The next step after Measure 66/67, lets create a permanent rainy day fund in Oregon.

I normally post only my own writing here, but Tobias Read posted a very important comment about the long term goal of stable funding in Oregon. Please read this posts and the below links. Its a road map to how we can achieve this in Oregon, and its vital if we are to create stable services which can help rebuild a vibrant economy.

Creating a permanent rainy day fund in Oregon should be the primary goal of the february special session in Salem, and the best way to do this is to reform the kicker.

From Tobias Read….

The election (M66/67) is over, and whatever your feeling about the outcome, I hope we can agree that the need for work on our revenue structure is far from over. Former State Representative Lane Shetterly chaired a revenue task force on which I served during the last interim, and (with Tony Ven Vliet) submit an important perspective on what we must do next for Oregon.

Where Oregon must go from here | The Stump – OregonLive.com

www.oregonlive.com

 

Here is alink to the full report of the Task Force:

 http://www.leg.state.or.us/comm/lro/comprehensive%20revenue%20task%20force/final_report_012109.pdf)

41 republicans block health care for millions

How many republicans does it take to block health care for millions of americans?

Answer: 41

This needs to be the rallying cry going into the midterm elections. They have become so partisan that they will literally sacrifice the lives of americans just to score political point and get back their power. They would create a country that is ungovernable, if we cant govern then no one will. That is their strategy, and we cannot let them get away with it.

There needs to be some limits as to when the filabuster can be used. They are blocking numerous court and administrative appointments, just so they can say that the Obama goverment isnt running. This has to somehow stop. I dont know what the answer is, but republican hyper-partisanship is going to lead to the steady decline of our country. Where opportunity only goes to those who can afford it.

Pass Health Care Reform Now

We cannot let 41 republicans in the senate take away health care from millions of Americans. This is the issue of our time and we have to fight for it.

We have to fight for all the americans who only get their health care in emergency rooms. Who delay treatment and do not get their diseases caught in time. We have to fight for all who are burdened by double digit health care cost increases. We cannot turn our back on them now and think only of our own position. We cannot be cowards when we are so close to offerng hope to millions.

Now is the time to fight. To stand up to those who believe that government can not be on the side of its citizens. That government must stand indifferent to its own people because it can never do any good. The ideology of the status quo, where opportunity goes to those who can afford it.

This is why we are democrats, to fight this fight. The house should pass the senate version of heath care now and send it to the president. This will not be a victory for democrats, but for the American people. This is our defining moment, this will bring out the best that is within us, its time to fight and its time to win!

Yes on Oregon Measures 66/67

On January 26, Oregonians will make a choice that will help set a long term direction for our State. We should choose to invest in our people; this is why I am urging you to vote YES on ballot measures 66 and 67.

90% of the state general fund goes to education, health and public safety. This money comes from the state income tax. The problem with this tax is that it is very volatile during hard times. The current deep recession opened up a 4 billion dollar budget gap. That is 20% of the cost of these programs. It is like getting a 20% pay cut. This level of reduction would have been devastating to these programs.

The legislature decided to fix this gap using a shared solution. Half in cuts, half in revenue increases. 2 billion has been cut from the current budget, and the impact has been felt all over the state. Sherwood schools lost 7% of its operating budget last year.

The other 2 billion is being raised in new revenue. 60% of this consists of money from the federal economic stimulus and a small rainy day fund that we already have in Oregon. The other 40% comes from two tax increases, which are now on the ballot for the January 26^th vote.

These taxes increase the corporate minimum tax, and increase the tax rate on households making over $250,000 a year. The current corporate minimum tax is $10 a year, this hasn’t changed since 1931, and 2/3^rd of corporations doing business in our state pay just this minimum. Oregon currently has the 3^rd lowest corporate income taxes in the nation, with these changes we will now be the 5^th lowest. Overall 88% of small business and 97% of households will see no changes in their taxes from these measures. These measures are targeted to those best able to pay.

