changing lives, shaping futures
We’re building a future where every child in Oregon has the opportunity to succeed. Our relentless advocacy and research-based initiatives have significantly advanced educational equity and racial justice across the state.
Our team in Oregon is small but mighty; a full-time staff of six, we pride ourselves on being effective and child-centered in all we do.
Together, we can create lasting change and pave the way for a brighter future for all students. Support our work with a donation today.
What we do
improve graduation rates
In 2016 our team, alongside our community of 20,000+ advocates, passed Measure 98: High School Success which provides $150 million/year to research-aligned practices for high schoolers.
improve Early Literacy
In 2023, we passed the Early Literacy Success Initiative which provides $70 million/year to support research-aligned practices for our youngest readers. That means that our team of six has championed over $210 million/annually to targeted investments that are making a significant difference for children.
elect SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES
In the most recent school board elections, we worked tirelessly to ensure local school boards better reflect the values and needs of the communities they are elected to serve. As you may have read, school boards have become the latest battleground for equity in education.
That’s why we pitched in and helped elect more than 40 champions for children to school boards statewide, 2/3 of whom are people of color. Of those races, 31 were high-stakes elections. In fact, we elected a slate of candidates in Salem-Keizer who are already changing the dynamics of the district. In a 4-2 vote, the four candidates we endorsed and supported voted YES on a resolution to commit to equity and antiracism, acknowledging the experiences of students of color and addressing systemic inequalities.
ADVANCe RACIAL JUSTICE
In 2021, we helped advocate to clear a path for kids to expunge their records so that they can move forward and lead a life that has options. Senate Bill 397 simplifies the expungement process and will improve access to housing, employment, and higher education for those previously trapped in a system that wasn’t serving them.
We also lent our support to other organizations with a focus on passing legislation that removed crippling fees imposed by the youth justice system. These fees caused undo harm to the largely Black and brown kids and parents who were charged to pay them. Senate Bill 817 eliminates fees, court costs, and associated fines and will apply retroactively, removing a massive burden that was keeping Oregon families from thriving.
A special thanks to Stand Lane County member Siobhan Cancél for bringing the impact of these fees to life by sharing her story with the Oregon legislature. Her story was picked up by multiple news outlets across the country, illustrating the power of standing up and sharing your story.
Ensure teacher LAYOFFs are equitable
We believe our educators should better reflect the students they serve. Districts across the state have been working to diversity their teaching staff, but with only 10 percent of our educators being culturally and linguistically diverse compared to 40 percent of students, we have a long way to go.
That’s why we championed a bill that protects diverse teachers in the unfortunate event of district-wide layoffs, and we hope this new law is never triggered. We are proud to say that House Bill 2001 passed with support from over 80 percent of the legislature. This new law will allow Oregon to continue making critical progress towards diversity and representation in our schools.
Special thanks to Governor Tina Kotek for sponsoring this bill and shepherding its passage during her time in the state legislature.
