulthood! When reality kicks in!
— Steve Puckett (@stevenfifteen) August 10, 2021
Idiocy on parade.
— Richard H. Ebright (@R_H_Ebright) August 10, 2021
The racism of low expectations.
— Jennifer A. Bowers (@Jennifer2838) August 10, 2021
In my more pessimistic moments, I tend to gravitate to mildly deterministic and "cyclical" views of history. Stories like this make me think we are just simply (and unstoppably) on the downslope of the decaying civilization sine wave.
— Richard Wood (@WillMonox2112) August 10, 2021
This is the exact opposite of culturally responsive teaching. Lowering the bar. Great idea….
— zoomer cox (@flairecox) August 10, 2021
Every time they invoke "equity" it's always the same song and dance… pic.twitter.com/39DuyOcvdJ
— Aethix (@Aethix0) August 10, 2021
Oregon if failing everyone by not being able teach everyone at high standards. The OR governor should be trying to find out how to teach everyone regardless of color, not lowering standards because the OR schools are failing people
— Brian (@BSum94) August 10, 2021
No child gets left behind by making sure no child gets ahead.
— Ciro Morales (@CiroTweeter) August 10, 2021
There is no possible reasonable justification for allowing any child to receive a diploma if they have not proven full mastery of all academic standards, especially literacy, writing, and math. What does a diploma mean if any kid can get one even if he doesn’t have HS knowledge?
— Hank Lacey (@COScienceWriter) August 8, 2021
https://twitter.com/GregoryLBennett/status/1425140835834793989
There are plenty of people defending this law in the comments, including this state representative:
This type of reporting simply shows how we need more diverse voices reporting. /4
— Teresa Alonso Leon (@alonsonhli_leon) August 8, 2021
Related:
More than 40 percent of Baltimore high school students earned a grade point average below 1.0 https://t.co/UQPPSJEqqo
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 15, 2021
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