OEA Members Urge: Vote "NO" on 60
Contact your nearby UniServ office to find out how to get involved!
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Why Should Oregonians Oppose Ballot Measure 60?
Measure 60 would take away local control from the principals, school districts, and teachers who know our schools best, and places it in the hands of government bureaucrats.
Measure 60 is vague, poorly worded, and full of unintended consequences. It does not define how teachers’ performance will be measured, even though their jobs and pay depend on it. It does not define who is judging teachers or how they are being judged, which could leave critical decisions about our local schools in the hands of Salem bureaucrats.
Measure 60 is unfair to students and teachers. Measure 60 will unfairly punish teachers who take on the most challenging assignments. Teachers who work in low-income areas or have a lot of special education students will be paid less because their students may not do as well on standardized tests.
Measure 60 will result in more testing. Just like Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, this measure relies on more standardized testing. It will impose a heavy burden on teachers, principals and students with little impact on student success. Measure 60 will force teachers to spend time preparing students for more standardized tests rather than necessary classroom instruction.
Measure 60 is being pushed by Bill Sizemore. A jury found that Bill Sizemore engaged in racketeering, forgery, and fraud in the signature gathering process (click here to read more). Sizemore continues to abuse the initiative process and mislead Oregon voters. Sizemore has no background in education, but continues to promote unsuccessful initiatives that try to take away money and control from our local schools.
Measure 60 shortchanges our students. Instead of teaching kids to think, solve problems, and develop the skills they need to succeed, teachers will focus on preparing students to do better on standardized tests since their pay will be based on test scores. It does not define student performance, so we have no way of assessing teachers’ impact on their students.
Measure 60 takes money away from where our schools need it most – in the classroom. Measure 60 may cost millions of dollars a year to implement. This is money better spent reinvesting in smaller class sizes, adding back lost programs, hiring more teachers, fixing leaky roofs or buying new textbooks.
Measure 60 has been rejected by Oregon voters once before. In 2000, a similar ballot measure was rejected by Oregonians by an overwhelming majority of more than 60%. We’ve said no to this bad idea already.
For more about Measure 60 and its affects on Oregon public education visit: www.NoOn58and60.com.
