Statistics, Information, Facts & Transparency
SIFT Data makes complex public datasets easier to explore, with interactive dashboards and the context to understand them.
The person behind the project
I’m Jeff Myers—a dad, husband, education advocate, and the founder of Save Oregon Schools. My work brings together public data, public records, and research to examine how education systems operate and how public money is used.
I’ve built dashboards that let readers compare student enrollment and staffing, explore school funding, examine Oregon assessment results, and review Preschool Promise funding records. The aim of this site is straightforward: make the data easier to inspect, and put useful context and source information close at hand.
Why SIFT Data exists
A spreadsheet can contain useful answers and still be difficult to navigate. SIFT Data gives those datasets a more accessible starting point. You can choose a district, compare a time period, or examine a program, then follow the links to the underlying sources and related reading.
Education is the first collection. The site is designed to grow into nonprofits, campaign finance, government spending, grants, public records, and other public-interest subjects. Those future collections will be added when dashboards are ready.
How this relates to my other work
Save Oregon Schools is where I publish education-focused reporting and commentary. SIFT Data provides a separate home for interactive public-data tools, including dashboards that accompany that reporting. Its scope extends beyond education.
My related work includes The Education Illuminati publication and its research website, which brings together information about organizations, people, and documents connected to education policy. I’ve also written an audit of the Community Schools report from the Learning Policy Institute and National Education Policy Center.
Using the data thoughtfully
Dashboard pages explain their scope and identify sources where they can be verified. Reporting periods, definitions, and missing data matter. A chart can reveal a pattern without explaining its cause; linked articles provide the author’s analysis alongside the records.
If you spot a problem or want to suggest a dataset, get in touch.
Follow my work
Find me on X as @PapaBearMyers and Substack, or follow Save Oregon Schools on Facebook.