We Envision an oregon

… that builds our education system for universal and unwavering inclusion and equity. That designs education to support children, families, and older adults across their life course, and offers learning opportunities congruent and deeply rooted in Oregon’s Indigenous, Black, Immigrant, and Refugee cultural wisdom, community histories, contemporary experiences, and collective contributions; That disability justice is foundational to our approach, and that investments in rural and coastal communities are as robust as investments communities along the I-5 corridor.

the pathway: Geographies of Inclusion + Community → 

… that provides quality trauma-informed and culturally relevant childcare and early learning experiences for all, including universal access to meaningful, community-based childcare and early education services. Provider-to-child ratios are the best in the nation, and we value our professional and volunteer providers with living wage salaries, robust whole-person and whole-family benefits, and strong worker protections. Our business community is deeply invested – politically, philosophically and lives into their value by advocating for, and financially supporting universal access.

the pathway: Quality Childcare + Early Childhood Education →

… that is a state that teaches toward the future we are longing to create. We envision an inclusive, equitable, and trauma-informed education system that builds children’s potential from the inside out. Through love, adoration, and deep respect for the learner’s culture and identities, Oregon’s students graduate high school with their dignity intact, and the ability to embody their fullest potential. We have transformed the educational experience, revising and committing to developing and multilingual, multicultural, and anti-racist workforce to provide unconditional dignity and belonging and a top-notch historically accurate, culturally relevant education curricula.

the pathway: Re-imagining K-12 Education →

Geographies of Inclusion + Community

Universal Design/Targeted Universalism

Oregon builds learning systems and cultivates learning environments with, and for, Black, Native, Rural and Coastal communities, and children and families with disabilities. We believe that when we design for the people and communities most impacted by systemic and racialized oppression, all children and families are well served. 

Adaptive + Equitable Resources 

Oregon’s education system and learning communities are funded equitably. Local communities have sufficient power and resources to adapt services to meet their unique needs.

Culture is Learning, Learning is Culture 

Oregon’s state-wide learning curricula and pedagogy reflect Oregon’s diverse cultural and ethnic wisdom traditions. Students’ first languages and cultural ways of knowing and doing are valued, prioritized, and shared by teaching staff and administrators. Students receive academic credit for utilizing and advancing their native languages and cultural traditions. Peer-to-peer and intergenerational learning are standardized.

Shame-Free + Inclusive Learning

Oregon stops perpetuating policies and practices that shame, exclude, coerce, and dehumanize children and their families.

Accountable + Restorative + Transformative

Oregon invests in learning institutions and staffing that build community cohesion and capacity to navigate and prevent interpersonal, family, community, and systemic violence by modeling non-violence. Trauma-informed, restorative and transformative justice practices are standard.

Quality Childcare + Early Childhood Education

Our workforce is thriving

Oregon invests money, resources, and provides professional development to stabilize care infrastructure and develop culturally-responsive childcare and early learning providers.

Universal access to childcare and early education

Oregon eliminates financial, cultural, and geographic barriers to accessing high-quality, culturally-relevant childcare and early childhood education.

Care is culturally relevant, responsive, and representative of community

Oregon’s communities lead the design of local and regional childcare and early learning infrastructure. State policies and funding ensure inclusive, culturally relevant service provision. Providers and volunteers represent Oregon’s diverse populations.

Businesses investment

Oregon’s business communities invest proportional assets to improve and increase Oregon’s childcare and early learning infrastructure. Business leaders understand that universal access to childcare and early childhood education is essential for strong, equitable economies and a resilient workforce.

Re-imagining K–12 Education

Whole Family Engagement

Oregon’s K-12 districts prioritize and fund inclusive, year-round outreach to parents, caregivers, and families. Outreach strategies and methods are diverse and accessible, adapted to meet local cultural and lingusitic needs. Parents and caregivers with disabilities and for whom English is not their first language do not need to seek accommodation because access to information and support is universal.  

Culture is Learning, Learning IS Culture

Oregon’s K-12 learning curricula + pedagogy is redesigned to reflect Oregon’s diverse cultural and ethnic wisdom traditions. Oregon’s Indigenous communities are present, purposeful, and valued in our curricula. Students’ cultural ways of knowing and doing are valued, prioritized, and shared by teaching staff and administrators. Students receive academic credit for using and advancing their native languages and cultural traditions. Peer-to-peer and intergenerational learning are standardized and valued for their ability to advance students’ leadership, socioemotional, and cognitive abilities and capacity. 

Transform Teacher Education, professional Training + Recruitment

We radically transform Oregon’s educational workforce pipeline, performance metrics, and professional and academic training to effectively prepare educators to provide anti-racist, culturally relevant, community-based, and trauma-informed education. 

Multilingual, Multicultural, Multiracial Education 

Oregon’s students learn to communicate in multiple languages taught in immersive, multilingual, multicultural, multiracial learning environments. K-12 staff and volunteers represent the diversity of culture and language of our students. We learn to value the language capacity and skills of children whose first language is not English, understanding this as an asset, not a deficit.

Buildings are Beautiful and Connected to Nature + Community

Oregon’s learning spaces are designed to facilitate connection with nature and community. 

End Practices and Policies that Dehumanize and Traumatize Children

Oregon ends practices and policies that allow educators and education systems to dehumanize and traumatize children and youth.

All Adults Working + Volunteering in K-12 Are Members of a Child’s Circle of Care + compassion

Oregon’s professional and volunteer workforce are provided onboarding, development and training to ensure that every adult working and volunteering in K-12 schools are trauma-informed. Children and youth trust that all adults working in educational systems are compassionate members of their circle of care.

We Value and Invest in Educators

Oregon’s professional educators receive generous living wages and benefits to support themselves, their families, and their communities. Teachers, aides, and administrators leave work each day with energy and creativity left over to nurture themselves, their families, and communities. Anti-racist, and trauma-informed professional development and training is provided throughout an educator’s career.

Responsive Post-Secondary Ed + Training

​​Programming + Professionals Reflect our Whole Community

Oregon’s post-secondary education, technical and career training programs are available in the full-spectrum of languages reflecting Oregon’s diverse racial, ethic, and cultural identities. We value and respect the professional and academic expertise immigrant and refugee communities offer, reducing barriers to transfer professional and academic credentials earned outside of the United States.

Reduce Financial Barriers/Increase Economic Stability of Learners

No person in Oregon is denied access to post-secondary education or career training due to financial barriers. No person in Oregon graduates with debt earned as a result of pursuing post-secondary education, training, or career advancement.

Anti-Racist, Trauma-Informed Institutions + Curricula

Oregon’s post-secondary education, technical and career training centers are institutions of inclusion and vicarious resilience. Black, Indigenous and People of Color who are professors, administrators, and students experience unconditional dignity and belonging. Institutional polices, practices, curricula, and programming are anti-racist, and serve to increase understanding of the historic and contemporary contributions of Oregon’s Indigenous, Black, and multicultural communities.

Life-Long, Community-Based Learning + Service

Oregon values life-long learning. Our post-secondary intuitions reflect our communities. Programs and curricula reflect local and regional learning needs and cultures.