Significant political divides persist across the country, but Oregonians share at least one common belief: Public education is important.
That’s one big takeaway from a recent survey conducted by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center.
This spring, the center, which describes itself as an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit, conducted a statewide survey to gauge how Oregonians feel about public education priorities and planning. The research was conducted in partnership with the Portland-based children’s nonprofit, Foundations for a Better Oregon.
The survey gathered online feedback in April and May from more than 1,600 Oregon residents ages 18 and older. The results were released this week.
“The past 5 years have been exceptional (mostly not in a positive way),” Amaury Vogel, the executive director of the beliefs center, wrote in an email to OPB. Schools have faced several challenges in that time — COVID-19, teacher strikes, severe storms and budget cuts, to name a few.
But this year also marks the fifth anniversary of Oregon’s Student Success Act. The statewide education initiative, funded by a corporate tax solely for schools, was supposed to be a game-changer.
Folks like Vogel wanted to study the effects five years in, but that wasn’t entirely possible. The events of the last five years, she said, complicated their ability to ask about changes people have or have not seen as a result of the act.
“The waters are too muddied,” she said.
But Vogel knew people still cared. The center has seen a high level of concern about Oregon’s public education system in its surveys, she said, even those that have little or nothing to do with education.
So, instead, they decided to investigate whether Oregonians even still align with the values, priorities and solutions that were discussed in community engagement sessions back in 2018 and 2019 — the feedback that was used to shape the Student Success Act.
“With the high level of concern,” she said, “understanding what people see as the path forward becomes crucial.”
Guy Marshall II, center, waves goodbye to his mother Adriel Person, not pictured, as paraeducator Amira El-Cherbini greets students at the doors of Woodlawn Elementary, Northeast Portland, Ore., Aug. 27, 2024. Person says that Marshall, who is entering fourth grade, has been at Woodlawn since first grade, and that it is a "great environment."
Anna Lueck / OPB
The results aren’t necessarily surprising. The center has been asking similar questions for 30 years and has found strong consensus over the value of public education in that time.
However, the results are noteworthy considering political divides that continue to crop up across the state and country, from book bans to abortion access.
According to the survey, Oregonians tend to agree more often than not about issues affecting local schools.
Responding to the prompt, “It’s important for schools to support student health, safety, and sense of belonging,” 90% agreed.
Rates varied slightly depending on where respondents were in the state. For example, more people in the south Willamette Valley strongly agreed than those on the south coast or Southern Oregon. More respondents agreed if they or a family member works in education.
When survey questions got more specific, the results showed more variation.
One statement read: “It’s important to increase instructional time for K-12 students.” The data showed that 75% of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed. Those who do not work in the education realm agreed with that more.
The results show most Oregonians want schools to be held to a high standard, and that statewide accountability measures should be in place. However, a very small number of respondents felt those measures should be punitive.
Only 12% of respondents wanted to “withhold funding, revoke licenses, or take punitive actions until struggling schools and districts demonstrate improvement.”
The largest area of disagreement or uncertainty was about whether school districts are improving and using their resources well. Less than half, 48%, think they are, whereas 35% believe they are not. About 17% said they didn’t know.
Go to oregonvbc.org to read the full survey findings and quotes from the respondents on the importance of community engagement.