Salem, Oregon – Oregon schools are being pushed to protect one of the most important pieces of student success: time in the classroom.
Governor Tina Kotek has issued Executive Order 26-06, a new directive aimed at preserving and restoring student instructional time in Oregon schools. The order takes effect immediately and comes as some districts, facing budget or operational pressures, have considered or already made cuts to the school day or calendar.
“Too many Oregon students are not getting the time in the classroom they need to succeed,” Governor Kotek said. “We cannot expect better outcomes if we continue to give our students less time to learn. This order makes clear: protecting and strengthening student instructional time is essential to improving student achievement and setting our kids up for long-term success.”
The order is meant to stop further reductions and begin rebuilding lost learning time. Districts that reduced instructional time for the 2025–26 or 2026–27 school years must submit plans within 90 days showing how they will restore that time to at least 2024–25 levels by the start of the 2027–28 school year.
It also immediately bars the Oregon Department of Education from granting or renewing waivers that allow districts to fall below minimum instructional hour requirements, except during declared emergencies.
Another major change centers on what counts as learning time. The order calls for state rules to better reflect actual student-teacher engagement. That would end the practice of counting some non-classroom activities, including professional development and parent-teacher conferences, toward required instructional hours.
Supporters say the step is needed because Oregon students already receive fewer instructional hours than students in all but a handful of other states, according to Stand for Children, a national nonprofit based in Oregon.
“Reducing instructional time moves us in the wrong direction at a moment when students need more consistency, not less,” said Alison Tierney, parent of a child in the Beaverton School District. “Protecting and ultimately increasing classroom instructional time is critical to supporting families, reinforcing routines, and improving academic performance across our schools.”
Sarah Pope, Oregon Executive Director for Stand for Children, said Oregon has historically set low standards for time in school with wide flexibility. “The result is children not getting enough learning time,” Pope said. “Preventing additional cuts to the calendar is a critical first step in getting students the time they deserve.”
To monitor progress, the Oregon Department of Education will publish district instructional time once a year. The order lasts for 180 days, and Kotek has directed the agency to work with the State Board of Education on rulemaking that could make the reform permanent.
