We want vibrant schools that are are narrowing the achievement gap, have supported and effective educators and stable and adequate funding.

That's the message we took to Salem today. We put on our walking shoes and crisscrossed the Capitol Building meeting with over a dozen legislators to find out what they plan to do this session and beyond to ensure all of Oregon’s children – especially those most in need—get the support and education they need to thrive.

At each meeting, we shared our top priorities and values – closing Oregon’s unacceptably large achievement gap, supporting our educators and ensuring we have the best in front of our children, charting a path towards long-term stable and adequate funding and ensuring this state has the capacity and ability to support and intervene in chronically struggling schools.

Our members shared personal stories about their frustration with schools that have decades of low achievement and classrooms that don’t have enough desks to serve class sizes of 29, 35 and 42 kids. They pointed to successful efforts closing the achievement gap in Hillsboro and Woodburn and teachers talked about ineffective teacher evaluations that don’t help them improve.

Hillsboro Stand member Janeen Sollman said she was glad to have a face-to-face conversation with legislators and have a real dialogue. Stand Member Mary Walston said she was encouraged to hear legislators’ support many of Stand’s priority issues and also have them explain some of the political obstacles that often exist and prevent us from getting  where we want to be.

Politics often plays a role in state and national policymaking but many of our members called on legislators to support sound policy – like kicker reform – regardless of the political climate.

Stand member Julie O’Dwyer has been “beating the drum” about stable and adequate school funding, she says, for more than a decade. And she says she’s going to keep coming back until she begins to see real change.

“I was hopeful to see the legislature deal with kicker reform and kids shouldn’t suffer because of backroom deals,” Julie O’Dwyer shared.

That’s why we come out to lobby day – to be heard and to engage with our decision-makers about the children – the future -- of our state.

Seventeen-year-old Stand member Claire Johnson said she saw government in action.

“This work really strikes a chord with me,” Claire said just after her sixth meeting of the day. “And I actually met with my legislators.”

Thanks to all of our members for making the 2012 Lobby Day a success! 

Stay tuned for our weekly updates on the 2012 Legislative Session.