About half of these tax increases will expire in two years, after the recession is over. The other half will remain in place to help create a more fair tax system in our state and to help refill our small rainy day fund. Currently the wealthiest households in Oregon pay the same tax rate as a family making just $30,000 a year. These reforms create a fairer, more progressive tax system that limits the burden on middle class families. Despite this, a well-funded opposition effort has formed to repeal these reforms.

The anti-tax groups opposed to these measures have been able to raise over 1 million dollars to defeat these measures. That’s 10 times what the YES campaign has raised. The opponents will be able to blanket the airwaves with misleading messages calling these reforms jobs killing. One ad claims that over 70,000 jobs will be lost with these taxes. In fact, the non-partisan Legislative Revenue Office released a report on the measures, showing that raising taxes on corporations and the richest households is better for Oregon’s economy than cutting education, health care and public safety. That finding was echoed by an open letter from three dozen prominent Oregon economists.

These measures will keep hundreds of millions of dollars circulating in the economy, helping small business and protecting jobs by increasing demand. That is what is needed during a recession. In addition, these measures provide a tax cut to 270,000 unemployed Oregonians, the very people who need it the most.

The failure of these measures will mean another 6% loss to the operating budget in our Sherwood schools. Fortunately for us, the Sherwood school system is very well run and they have created their own rainy day fund. Sherwood has not had to lay off teachers like our neighboring school districts have had to do. But a loss in January will drain our reserve dry, and we will be left vulnerable.

Going forward, we need to build a permanent larger rainy day fund where we save during the good times so that we do not have to make cuts and raise taxes during the bad times. The failure of these measures will take the air out of this effort and lock the boom and bust status quo cycle in place for another 10 years.

The legislature choose to share the burden and not balance the budget solely on the backs of our kids, the sick and the vulnerable. They went out on a limb to do this, we need to send the message that investing in our people is always the right decision in Oregon, and that it can be defended at the ballot box. Please vote YES in January on Measures 66 and 67. 

On January 26, Oregonians will make a choice that will help set a long term direction for our State. We should choose to invest in our people; this is why I am urging you to vote YES on ballot measures 66 and 67.

90% of the state general fund goes to education, health and public safety. This money comes from the state income tax. The problem with this tax is that it is very volatile during hard times. The current deep recession opened up a 4 billion dollar budget gap. That is 20% of the cost of these programs. It is like getting a 20% pay cut. This level of reduction would have been devastating to these programs.

The legislature decided to fix this gap using a shared solution. Half in cuts, half in revenue increases. 2 billion has been cut from the current budget, and the impact has been felt all over the state. Sherwood schools lost 7% of its operating budget last year.

The other 2 billion is being raised in new revenue. 60% of this consists of money from the federal economic stimulus and a small rainy day fund that we already have in Oregon. The other 40% comes from two tax increases, which are now on the ballot for the January 26^th vote.

These taxes increase the corporate minimum tax, and increase the tax rate on households making over $250,000 a year. The current corporate minimum tax is $10 a year, this hasn’t changed since 1931, and 2/3^rd of corporations doing business in our state pay just this minimum. Oregon currently has the 3^rd lowest corporate income taxes in the nation, with these changes we will now be the 5^th lowest. Overall 88% of small business and 97% of households will see no changes in their taxes from these measures. These measures are targeted to those best able to pay.

About half of these tax increases will expire in two years, after the recession is over. The other half will remain in place to help create a more fair tax system in our state and to help refill our small rainy day fund. Currently the wealthiest households in Oregon pay the same tax rate as a family making just $30,000 a year. These reforms create a fairer, more progressive tax system that limits the burden on middle class families. Despite this, a well-funded opposition effort has formed to repeal these reforms.

The anti-tax groups opposed to these measures have been able to raise over 1 million dollars to defeat these measures. That’s 10 times what the YES campaign has raised. The opponents will be able to blanket the airwaves with misleading messages calling these reforms jobs killing. One ad claims that over 70,000 jobs will be lost with these taxes. In fact, the non-partisan Legislative Revenue Office released a report on the measures, showing that raising taxes on corporations and the richest households is better for Oregon’s economy than cutting education, health care and public safety. That finding was echoed by an open letter from three dozen prominent Oregon economists.

