To prepare for the upcoming elections on May 19, we asked each School Board candidate six questions about budget cuts, the achievement gap, teacher quality, parent involvement, other issues, and their qualifications. We’ve compiled each candidate’s answers below, or you can download all their answers in a single PDF file. If you prefer to read each candidate’s responses separately, just click on the candidate’s name to download a PDF with only his or her answers.
Scott Bailey | Steve Buel | Martin Gonzalez | Pam Knowles | Rita Moore | Trudy Sargent
Budget Cuts
QUESTION: How will you lead during this difficult financial time of current and upcoming budget cuts? Specifically,
- How will you go about making decisions on where to cut?
- Would you put more money in any area? If so, where and why?
- How will you ensure meaningful community involvement in the budgeting process?
What are your views on the amount and timing for a capital improvements bond?
ANSWER: Scott Bailey, Zone 5
I think the best method for deciding what to cut in these trying times is to try to assess the impacts on student achievement for all initiatives outside of the classroom, in order to prioritize those programs. Then it becomes a matter of which to fund, at what level, with the tradeoff of raising class sizes—there’s no free lunch.
Currently some elementary schools do not have librarians (some do not even have library assistants), some K-8s do not have foreign language, some do not have much in the way of art and music. Partly that occurs because principals decide how to deploy their FTE, but part of the reason also is due to the poor implementation of K-8s that has led to low enrollment in upper grades at some schools. PPS is proposing that all K-8s have at least a part-time library assistant and some art/music and PE next year. I think library assistants (even though they play important roles) are not enough—we need a certified librarian in every school, teaching students how to do research and evaluation online information. So I would favor increasing funding for librarians.
I would also favor small, targeted investments in site council training, parent involvement, and better assessments. I believe that with training and support, school site councils could be much more effective in helping schools prioritize and address their weaknesses. In terms of parent involvement, PPS now has a designated parent involvement coordinator, who is funded by a grant, has many other responsibilities, and serves two bosses. I would favor making this position funded by the General Fund. As for assessments, perhaps one of the greatest weaknesses we have in our classrooms is the lack of diagnostic assessments that efficiently let teachers know student strengths and weaknesses, in order to target further assistance for students. Instead we test them to death with the state test, which is not meant to be a diagnostic tool and which takes a lot of time.
Before asking voters to approve a capital bond for rebuilding schools, we should bring community leaders into our schools to see first-hand how run-down most of our buildings are. Then we should share the building condition data with them, and invite them to help us come up with solutions.
Second, we need to involve school communities in the decision about what to do at each particular school. Options including a complete rebuild, keeping the exterior and rebuilding the interior, a partial renovation, and in the case of Forest Park, finishing the second phase of the original plan. At each school there are opportunities for partnering with the community. Examples include shared use of an auditorium as a community performance center, community gardens, shared use of weight rooms, building in space for pre-K and community services. Partnering with the community can bring in other funding sources and save taxpayers money.
Third, we need to make sure that in any proposal, schools are designed to match our educational vision. A building designed for kids who are sitting at a desk all day will be different from a building designed for kids who are working in teams on projects, actively engaged in service learning, or involved in career and technical education.
When we have community buy-in, an educational vision, and a good, inclusive planning process, then we can proceed with the first in a series of construction bonds, in the neighborhood of $500 milion. If PPS gets started now, we could have something on the ballot in May 2010.
ANSWER: Steve Buel, Zone 4
The main priority in educational funding is to always protect the classroom first. Portland needs to create a definition of what constitutes a good education at each grade level. We don’t have that now and generally refer to achievement as test scores. This creates confusion in the budget process since we have no clear priorities. I would urge the board and superintendent to correct this and then we should prioritize accordingly.
I would de-emphasize testing which would mean less money would be spent there. I would increase money for the arts, music, libraries, technology, physical education, counseling, and after school athletics and activities in the middle grades.
