First lobby day puts education advocates in legislators’ offices

Oregonians for Student Success hosted our first lobby day on Tuesday, Feb.12, bringing supporters from Multnomah and Clackamas counties to the Capitol to advocate for school needs, including adequate and stable funding. Our group was welcomed on the Senate floor by Sen. Kathleen Taylor, D-Milwaukie, before attending individual meetings with legislators.

We met with more than 20 members of the Legislature, including House Speaker Tina Kotek, and many members of the important Joint Committee on Student Success. We will be back in the Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 19, with people from the North Coast and a group of students from Klamath Falls. The lobby days will continue every Tuesday, and you can sign up for one from your region or a convenient date.

Our town hall program continued Wednesday, Feb. 13, with OSBA Executive Director Jim Green hosting an education conversation in Portland that included Portland Democratic Reps. Barbara Smith Warner and Rob Nosse. Attendees included Portland School Board Chair Rita Moore and board member Paul Anthony, Portland Association of Teachers President Suzanne Cohen, and Oregon PTA President Scott Overton and President-elect Kristi Dille.

We will be hosting our next conversation in Washington County on Wednesday, Feb. 20, and another in Redmond on Saturday, Feb. 23.

- OSBA