These measures will keep hundreds of millions of dollars circulating in the economy, helping small business and protecting jobs by increasing demand. That is what is needed during a recession. In addition, these measures provide a tax cut to 270,000 unemployed Oregonians, the very people who need it the most.

The failure of these measures will mean another 6% loss to the operating budget in our Sherwood schools. Fortunately for us, the Sherwood school system is very well run and they have created their own rainy day fund. Sherwood has not had to lay off teachers like our neighboring school districts have had to do. But a loss in January will drain our reserve dry, and we will be left vulnerable.

Going forward, we need to build a permanent larger rainy day fund where we save during the good times so that we do not have to make cuts and raise taxes during the bad times. The failure of these measures will take the air out of this effort and lock the boom and bust status quo cycle in place for another 10 years.

The legislature choose to share the burden and not balance the budget solely on the backs of our kids, the sick and the vulnerable. They went out on a limb to do this, we need to send the message that investing in our people is always the right decision in Oregon, and that it can be defended at the ballot box. Please vote YES in January on Measures 66 and 67.

Speech notes supporting Oregons measure 66 and 67 for education.

(Please feel free to use these in your own presentation)

January Ballot Measures

The Story:

• Over 90% of the state general budget goes to: schools, health, public safety.
• We rely on the income tax to pay for these, the prob is that it is very cyclical
• The recession has created a Budget Gap of 4 billion – over 20% of the cost of providing these services.
  • Like a 20% pay cut!
• These boom and bust cycles of our state budget hurts education:
• We are in the Bottom 10 states for high class size and shortest school year.
• This hurts our children, it hurts our economic future, and it has to end!

Good News :

• We had help this time, the legislature did not abandon us and let schools just hang, they implemented what we asked for:
  • A shared solution combining cuts and revenue increases. 3 Parts:
  • 1/2 of the shortfall was made up of cuts, deep cuts have already been made in schools around our state.
  • 1/3 of gap filled from the federal economic stimulus (small partial rainy day).
  • 20% of gap filled from targeted tax increases on businesses and upper income individuals
  • During the last two recessions, a majority of states passed some form of revenue increase to balance out the cuts. We need to do the same.

Bad News :

• Groups opposed to the tax increases have succeeded filing a ballot measure for a Jan 26th vote.
• A YES vote is needed on measures 66 & 67 to stop further cuts to schools and defend our kids!.

What Impact on business and individuals:

• Business: Increase in the $10 minimum corporate income tax, which hasn’t changed since 1931.
  • 2/3rd of corps doing biz in oregon pay this $10 min. The new minimum will increase to $150.
  • The largest corps will pay a slightly larger rate.
    • Oregon has the 3rd lowest corp income taxes, we will now be 5th lowest.
    • 88% of small biz will see no change!
• Individuals: Create a higher tax bracket for those with incomes over $250K – top 1.5%.(from 9% to 11%).
  • Over 97% of Oregonians will see no change!
• In 2012 these tax increases will be cut in half, but part of it will remain to create a more fair tax system. 
  • Currently the wealthiest pay the same tax rate as household making 30k/yr.
  • These measure create a more fair, progressive and sustainable tax system based on the ability to pay.

Whats at stake:

• The opposition claims that these taxes will kill jobs. But if these measure fail the Estimate = 1600 teachers, 1000 other school employees. This in addition to the thousands already lost.
• The legislature has stuck their necks out to do this shared solution for us. (Nervous)
  • We went to Salem for rallies, collected petitions, held meetings with them, and they have delivered. They have stood up for our kids.
  • Now we need to deliver and show that in OR standing up for our kids is the right decision, in fact its the only decision.
    • We need to show that education does matter in this state.
    • That Education can be defended at the ballot box.
• If we fail, this will be remembered, the legislature will loss its nerve, and it will be much harder to ever get help during another downturn.
  • Next time we could be left hanging with nothing but cuts.

