The status quo in debate refers to the current state of affairs - the way things are right now, before any proposed change. In a policy debate, the Proposition argues that the status quo is broken and needs to change, while the Opposition often defends the status quo or proposes a counter-model that is still different from the Proposition's plan.
Defending the Status Quo
Defending the status quo is a valid Opposition strategy, but it is not always easy. If the Proposition has identified a real problem, simply saying 'leave things alone' will not work - the Opposition has to explain why the status quo is better than the proposed change despite the problem. That usually means arguing the problem is less serious than the Proposition claims, or that the proposed solution creates new problems worse than the original.
When to Move Away From the Status Quo
If the status quo is too hard to defend, the Opposition can propose a counter-model or counterplan that moves away from the current state of affairs in a different direction than the Proposition. This lets them concede the problem exists while still opposing the specific Proposition plan.