By SCOTT JORGENSEN

SALEM, Ore.- When he was campaigning for office in 2010, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber pledged to make the state’s entire education system more comprehensive.

Kitzhaber took one more step towards making that vision a reality on Wednesday, Feb.1, as he testified before the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee on the first day of the legislature’s 2012 session.

Recent reports show the state failing to graduate almost one-third of its high school seniors on time, Kitzhaber said. Therefore, he added, “we don’t have any time to lose” in moving forward with education reform.

Kitzhaber said the state has set a goal of having a 100 percent graduation rate by 2025, adding that children entering kindergarten next year will be completing their K-12 education by then.

What the state needs, Kitzhaber said, is a “seamless system of coordination and support.”

There currently is no one person in charge of the state’s entire education system, Kitzhaber said, but the state soon will be hiring a chief education officer to take on those duties.

Kitzhaber said before that can happen, the education officer’s authority needs to be established. This could be accomplished through the passage of Senate Bill 1581.

Kitzhaber also promoted SB 1538. He said the bill would create academic achievement compacts to focus funding where schools get the best results.

Oregon has 197 school districts with “roughly” the same funding, Kitzhaber said, but some do better than others. Because of that, he said, the state must learn from the districts which are doing the best.

Kitzhaber said that members of his staff planned to introduce amendments to SB 1538 later in the day.

State Senator Lee Beyer ,D-Springfield, expressed concerns about “duplication,” saying four statewide panels currently oversee higher education. Beyer said he was concerned about possible “conflict” with the board reporting to different people.

Beyer said the state should “centralize this a little more” if it decides to move in that direction.

Kitzhaber acknowledged, “I think there will be some conflict,” but added he wanted “form to follow function,” with the state starting with its desired outcomes and working back from there. He said that, ultimately, the state could end up with fewer education boards and commissions once the reforms are fully implemented.

Sen. Frank Morse ,R-Albany, asked about the lines of authority between the governor and the boards. Kitzhaber stated that the governor would appoint members of the Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB), who would be confirmed by the Senate. That board then would hire the chief education officer.

Kitzhaber added that he intends to have the OEIB operate as the hiring and firing body. The state is in the process of doing a national search for its chief education officer, he said. Policy would be developed by the OEIB and implemented by the education officer.

Committee Chair Mark Hass ,D-Beaverton, stated that the hearing was informational, because the bills have yet to be finalized. However, he added that a hearing for the bills was scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 8, and that he hoped to move them to the Senate floor that day.