Our kids deserve better than this:

• The long term solution is to create a permanent rainy day fund, saving during the good times so we don’t have to implement tax increases and huge cuts during the bad times.
• The legislature is considering creating such a fund through saving a portion from the kicker. A loss in Jan will kill this proposal and set us back another decade in achieving the goal of stable funding for education.

We cant let this happen, we need to win this and take the first step to getting off the roller coater!  There are actions you can take tonight:

• Sign the Defend Oregon Pledge at www.defendoregon.org – this helps the campaign by eliminating the need to contact those who already support the measures.
• Contact your friends, family, fellow parents at your schools, explain whats at stake and urge them to vote yes.
• Volunteer for the campaign (DefendOregon.org), phone bank and canvass signups at the table.  Direct voter contact will make the difference
• Vote YES on measures 66 & 67!

We need to stand together to defend our kids, please join me in starting now.

Book review – The rising of Bread for the World by Arthur Simon

I have been involved with Bread for the World for 25 years now. The organization has has helped shaped alot about who I am and what I believe. Arthur Simon is the founder of Bread for the World and its first President. This book is the story of the founding of Bread for the World, a couple of things jumped out at me and made me want to write a review.

• Its fasinating to me how a Lutheran pastor who grew up in Oregon came to found an anti-hunger orgnization. He lists important things in his life that lead him along this path. But its amazing to see all the little things and realize how easily this never could have happened. There are so many forks in the road of life.
• The fundamental humility of Arthur Simon comes out in the book. He mentions its not a ‘warts and all’ book, but he goes through his shortcomings and setbacks. Its a lesson that would serve all of us well. Life tends to make you hunble over time if you pay attention to it, alittle more humility might make thoughs humble moments alittle less of a shock.

The key insights behind Bread are:

• Christians have for years done good work with private aid, but to be effective we must become public policy advocates as well. Hunger is too big an issue to be tackled by private aid or public programs alone.
• Bread is rooted in the Christian faith and the churches. Christians have a calling to help the poor and take action relying on their faith. It can lend a unique and sincere voice to the effort.
• Getting legislative action around hunger depends on letters and calls from constituients. It is the only power Bread has and the history of Bread shows the powerful results it can achieve.

Art chronicles some of the successes Bread has had over the years. Bread always works together with other partner organizations, but with these initiatives in particular Bread has played a leading role:

Foreign

• Emergency and farmer owned grain reserve (1977 & 78). Faster response to famine. Has saved millions of lives over the years distributing enough food to feed 100 m for neraly half a year.
• Child Survival (80s) US funding for Unicefs 5 low cost child survival measures: promote breast feeding, growth charts, immunization, oral redydration, micro nutrients (vitamins). Saves 5m /yr. Has helped reduce the global daily death rate of children from 40k to 26k (still too high).
• Jubilee debt relief (99).Joined the global campaign for debt relief. Achieved the first real committment for debt relief, allowing poor countries to divert there resources from debt payment, to spending in education and health.
• Reverse long term decline in foreign aid. We are starting to see steady yearly increases in poverty focused development assistance (help found One – 1% increase in FA)(Jubilee campaign started the momentum that lead to this). 

Domestic

• Wic program, started in 74, provides nutrious food to 8m mothers and children, increasing health of children in their most vulnerable years. More work to do, still only 60% of eligible are covered.
• Support for the EITC (Earned income tax credit). The increases in the early 90s moved 4m out of poverty in the US.
• Defended food stamps from deeper cuts and block granting to the states. The program still suffered deep cuts during the 80s and 95 during welfare reform. Slowly it has regained some of this lost ground. The month benefit is still too small to meet a families need. $.60/meal/day.

