Stand members were among more than 200 people who gathered on the Capitol steps yesterday to demand that our state leaders work to ensure our children of color – who are far less likely to graduate high school – receive the support they deserve.

Many of the speakers on Thursday reminded us that this is the urgent challenge of our generation.

In some communities – including the African American and Native American – students are twice as likely to dropout compared to their white peers.

 Along the capitol steps, we lined up nearly 300 graduation caps. Each of those caps represented just over 20 Oregon students dropped out of school last year. We displayed the caps to help communicate to our leaders that far too many children are being left behind with little hope for future success.

Representatives from more than 20 organizations – including Stand, Salem-Keizer Coalition for Equality, Asian Pacific Islander Network of Oregon, Self-Enhancement Inc., the Chalkboard Project, Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde, the NAACP, OCHA and many more – assembled to speak up for our underserved youth and demand that state leaders take real, tangible steps to close the achievement gap.

Woodburn Superintendent David Bautista and Self-Enhancement Inc. Founder and President Tony Hopson reminded us that there are programs and districts that are helping students succeed and we need to find ways to replicate and capitalize on that work.

The Chalkboard Project’s Dan Jamison reminded us that we can increase a child’s chance for success, narrow the achievement gap and increase lifetime earnings by ensuring they have an effective teacher in the classroom.

Governor John Kitzhaber addressed the crowd on Thursday, vowing to take action to increase Oregon’s unacceptably low graduation rate and narrow the achievement gap. He said that his two major pieces of legislation this session – House Bill 4165 and House Bill 1581 – are a step in that direction. Watch part of his speech here.

It was a historic coalition and we’re looking forward to doing more of this good work together.