Portland schools drop to nations worst
Oregon’s education system is now ranked as the 5th worst school system in the country. Continuing a long trend of continued declines and disastrous statistics for failing Oregon schools. This despite decades of complete Democratic party control of the state and school systems that have some of the highest funding per student in the country.
As it turns out, removing requirements to prove basic skills in reading and math hasn’t worked out so well. While Oregon leaders try to do a victory lap because the results are better than they were, the end result has been bad for all students. Ironically, it has been particularly bad for students of color, students that specifically targeted by activist educational policies:
Only 11% of Portland Public School’s Black students scored as proficient in math — akin to getting an A or B grade — the state tests indicated, and only 19% met that level in reading and writing.
And to show just how bad Portland itself is:
Proficiency levels for Black students were roughly twice as high in most of the four surrounding districts… In Beaverton, 35% of Black students hit proficiency goals in reading and writing and 23% in math, followed by Hillsboro at 34% and 25%, Tigard-Tualatin at 33% and 24% and North Clackamas at 29% and 22%.
Sadly, the one thing the teachers union has done is come under increasingly activist leadership. They held strikes that were proved to be without merit, union leadership encouraged pro-Palestinian messages and flags during strike marches, the union publish Pro-Palestinian teaching handbooks for classrooms that encourage students to pray to Allah. All of this has led to numerous lawsuits against the union and schools for being anti-semitic. Add to this fun Portland hosted the 2025 National Educational Conference in which Portland members openly harassed and threatened Jewish attendees from other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, Mississippi has gone from one of the worst schools, to one of the top performers by bringing back tried and true methods of education. They require 2 hours of daily reading from grades 1-4. They separate groups into skill level of reading and provide remedial reading assistance for those struggling. Those who fail – really do fail. It’s a system of accountability and phonics that is leading to dramatic improvements compared to what has been called the ‘soft racism’ of lowering or removing requirements to improve poor statistics.
It seems the Democratic governor has finally agreed and is now forcing science-backed phonics-based approaches instead of activist backed agendas.
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