Bread also faced some long term challenges and many obstacles:

• Fighting long term foreign decline. (especially ag development – just now being reversed). Started in 70s, continued through 80s and 90s. 80’s in particular was a lost decade: US miltary aid doubled, poor country sending in health decline 25%, in education 50%.
• Defense battles of Reagan years: Increase in tax cuts and militray lead to increased defecit and cuts to programs. They sought a 40% reduction in child nutrition programs, 1m off Food Stamps in early years. Alot of defensive work needed to limit impact of cuts. Overall inflation adjusted funding for food prgrams dropped 5%, childhood pov gres 21%. But their were successes in funding for WIC and the EITC.
• Harvest of peace – The hope was that the end of the cold war would produce a peace diident that could be partly used for development assistance. The first Gulf War reversed this hope
• Welfare reform of the mid 90s. Produced some greater self sufficiency, but drastic cuts to food stamps and lack of investment in education and training meant that most remained trapped in poverty.

Current challenges

• Food crisis and global recession. 100m more people are poor around the world due to the current global recession.
• Emerging poor & sustainability. Need to find ways for countries emerging from poverty to develop in a sustainable manner that doesnt overload resources and produce huge gaps in income.
• Continuing the current president of Bread for the Worlds (David Beckman) comittment to change the politics of hunger and create a broader, larger movement that can lead us to a world where large scale hunger is a thing of the past.

Art Simon founded an organization that over the years contributed to the saving of millins of lives. Its quite a legacy and achievement. We are slowly moving to an exodus from hunger. We need to continue the progress until we reach the promise land where freedom from hunger is the norm.

Hunger presentation notes

The following notes are for talks that I give regarding Bread for the World and the issue of hunger…

Presentation

Introduction and Thanks (who am I, who is Bread)…

Why is there Hunger

• A problem of opportunity, not supply:  
  • Enough food is grown to feed all,
  • The hungry lack the resources to grow it, or earn a sufficient income to buy it.
  • Causes – World: 2 primary
    • 1. War civil conflicts, refugees, land mines
    • 2. insuff ProductiveResources or Capital: Phys:land, infrastructure-roads,water, human capital:education,
    • Secondary: famine, less often…
    • 850M live on < $1/day,  (1/7was1/3) FoodCrisis>100m
    • Hunger is chronic and leads to disease
    • 16m/yr kids die of preventable hunger related causes: (diarrhea, TB, malaria, measles). 30k/day
  • Causes – US: 3 primary
    • 1.Unemployment, 2.insuff Education, 3.High Costs: housing, trans, child care, health care …
    • 35m (12m chldr) in households with hunger or hunger risk (11%),
    • US has highest child pov rate than other DCs
    • Hunger is cyclical and disruptive to families, education, future.
    • Oregon: higher costs = higher incidence
• Hunger destroys Productivity, Health and Hope:  
  • A theft of the opp to dev to ones potential,
  • robs society of their potential,
  • loss to us all.
  • It’s a fundamental injustice, even in a free society a person who is hunger is not free.

What we do : Bread does Public Policy Advocacy

• We Advocate to meet short term food needs and gain long term exit from hunger (home&abroad)
• Our response must stand on 2 legs – public and private:  
  • Each has strengths.
    • Private: faster/individual flexibility, Food banks/relief groups OFB,MC,MTI
    • Public: slower but Uniform/reach/deep pockets
    • FS = 10 x FB.  Private alone cant meet the need, congress can cut..
  • Without both legs, our response is crippled.
  • Threat – False ideological debate: Personal vs Social Responsibility: (public vs private) the solution requires both a private and public response
• Bread focuses on advocacy, letter writing. 2 advantages
  • 1. Group action: Working\membership with Bread allows our voice to be amplified: people all over the country are writing on the same issue (Offering of letters)
  • 2. Timing: Working\membership with Bread allows you to stay informed and know when action is needed (Alerts).
  • Citizen advocacy is vital to health of democracy, otherwise only moneyed interested are heard. They listen because they need our vote.
  • Must be Nonpartisan: both sides needed to get anything done, all are asked, the only way to be effective. (avoid idolatry of ideology)
  • Your letters are our only power…
  • Brings results: Increases in aid, debt relief, disease fighting, wic/fs
  • Requires patience, persistence, & faith (long haul). Bread helps provide the team work & timing.
• As Christians (shorter version – why we do it)…
  • We believe we are all Gods children …  God hears… (see below)
  • By answering the call we express our gratitude … It is our gift back
  • Need to answer with all our gifts: time, money, citizenship in a free land

