Education in Oregon is in a moment of urgent challenges and rapid transformation, as the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic and uprisings for racial justice have compounded longstanding issues related to economic and racial disparities.
Portland charter school KairosPDX opened in 2014 with a mission to close socioeconomic and racial achievement gaps through a comprehensive curriculum that focuses on social, emotional, and cultural development in addition to academics. Cofounder Kali Ladd, who currently serves on the board of Portland Community College and the Oregon Early Learning Council, spoke to us about her vision for education in Oregon over the next fifty years. Here are eight changes that Ladd would like to see.