Is Oregon’s Low Instructional Time Shortchanging Students?

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[Watch Here!]

About the Program

Oregon K-12 students receive nearly the lowest instructional hours of any students in the nation, with a short school year, short school days, huge variances in instructional time from district to district, and high rates of chronic absenteeism. Our expert panel will discuss how we got here and what policy and budgetary changes would be needed to provide Oregon students with an education comparable to other states.

Panelists:

• Andrea Castaneda, Superintendent, Salem-Keizer Public Schools
  
• Sarah Pope, Executive Director, Stand for Children Oregon
• Ricki Ruiz, Oregon State Representative District 50 (Gresham, East Portland)
• Jo Strom Lane, 2025 Regional Teacher of the Year, Roosevelt High School

Moderated by Betsy Hammond, Oregon Politics and Education Reporter for The Oregonian.

Thank You!

Thank you to City Club’s Summer 2026 Season Sponsors: AARP Oregon, Hospital Association of Oregon, NW Natural, and the Don Sterling Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation.

City Club of Portland relies on organizational sponsors to help underwrite the cost of bringing our programming to our members and the public. As a nonpartisan, impartial forum for civic dialogue, City Club accepts sponsorships from a wide spectrum of organizations. Our policies prevent sponsors from influencing the content of our programming. City Club is deeply grateful to all of our supporters.