Why we do it : 

• We are all God’s children created with gifts to develop. Hunger is a rejection of those gifts, a destruction of those gifts, an insult to the creator.
  • God hears the suffering of his people (Jesus is there with them) and we are called on to help.
    • By answering the call and helping others we express our gratitude for the gifts we have and the unearned gift of our salvation.
    • We all have gifts, what we do is our gift back, inaction in a world of suffering is a waste of our gifts.
    • We need to help with all our gifts: private action and public influence. Cannot box God out from certain parts of our life.
    • Our focus is on results not ideology (idolatry of ideology).
    • Our actions are imperfect, but we have faith that God can do much with it – miracles. Hands of God.
• We are blessed, have opportunity…
  • Imagine a world where opportunity is the norm (Justice)
  • Our greatest joy is in a family and friends – a gift
  • But we also have an obligation to look beyond ourselves, to be part of an effort to create a better world.

What are the issues:

• Key point is self development: build opportunity & local participation NGOs not handouts. Build Capital to provide for themselves. Broad dev depends on broad access to capital: past GI Bill, Railroads, InterstateHiWy
• International, 5 big issues:     Roadmap: MDG measurable
  • 1. Aid (Capital:Phys/Human): 1%Budget,Lowest%GDP,
    • Phys: Infra:roads,water,santitn, MicroLend:CoopEntrepenuer
    • HC: Educ>girls:MotherReads:KidsRead, literacy
    • HC:Health\Disease: Aids/TB/Malaria, Immuniz Maternal OralRehy Clinics
  • 2. Trade: Market access, can dwarf aid
  • 3. Debt: Relief if invested in people, School>30m
  • 4. Disease: see above
  • 5. Conflict/disaster: CivilWar
  • DemocratcInst: Electns|FreePress Participate/Transparnt/Accountable
  • Progress: 1B>water|20y,  1960|1/3:Now|1/7, Stalled. Measles<2/3|20
• Domestic, 3 big issues:
  • Basic needs (food, health, housing, transport, child care),
  • Asset build: Education, house, save, entrpreneur
  • Jobs

What we are doing now: 

• OL Issue – Increase Pov Focused Dev Assist to meet MDG
  • Roadmap: MDG: Cut Poverty in half by 2015, Numeric goals in Pov, education literacy, gender access, Health: disease, maternal/child, environment sustain (clean water), global partnership: big 4: trade, debt, aid, disease
  • Status: Dev countries partnership Commitments not being met (our help is needed)
  • 2008: $5b/yr – focused on public investments: education, health, Ag, nutrition, clean water , Pass Global Poverty Act (S2433).
  • 2009: Reform aid: 3 pillars foreign policy: defense, diplomacy, dev. Make Pov reduction an official part of US foreign policy: distinct & secure funding, coordinated & consolidated strategy, partnership with recipients and other donors to achieve measurable goals,
• Domestic
  • Reauthorize child nutrition pgms

Things you can do:

• Small group: website, letter writing guide, 1 advocacy action/month
• Explain letter writing guide and general contact info
• Sign up for the monthly enewsletter (sheet at each table/ sample letter)
• Join Bread, local Bread (bread.org, breador)
• Personal goal – 1 advocacy action/month
• Letter writing table, offering of letters event, campus group
• Speakers available

 

Bread for the World founder Art Simon speaks in Portland.

Art Simon spoke today at Westminster Presbyterian church today in Portland on a book tour to promote his new book: “The Rising of Bread for the World“.  I have been involved with Bread for the World for over 25 years now and Art Simon is a personal hero of mine. I had not seen him for a few years so it was really a treat to see him again.

The book is an autobiography of his life and how Bread began as an organization. Once I am done reading it I’ll add a book review.

