Oregon’s education system is facing a crisis of accountability — and parents are paying the price. In Episode 37 of the Oregon D.O.G.E. podcast, Senator Mike McLane, Representative Shelly Boshart Davis, and former State Representative Tracy Kramer take a hard look at where Oregon’s education dollars are going — and why student outcomes continue to decline despite record spending.
The numbers alone are staggering. Oregon now spends an average of $18,000 per student, with some districts exceeding $24,000 per student, placing the state in the top 10 nationally for education spending. Yet proficiency scores in math and reading consistently rank Oregon near the bottom — often in the 40s or worse nationwide.
A System That Excludes Parents
Tracy Kramer, who served on the House Education Committee, describes a system that repeatedly excludes parents from decision-making. During her tenure, multiple opportunities to formally include parents in education policy discussions were rejected — even as families struggled with rising costs of living, long work hours, and limited access to school board or legislative hearings.
Parents, Kramer argues, are being “held hostage” by a system that offers little choice, limited accountability, and shrinking academic standards.
Graduation Rates Without Proficiency
While Oregon’s graduation rate now sits at 81.8%, the episode exposes a critical detail: graduation requirements have been suspended. Students can earn credits without demonstrating proficiency in reading, writing, or math — creating the illusion of success while masking serious academic decline.
The panel explains how graduation rates improved only after standards were lowered behind closed doors, despite widespread public opposition and more than 11,000 public comments urging transparency and debate.
Bureaucracy Over Classrooms
Perhaps most alarming is how education staffing has shifted. Out of 81,000 school and district employees, only 31,000 are teachers — meaning just 38.5% of education staff are actually teaching students.
Even as enrollment and teacher numbers fall, Oregon added 639 new non-teaching positions, including administrators and support staff. Meanwhile, superintendents report being buried under grant paperwork, compliance emails, and administrative mandates that consume time and resources without improving outcomes for kids.
Economic Pressure and Learning Loss
The episode connects Oregon’s education decline to broader economic stress. Rising housing costs, inflation, and dual-income pressures leave parents exhausted and stretched thin — reducing time spent reading with children and supporting early learning.
The panel highlights research showing that students born during economic downturns enter school less prepared, a trend Oregon continues to ignore.
Chronic Absenteeism and Discipline Breakdown
Chronic absenteeism has surged across Oregon districts, with some reporting over 40% of students chronically absent. Without attendance enforcement, meaningful graduation standards, or classroom discipline authority, teachers struggle to maintain learning environments where students can succeed.
Cell phone distraction, weakened discipline policies, and administrative paralysis compound the problem — all while families are left out of the conversation.
A Call for Structural Change
The episode concludes with a clear message: Oregon doesn’t need more money in education — it needs accountability, parental involvement, streamlined governance, and real standards.
Without bold reform, the system will continue to expand bureaucracy while failing the very children it claims to serve.