Officials argued against the now-required financial literacy and college or career preparation courses, but Oregon legislation has mandated them as a step needed for graduation.
Oregon Mandates Financial Literacy Courses for High School Students
Separate courses on financial literacy are now a state-mandated requirement to graduate for Oregon high school students. The state is also requiring students to take either a college or career preparation course before receiving their diploma.
School Officials Worry About How to Pay for New Courses
While there has long been a fight to teach financial literacy in schools, this new state-wide law was controversial because schools feared that they would not have the resources to add more mandatory courses.
Money and Time Concerns
Between the cost to hire and train new instructors for these classes and the already packed courseload of the average high school student, officials shared concerns that adding additional courses would be a burden on their budgets and the time they have to meet graduation requirements.
Rural Schools Most Likely to Struggle
Because of the cost, the burden would fall particularly hard on schools with budgets that are already stretched thin. Schools in rural parts of Oregon are especially worried about how they will meet requirements with limited funding.
The Argument for Integrating Concepts
Instead, teacher unions and the school boards argued that financial literacy and future preparation principles could be woven into the curriculum that already exists for other courses.
Adding to Existing Curriculums to Save Time and Money
Students taking their normal courses would then learn the required information, but without having to add a whole new class into their schedule.
Legislators Say Courses Must Stand Alone
But state legislators squashed that idea, saying that doing so would “perpetuate the current practice of rushed or incomplete instruction.” They argued that teachers are already struggling to make it through the curriculums they have now.
State Argues Teachers Don’t Have Time to Add to Lesson Plans
“Teachers are not given enough time or training to provide instruction in the new subject matters,” wrote Hannah Lai, an attorney for the state legislature.
Oregon Lawmakers Want “Significant Instruction” in Financial Literacy, Career and College Prep
“We do not believe this approach is consistent with the legislative intent to require significant instruction in the new subject matters,” Lai’s letter continued.
Funding Worries Capture Oregon Schools
The main concern, according to those who oppose the new requirement, is that schools are worried about how to fund the new courses. The costs are extensive and include training fees, salaries for new teachers, and the expense of resources needed for the courses.
More U.S. States Requiring Financial Education
Currently, only a handful of states require standalone financial literacy courses in their graduation requirements for students. But pending legislation in over a dozen states shows that that number is growing quickly.
Schools Look at Options
Some schools may look to local community colleges, which could allow students to take financial education courses for both high school and college credit. Schools in areas without that option may have to turn to online options so students can fulfil the requirement remotely.
Local College Instructor Weighs In
A local community college instructor, Ted Scheinman, told The Oregonian that despite the extra costs of these courses, he can’t get behind the idea of integrating the principles with other subjects.
“Integrated Means Lost”
“Integrated means lost, and that is the key,” the economics instructor said. “If you integrate the topic as a part of other classes, the teacher has no real incentive to be familiar with the material and it won’t matter too much. A student can still get an 80%, based on their knowledge of other things.”
Financial Literacy Curriculums
Financial literacy courses teach students a variety of important skills they need as they enter adulthood. From credit building, healthy saving habits, how to create a budget, and how to file state and federal taxes, the curriculum is full of valuable information.
Career and College Prep Curriculums
Courses that focus on career and college preparation may offer information about good study habits, time management, and communication skills. They are designed to help students figure out the next step in their lives as they leave high school.
Support for Financial Education is There, But Money Isn’t
Generally, most people are in support of these courses, and the pushback has not been about the subject matter itself. Rather, Oregon school board members are frustrated at the idea of having to implement a state-mandated course without any additional funding from the government.
One-Year Waiver Available
Currently, school districts have the option of applying for a waiver that would allow them to postpone the new courses by one year, requiring them for the class of 2028 instead of 2027. But since they will be expected to meet the requirements regardless, some districts are scrambling for ideas to fund them.
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