In his speech he talked about the impact that Bread has had over its 35 year existance. Bread also works in conjunction with other partners so it can never claim sole credit for what it has achieved, but what matters is results.

He talked about Bread’s role in the start up of the child survival fund in the 1980’s and the impact it has had over the years. This program supports proven means to reduce child mortaility: growth charts, immunization, breast feeding, oral redydration therapy. Roughly 5 million children survive each year due to this program.

The number of children who die each day has been reduced fron 40k per day to 25k per day. Its still a big number but this is clear progress over the past few decades. He called this a long term exodus from hunger, and urged us all to get involved in this movement and continue the progress.

His example has been an inspiration to me of what Christian faith means and what it can do in this world. It is something we can all learn from.

The presidents plan for Health Care reform, its our turn now to act to see that this gets done.

Write your congressman to support the presidents plan now. “It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don’t. And it will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses, and our government.” – PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
If You Have Health Insurance: Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age. Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most. Caps out-of-pocket expenses so people don’t go broke when they get sick. Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money. Protects Medicare for seniors. Eliminates the “donut-hole” gap in coverage for prescription drugs.	If You Don’t Have Insurance: Creates a new insurance marketplace — the Exchange — that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance. Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees. Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice. Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national “high risk” pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created.	For All Americans: Won’t add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront. Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized. Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality. Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system. Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine. Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform.

Write your congressman to support the presidents plan now.

I have followed this debate all year nervously, Obama’s speech tonight has greatly renewed by sence of hope. I have never heard a political leader explain a complicated issue like this with the clarity and urgency that he did tonight.

But this wont get done unless we make them do it. Now is the time to write our representatives and send letters to the editor to demand that this get done this year. This is what we sent them there to do, now we need to make them do it.

School reform and the Sherwood schools Class project.

The Sherwood school district gave local Stand members a run down on their implementation of the Class project. Class is a school reform initiative funded by the Chalk Board Project which is exploring ways to improve education in Oregon. The main motivating idea is that the most effective thing that schools can do to improve educational outcomes for children is to produce better teachers. Class works towards that by providing a more professional environment for teachers to develop their craft and get rewarded and recognized for their efforts. These ideas are key to producing better employees in any business.

Nearly 40% of new teachers leave the profession in the first 5 years. Over half of Sherwood teachers have been teaching for 8 years or less. Sherwood has choosen to make a major investment in new teachers at the begining of their carrers. The idea is to home grow the best teachers we can and give them the support and opportunity to become the best they can be. Sherwood has also expanded the class program to classified employees as well (bus drivers, kitchen staff, etc).

The four main goals of Class include:

New career paths, with opportunities for advancement

Comprehensive and fair evaluations of performance

Expanded professional development opportunities for teachers

Promise of more pay for new leadership roles

Expanding the career path involves giving teachers more choises for advancement that just going into administration. The previous carrier path based pay mainly of education level and years of teaching. The new pay scale adds a master teacher path that allows teachers to move up the pay scale more quickly as they develope and demonstrate proven leadership and teaching skills. These can include: improved student test scores, team leadership, curriculum development, coaching, mentoring, peer evaluations, etc.

Once teachers have proven themselves during the first three year probabtionary period, they create a development plan and work towards it. They then submit evidence which is evaluated and when enough evidence has been accumulated, they can move on to the master teacher level and move faster up the pay scale.

The new evaluation process is focused on peer evaluation, goals, dialog and feedback. The first three year probabtionary period involves alot of hands on support. The middle tier involves the pursuit of their development plans and the master tier is more self directed. The support is focused up front where good teacher development is most critical.

Teachers are given time to work in collaborative teams to standardize practice and create and work on measurable goals. Some of the Sherwood teacher driven education goals and initiatives this past year included:

• Cutting the Freshman failure rate in half. Freshman failure is a big factor leading to eventual droping out, with this program our drop out rate has declined dramatically.
• Introducing the daily 5 literacy initiative in our elementary schools, the walk to read initiative and parent education night. 

For more informatrion, Click here for Sherwood class project webpage.