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Good morning, Northwest.

Yesterday, we learned about Oregon’s new school accountability system and why it faces the same hurdles as past failed efforts.

But there is new momentum from parents, teachers and past government advisers to improve public education in Oregon.

These coalitions say successes in states like Mississippi, Louisiana and Rhode Island provide a road map — and hope — for Oregon. But they are up against a political system that’s slow to change.

Here’s your First Look at Tuesday’s news.

— Francisca Benitez

Top story

Inconsistent efforts from distracted leaders keep Oregon education outcomes from improving

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has made overhauling Oregon’s education system a priority of her first term.

But, as OPB reported yesterday, Kotek delivered a plan that more than 20 experts and advocates say faces the challenges of past failures.

Now, grassroots groups are looking to other states for examples of what’s worked better and pushing for change. (Elizabeth Miller)

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3 things to know

• More than a decade of behind-the-scenes work at Amazon hasn’t prevented the political winds from shifting against the data center industry in the lead up to the 2026 elections. Can a massive influx of money to political candidates and rural communities change public perception of Amazon’s data centers in Oregon? (Antonio Sierra)
• The Department of Homeland Security released a statement yesterday detailing what it said happened over the weekend during an incident in which federal agents used tear gas on protesters in Salem. (OPB staff)
• Longtime Lewis & Clark College history professor Stephen Dow Beckham died Saturday at 85 years old. He was a well-respected Oregon historian, preservationist and educator who specialized in Native American history, the American West and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. (Kristian Foden-Vencil and Riley Martinez)

Northwest headlines

• Oops: GOP group mistakenly bought ad for Maine Senate candidate in wrong Portland (Bryce Dole)
• Surfrider Foundation presses city of Newport to enhance water quality testing at popular Nye Beach (Shayla Escudero, Lincoln Chronicle)
• Oregon ethics commission investigates state Rep. Lamar Wise over failure to disclose income (Shaanth Nanguneri, Oregon Capital Chronicle)
• Ashland Schools Foundation wants to give leftover school supplies a second life (Jane Vaughan, JPR)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• Many PPS families asking for a pause in school closures process

One more look

Why does an electrified pickle glow? We’re not exactly sure

Earlier this month, in his lab at Portland State University, Joshua Méndez dug into a big jar of pickles, looking for a good one to zap.

He skewered it on two small forks that were attached to wires, a control board and a laptop computer. He sent 120 volts of electrical current to the pickle, and one end of it pulsed a rich orange color for about 10 seconds.

Gray vapor curled around and over the pickle, which gave off an acrid smell of burning salt.

“Sorry, it’s not the best smell in the world,” Méndez said.

Méndez, an assistant professor in the electrical and computer science department at PSU, has done this demonstration hundreds of times. But he’s not just trying to impress people with a common party trick. He’s trying to solve a mystery. (Geoff Norcross)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/13/oregon-education-system-first-look/