#1 – Cool schools. This article from Willamette Week talks about governor Kitzhaber’s plan entitled “Cool Schools” which is said to be a plan to help our local schools get the renovations they need, including more energy efficient facilities (the energy costs for schools in Oregon cost more than text books and computers combined), as well as creating better pay scales for teachers throughout the metro area. http://wweek.com/portland/article-17410-cool_schools_on_ice.html
#2 – Dropping graduation rates. The Oregonian did a recent story about how many high schools (this article focused on North Clackamas and Estacada high schools) are having lower and lower graduation rates each year. They say that in 2010, a mere 65% of seniors graduated from North Clackamas High. In contrast, other notable schools within only a small distance of this one had graduation rates of nearly 85%.http://www.oregonlive.com/milwaukie/index.ssf/2011/04/north_clackamas_and_estacada_district_graduation_rates_fail_to_surpass_states.html
#3 – Help for Alabama. Four volunteers from the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross are on their way to Alabama to give aide to people who have just gone through the worst tornado in more than 75 years. There are many who have been left homeless, as an estimated 1,500 stayed in the red cross shelter on Thursday night. http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/red_cross_volunteers_from_tiga.html
When I looked through the recent news coverage from around our area, I noticed that a major topic was about our public schools in Oregon. Since I am now nearing my 5th and final year of undergraduate studies, and have younger siblings who are still in the public school system, the news about our education system for young people is big news to me. This is why I ranked these stories number 1 and 2. I see real value in education these days, and I want to see everyone from our state graduating from high school and being able to pursue higher education if they desire. But, if we expect this from our young people, then we better give them a place to learn that isn’t a pile of rubble much like many schools in the area. After reading about Kitzhaber’s plan, I think that I am all for it, and I hope my fellow Oregonians are as well.
As for the article about helping Alabama, I saw this piece as uplifting. Here in Oregon, it isn’t so usual that we have a natural disaster that destroys our homes and livelihoods, but in the south, it seems like a common trend as of late; Hurricanes that destroy everything, and now a series of tornadoes as well. If this were to happen in Oregon, I hope that our fellow Americans would come to help us, and I love to see our neighbors going out into the country to help those who have been hit by an unfortunate turn of fate.
You picked three really solid stories for consideration for this assignment. But how did you go about picking the three? Did you undertake a systematic review of local news outlets? If so, how did you go about doing that?
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