Alex Baumhardt - Oregon Capital Chronicle
Alex Baumhardt has been a national radio producer focusing on education for American Public Media since 2017. She has reported from the Arctic to the Antarctic for national and international media, and from Minnesota and Oregon for The Washington Post. She previously worked in Iceland and Qatar and was a Fulbright scholar in Spain where she earned a master's degree in digital media. She's been a kayaking guide in Alaska, farmed on four continents and worked the night shift at several bakeries to support her reporting along the way.
Student absenteeism high as Oregon districts attempt to normalize going to school every day
New state data shows nearly 40% of Oregon students missed 16 or more days of school during the 2022-23 school year.
Oregon utilities, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs get $450 million to improve electric grid
A historic federal investment in projects nationwide aims to boost transmission of electricity from clean energy.
Oregon students won’t have to show added proficiency in basic skills through 2028 to graduate
The Oregon Board of Education voted Thursday to continue to suspend the requirement graduates show proficiency in reading, writing and other skills, saying its been misapplied and is ineffective
Federal regulators approve natural gas pipeline expansion through Oregon, Washington
Environmentalists said they would appeal a decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to allow more natural gas to flow through the Northwest.
Oregon ramps up testing for “forever chemicals” in a regulatory vacuum
EPA officials have ordered states to test water for 29 ‘forever chemicals’ and lithium, but the agency lacks regulations on what states should do with most results.
Oregon attorney general joins states urging court to protect defrauded student borrowers
A Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals suit challenges a 2022 congressional rule allowing defrauded borrowers to have loans forgiven or reimbursed.
State seeks $27.6 million from southern Oregon dam operators for massive fish kill
OREGON NEWS: Oregon Fish and Wildlife seeks to recover damages from the Winchester Water Control District over repairs that left 550,000 lamprey dead.
Governor’s education adviser will lead state teacher standards and licensing agency
The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission voted unanimously in a special meeting Tuesday to appoint Melissa Goff executive director for the agency.
Oregon assessments show little student improvement over last four years
Student proficiency in English language arts and math remain 10 percentage points below pre-pandemic levels, but declines appear to be leveling off.
Two dozen Oregon school districts will split $53 million for summer, after-school programs
United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley will get about $500,000 per year to offer its Enrichment Academy program in the Salem-Keizer School District, part of a round of state grants.