Readers respond: Give schools funding and expectations

As Portland Public Schools parents and PPS board members, a recent exchange in the Oregonian/OregonLive opinion pages caught our attention. We were lifted up by a piece from Oregon PTA Vice President Robin Roemer, who called it as we see it when it comes to our public schools, (“ Opinion: Oregon has lost sight of what a quality education means, ” Aug. 17).

In the wake of a series of ballot measures over 30 years ago, districts across the state made hard financial decisions such as deferring maintenance so that they could at least fund the basics. Sometimes, not even the basics get funding - any public school parent can tell you that. But Oregon’s leaders continue to point to “historic” investments in education while failing to account for the recent rise in the cost of doing business.