Bud Pierce on Education

Apply Massachusetts Education Reform act to Oregon schools

PIERCE: Use the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform act, which lifted Massachusetts schools from the bottom to the top in the nation and world, as a template for education reform in Oregon. Develop a robust and high quality career technical education program for all qualified public school students who wish such education.

We need motivated, well-trained teachers

Students cannot succeed without good teachers. We need to support our teachers by creating teaching environments that encourage collaboration, peer mentoring and allow teachers to lead the way forward. We need motivated, well-trained teachers who are in front of their classes because they're the most qualified candidates for the job, not because they're high in seniority. We need to give them the authority to succeed and hold them accountable. We need more good teachers, and need to fix the PERS system once and for all to free up resources for the hiring of 2000 additional teachers across Oregon.

And we need more school days--more teacher time with students--whether that involves freeing up more resources or ending unnecessary "in-service" days that have proliferated in recent years.