January 24 2021
State should offset the cost to Oregon families who have given up paychecks to accommodate forced home-based distance classes.
The Oregon Department of Education recently announced relaxed guidelines for school reopenings.
The new guidelines provide a roadmap for districts in the Portland area and much of the state to roll out in-person instruction for elementary school students.
Regardless of the new guidelines, it is looking more likely that many of Oregon s largest school districts will not return to full-time, in-person instruction for all students this year.
Earlier this month, the presidents of teachers unions representing Oregon s five largest school districts sent a letter to Gov. Kate Brown. The letter demanded all school staff be fully vaccinated before schools reopen for any in-person instruction. If all goes well, that means mid-February would be the soonest that schools can reopen.
Metro goes to court to get new income tax sanctified January 19 2021
Tricounty agency wants judge to sign off on legality of 2020 measure. Critics say structure is flawed.
Even as the tri-county agency Metro makes plans for how to spend a new $250 million-a-year income tax for supportive housing and homeless services, it is bolstering one crucial detail: making sure the ordinance enacting the tax is legal.
On Dec. 30, Metro went to Multnomah Circuit Court asking a judge to determine whether the income tax ordinance authorized by voters last May, known as HereTogether, complies with state law.
Called a validation action, Metro filed it to preempt a potential lawsuit based on concerns raised by the Portland Business Alliance and others.
Elementary schools in the metro area can bring students back while following safety rules.
Schools got new reopening rules Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 19, that eased guidelines enough to allow elementary school students in the metropolitan area to get back to school buildings.
In a much-anticipated announcement from the Oregon Department of Education, the parameters around COVID-19 infection rates were relaxed somewhat, especially for the youngest students based on Harvard Global Health Institute recommendations. Still, the infection rate metrics are only advisory and school districts have the ultimate decision about reopening or not.
Earlier in the pandemic, to reopen buildings, schools had to follow a strict set of parameters tied to infection rates. Those metrics left districts in the metro area unable to reopen as COVID-19 infection rates remained stubbornly high.
Elementary schools in the metro area can bring students back while following safety rules.
Schools got new reopening rules Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 19, that eased guidelines enough to allow elementary school students in the metropolitan area to get back to school buildings.
In a much-anticipated announcement from the Oregon Department of Education, the parameters around COVID-19 infection rates were relaxed somewhat, especially for the youngest students based on Harvard Global Health Institute recommendations. Still, the infection rate metrics are only advisory and school districts have the ultimate decision about reopening or not.
Earlier in the pandemic, to reopen buildings, schools had to follow a strict set of parameters tied to infection rates. Those metrics left districts in the metro area unable to reopen as COVID-19 infection rates remained stubbornly high.