The Oregon Education Association represents approximately 43,000 professional educators across the state of Oregon, working every day for the schools Oregon children deserve. OEA fights for educational policy that best serves our students, but also fights for a society that sends kids to school ready to learn and succeed.
That is why OEA is a proud leader of the Fair Shot coalition. We worked with the coalition to help pass a number of policies that will strengthen families and provide students the foundation to succeed in school.
OEA was proud to help lead the way on passing earned sick time for all Oregonians, because of the impact it will have on a child’s success in school. Teachers routinely have students in their classes who must miss school in order to care for a younger sibling because their parents can’t afford to take time off; in other instances, students come to school sick because there is no one available to stay home and care for them. This will change with the passage of Oregon’s new earned sick time law.
Educators also know that students’ scholastic performance suffers when their parents don’t earn enough to support a family. OEA members routinely purchase with their own money clothing and school supplies for students whose families are unable to afford them. OEA continues to work with coalition partners to increase Oregon’s minimum wage so that more parents who work full time will be able to afford basic items such as school clothes and pens and pencils.
By working together with the coalition, the Oregon Education Association will help make sure that every Oregon student has a fair shot.
OEA members meeting with Representative Barton for a lobby visit.