Education
First Congressional District Rep. Suzanne Bonamici joined those who have condemned the recent actions by the school board, issuing a statement on Thursday. "Students need a welcoming and safe school environment, and all school leaders should strive every day to make sure students know they are valued and respected," she wrote. "The Newberg school board's move to ban Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ pride symbols in schools is antithetical to this bedrock value. "In my conversations with community members, I have heard the heartache and profound concern many of us share about this decision.
The Respond, Innovate, Succeed and Empower Act, or RISE Act, would allow students with a disability to use documentation from their secondary education as proof that they have a disability and need accommodations while attending a college or university. The bill is led in the Senate by Senators Bob Casey, the Democrat from Pennsylvania, and Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, and in the House by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat from Oregon, and Larry Bucshon, a Republican from Indiana.
The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday, July 14, the approval of Oregon's American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) plan and distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to them. Oregon's plan details how the state is using and plans to use ARP ESSER funds to safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and equitably expand opportunity for students who need it most, particularly those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our schools are important to families, communities, and the economy," said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici.
On Tuesday, Breitmeyer and student Miranda King participated in a panel of educators who met with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici in Beaverton. The goal of the session was to provide Cardona with information and feedback to use in crafting and promoting President Joe Biden's American Families Plan. A component of the plan is a proposal for free community college. Breitmeyer said such a move would be a game-changer for the nation. Community college is already free for many recent high school graduates in Oregon under the Oregon Promise Grant.