Oregon high school students will no longer need to prove proficiency in reading, writing, and arithmetic before graduation for the next three years.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) did not hold a public event regarding the signing of Senate Bill 744. Even though the measure was passed by lawmakers in June, it was not added into the state's legislative database until nearly the end of the July.
The Washington Examiner reports:
Secretary of the Senate Lori Brocker's office is responsible for updating the legislative database, and a staffer tasked with dealing with the governor's office was experiencing medical issues during the 15-day time frame it took the database to be updated with the recently signed law, Brocker said.
The controversial bill followed Brown’s executive order in early 2020 removing the requirement for freshman and sophomore students to demonstrate proficiency in essential subjects in order to graduate during the pandemic.
Democrats largely backed Senate Bill 744 that expanded upon Brown’s pandemic measure.
Supporters claim the academic requirements needed to be put on hold as lawmakers revaluate education standards.
“I worry that by adopting this bill we’re giving up on our kids,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R) said in June. “This proposal abandons students who fell behind last year because of government-mandated distanced learning and does nothing to give them an opportunity to recover.”