FILE – Students sitting inside a classroom at David Douglas High School in Portland on Sept. 6, 2023. A new report Oregon ranks middle among states for child well-being.
Caden Perry / OPB
Oregon kids are healthier than average but lag behind their peers nationwide when it comes to education, according to a new report.
The Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation releases annually a report called KIDS COUNT that ranks how well states support kids using state and federal data. The latest report, the foundation’s 35th, was released last week and includes data collected in 2021 and 2022. It shows Oregon is in the middle among states for overall child well-being.
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Although Oregon is in the top 25% of states for supporting child health — as measured by health insurance coverage, birth weight, childhood death and obesity rates — the state ranks near the bottom in education, at 43rd among the 50 states.
In Oregon, nearly three-quarters of fourth graders were not considered proficient readers in 2022, up 6% from pre-COVID pandemic levels in 2019, according to the report. Nearly 80% of eighth graders were not considered proficient in math, a 10% increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The pandemic also drove a 10% increase in chronic absenteeism since 2020. According to the report, about 40% of Oregon students were chronically absent in 2022, meaning they missed 10%, or 16 or more days, of school during the year.
Declining proficiency in key subject areas and increases in student absenteeism are troubling trends in most states, researchers found.
“This lack of readiness will result in major harm to the nation’s economy and to our youth as they join the workforce. Up to $31 trillion in U.S. economic activity hinges on helping young people overcome learning loss caused by the pandemic,” a news release from the foundation read.
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Oregon Department of Education Director Charlene Williams said she and the agency are focused on improving outcomes for students and schools still feeling the impacts of the pandemic.
“The data clearly shows that this is still a challenge. We’re in an important moment where we have to get really clear about our existing resources, how do we strategically invest and maximize what we have, and any additional resources to accelerate the lift in our scholars’ learning and achievement,” she said in an email.
Researchers pointed to unreliable transportation, unstable housing, food insecurity, large class sizes and decaying school infrastructure in Oregon as issues that exacerbate learning and school attendance issues.
Other challenges include low-economic prosperity in the state. Oregon ranked 29th among states for economic well-being. This is because 14% of kids live in poverty and 30% of kids live in households with a high housing cost burden.
The report recommended increased investment from the state Legislature and schools to ensure universal and reliable internet access, as well as low-cost or free meals and staff and space for students to get help with studying and tutoring at school. Authors criticized Oregon schools and the Oregon Department of Education for not more closely regulating and ensuring $1.6 billion in federal COVID relief money was used to improve educational outcomes for kids. Schools have spent nearly all of the money.
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“This disheartening fact ties to Oregon’s overall lack of oversight and accountability for data driven results in how the 197 school districts chose to utilize this vital resource,” they wrote.
PORTLAND, OR — A federal task force targeting fentanyl dealers in downtown Portland has led to nearly 100 federal charges over the past two years, and one of the leaders behind that effort is now being recognized with a national honor.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced FBI Special Agent Bobby Gutierrez as the Freedom 250 Hometown Hero, an award that honors individuals whose courage, generosity and public service reflect the ideals of liberty and civic responsibility.
The Freedom 250 initiative was created to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and recognizes Americans who make lasting contributions to their local communities.
Gutierrez was selected as the District of Oregon’s Hometown Hero for his leadership, collaboration and dedication to joint downtown fentanyl enforcement missions. For the past two years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Portland Police Bureau, has targeted fentanyl dealers in Portland.
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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gutierrez has helped coordinate dozens of investigations focused on fentanyl distributors in downtown Portland. Through those efforts, nearly 100 fentanyl distributors have been federally charged.
“As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I am honored to present Special Agent Gutierrez as Oregon’s Hometown Hero. Special Agent Gutierrez’s dedication, selfless service, and unwavering commitment have made a lasting impact on the safety and well-being of our community,” U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford said.
“Two years ago, Portland had notorious open-air drug markets, rising crime, and frequent overdoses. Thanks to Special Agent Gutierrez’s efforts, dedication, and coordination with local, county, and state partners, we are reducing fentanyl trafficking, violent crime, and overdoses downtown,” Bradford said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Gutierrez has been a “tireless investigator and steadfast partner” in efforts to restore downtown Portland to a safe and vibrant community.
Kam Wah Chung and Company was a home, a general store, a community center and a medical clinic, where co-owner Ing Hay served as a beloved doctor to residents across the region.
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Courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society / OPB
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In Eastern Oregon’s John Day, a 160-year-old building holds one of the biggest collections of traditional Chinese medicine in the world. Kam Wah Chung and Company, once part of a thriving Chinatown, was owned and operated by Lung On and Ing Hay for over half a century. It was a home, a general store, a community center and a medical clinic where Ing Hay served as a beloved doctor to residents across the region. His practice included herbal remedies, noninvasive treatments, essential women’s healthcare and more.
Archaeologists and historians are continuing to deepen our understanding of the legacy of Kam Wah Chung and traditional Chinese medicine in Eastern Oregon. We join them to learn more about Ing Hay’s important contributions to rural communities in John Day and beyond, as part of our special series in collaboration with OPB’s “Oregon Experience,” the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology and Jefferson Public Radio about unearthing Oregon history.
Listen to all episodes of “The Evergreen” podcast here.
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A shelter-in-place order has been lifted and a suspect is in custody following a shooting and domestic disturbance investigation in Sandy on Sunday, police said.
Around 8:30 p.m., the Sandy Police Department made the announcement on social media that the suspect was in custody with “no ongoing threat to the community.”
This comes after the suspect had been “confined to residence” one hour earlier.
Just after 5 p.m., an initial social media post by Sandy police said that officers and other agencies were on the scene near 39500 Evans Street due to a “domestic disturbance and reported shooting.”
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The shelter-in-place order remained in effect for hours and people were asked to avoid the area.
KOIN 6 News crews saw several ambulances lined up on the street near the site and armored vehicles entering the scene.
We will update this article as we find out more details.
