Another school year has begun for Oregon students exactly as it has for decades. And nothing really has changed, much less improved, even though significant resources have been expended on school improvement and reform.

Oregon schools are delivering a massive new dose of early childhood education this fall: Full-day kindergarten, available to just 42 percent of 5-year-olds last year, will reach virtually every kindergartner in the state.

Nancy Golden, who for two years has overseen public education in Oregon from preschool to college, will retire in two weeks, Gov. Kate Brown announced Monday.

COOS BAY, Ore. -- The new school year is coming up fast but for one local family the classroom is right inside their home.

5th grader Nathan Mullanix attends Oregon Connections Academy. He’s one of 4,000 students across the state enrolled in online public charter schools.

Salem Statesman Journal
By Marci Cammann

With the New Year approaching and, in many schools, a new semester starting soon, families may be considering other options for their child’s education such as transferring schools midyear. For some it might mean moving to a different brick-and-mortar school, for others private school, homeschooling or online public school.