See Advocacy Action for this month!
Below
ADVOCACY
ACTION STEPS YOU CAN TAKE THIS MONTH!
Ask all candidates for specific and tangible ideas that will improve Oregon Education.
ACTION STEPS YOU CAN TAKE THIS MONTH!
As members and friends of the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty, you have an important role this October that you can fulfill from the comfort of your home.
With the local fall campaign season in full swing, the Goal of the Alliance this October is to ensure that improving quality public education in Oregon for ALL students is included as a major commitment for all who are running for state or local elected positions.
BACKGROUND:
At the Sept. First Thursday meeting of the Interfaith Alliance, the attendees endorsed a report from an Alliance Work Group that recommends that the Alliance continue a focus on the intersectionality of poverty and education. (include link to the report).
While the Alliance does not endorse political candidates, we DO advocate on behalf of important issues related to our mission. With this fall political season, there are steps that members and friends can take right now related to this issue.
REACH OUT TO CANDIDATES:
In terms of improving Oregon public education for ALL, the races this fall that have the primary responsibility for achieving such a goal are the races for Governor and our local state legislators.
We ask that in the coming weeks, you look for different opportunities to ask key questions that shine light on this important need. In the midst of intense campaigns (with a lot attention going to homelessness, climate change, etc) such action will help ensure that quality, effective education for our children will not be forgotten about.
There are four primary ways to make a difference:
1) Watch for invitations to political coffees for candidates and show up (in person the best or by Zoom) to ask key questions.
2) Watch for invitations for forums (such as City Club) that invite various candidates and submit questions.
3) Submit questions, concerns by email to the various candidates directly- usually through their web sites
4) Talk to your neighbors and others about this issue…create a buzz!!
PROPOSED KEY QUESTIONS:
(As you will see below- a key word is “specific” as in “could you let me know what are specific examples of what you would do…”)
WITH GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES (Oregon Governor is the Superintendent of Education for the State and oversees the State Dept. of Education)
1) While Oregon’s HS graduation rate has increased a bit, there are challenges that negatively affect the education achievement of our children. What do you specifically plan to do to increase the achievement of ALL our students statewide?
2) What do you see as the specific role of the governor in ensuring the implementation of the important Student Success Act, passed in 2019?
3) According to the National Assessment of Education Progress in 2019, only 34% of 4th grade students in Oregon met standards for proficient or advanced levels in reading. What specific changes, such as increased instructional time, would you support to improve greater student achievement? As Governor, how would you ensure that such changes were achieved across out state?
WITH LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES:
1. As an elected Legislator, what do see as your specific role in ensuring the Student Success Act is implemented as planned across Oregon?
2. What needs to happen to have the Governor, Legislature and Dept of Ed all working together to improve education across our state? What would be your role in making that happen?
WEBSITES THAT CAN HELP:
Ballotpedia: Https://www.Ballotpedia.org/Oregon gives us information about people who are running for various offices and about the ballot measures that we will be voting on in November.
Stand for children: https://stand.org/oregon/
Foundations for a Better Oregon: https://www.betteroregon.org/
The Children’s’ Institute: https://childinst.org/
“Man can move mountains by faith.”
We believe there is strength in numbers. As a growing network of Portland, Oregon faith-based communities, we work together to bring help and hope to men, women, and children living in poverty. We realize actions speak louder than words so we are:
+ Building a network of faith-based communities and civic partners to learn about, understand and address the root causes of poverty in our community
+ Assisting families as they transition from generational poverty into lives of stability, and
+ Advocating with our brothers and sisters in our community to change detrimental policies, and help alleviate poverty
The Interfaith Alliance on Poverty
We are congregations who work to alleviate poverty in the Portland region.
With our neighbors, we act for positive change, and work to offer justice and hope for all.
Join us every First Thursday to learn more: www.allianceonpoverty.org
Fourteen faith communities currently carry out our mission as members of the Interfaith Alliance. These include:
Ainsworth United Church of Christ
Augustana Lutheran Church
Central Lutheran Church
Congregation Beth Israel
First Unitarian Portland
Fremont United Methodist Church
Genesis Community Fellowship
Grace Memorial Episcopal Church
Havurah Shalom
Rose City Park Presbyterian Church
St. Andrew Catholic Parish
The Madeleine Catholic Parish
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Wy'east Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Partners and Friends of the Interfaith Alliance:
Compassionate Change District
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
League of Women Voters of Portland
Living Cully
Multnomah County Library
Muslim Educational Trust
Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods
Oak Leaf Mobile Home Park
Oregon Coalition of Christian Voices
Oregon Housing Alliance
Oregon Unitarian Universalist Voices for Justice
Portland African American Leadership Forum
Portland Central Nazarene Church – Agape Village
St. Vincent de Paul of Lane Country
Transitions Projects:
We partner with community action organizations, nonprofits and faith groups intent on doing good work among the suffering. Through our faith and actions, we believe we can move mountains even if it’s only an inch at a time.
We have a calling to empower every brother and sister in our community facing hardship and hopelessness. We walk together as an alliance of interfaith communities because we believe doing things together is better than doing them alone. We lead with our hearts and open our minds to understand the causes of poverty and the challenges of escaping it. We work hand-in-hand with families living in poverty by encouraging and supporting them as they move to stability. We boldly advocate for systemic change to help eliminate the root causes of poverty. We know the road is long but we believe as Martin Luther King, Jr. did when he said, “faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase."