[To ensure meaningful community involvement in the budgeting process, I would] create a budget document that can be understood by a layman and encourage input at various public meetings and various representative organizations.
[My views on the amount and timing for a capital improvements bond are that] we need to clearly delineate the problems in our schools with a specific list of priorities. This transparency would help with support. We have listed the problems but not had the conversations necessary to prioritize. These conversations need to be public and extensive. The amount and timing would flow from these conversations.
ANSWER: Martin Gonzalez, Zone 4
I would put an emphasis on supporting strategies that have been proven to increase the achievement of students. I would also address the condition and upkeep of buildings. I would favor cutting central administrators before cutting administration within schools. I would favor putting more money into the Kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms, ensuring at least one aide and limiting class size to 20. Kindergarten classes should be full day across the district. Early childhood education needs to be expanded.
I would promote public participation in meetings where people are informed about the budget elements and where they are given an opportunity to do an exercise to use available resources where they think it is appropriate. I would then seriously consider their input in terms of what they value. Understanding that certain communities are better of getting people out to meetings I would add an equity lense.
[Regarding the amount and timing for a capital improvements bond,] I believe there is no perfect timing as to when to go forward only the reality that it must be done to address the continuous deterioration of our school building structures.
ANSWER: Pam Knowles, Zone 5
The upcoming budget decisions will be the most difficult the district has to make, and if the current economic trend continues they will be substantial. We are beyond cuts to the bone. I believe the focus must move beyond budget cuts to serious advocacy for a change in funding of public schools. As a board member I would be advocating with our governor and our legislators to make the difficult decisions to change the kicker, allow greater local control through local option levies and change the corporate minimum. In the longer term we need to consider comprehensive tax reform.
Funding reductions in tough times must be guided by the same priorities that govern funding increases in good times. For example, if it is a priority to add resources for additional training for teachers who are working in high risk schools—and I think it should be—then funding reductions should have the least impact on that priority program. Similarly, it should remain a priority to fund in career and technical education for all students to engage them in school and prepare them for the workforce.
The school district budget must reflect the community’s priorities. Determining those priorities requires two very important actions by board members. The first is meaningful, authentic participation by the community in the development of the budget. This can be accomplished through traditional forums such as the Citizens Budget Committee and public hearings. It can also be accomplished through outreach to specific stakeholders such as the CPPS.
The second essential action is listening. Even the most extensive community involvement will be meaningless if Board Members don’t listen or at worst ignore what they hear from the community. I will not be that Board Member.
I am in favor of the capitol improvement bond. Our buildings are beyond their effective life and need serious repair and renovation. The earliest I believe we should go out for the bond would be in May 2010. In the interim the district can utilize funding from the previous capital improvement measures to repair roofs, add science labs and libraries and other improvements. I supported that measure at the time.
ANSWER: Rita Moore, Zone 4
Rita Moore
http://mooreforschools.org
As we cope with yet another economic crisis, we need to ensure that our budget reflects our values of equity, fiscal conservatism, deliberate decision making, transparency, and community engagement. I applaud Supt. Smith’s commitment to shield classrooms and every budget line needs to be examined in terms of its effect on the core mission of educating our children, with a particular focus on central office and administrative costs.
Even in the midst of this crisis, however, we must make more progress in improving the situation in the reconfigured K-8s. Three years into the restructuring, these schools continue to be seriously under-resourced. In both K-8s and the small high schools, we have lost economies of scale and incurred higher per student costs without gaining any educational benefit. I am glad to see that both Madison and Roosevelt high schools have recently made some structural changes to address curricular and administrative issues; we may need to look at how (or whether) the K-8s can be saved.
Community involvement in budgeting is always difficult because of the complexity of the enterprise. The current budget format is more user-friendly than it has been in the past, but could still use some significant clarification to make it more accessible and transparent. For example, I would like to see an organizational chart with links to the budget, and expenses broken out by department and by project with a clear indication of what services are provided by external consultants and the associated costs.
Although I agree that a capital improvements bond will be necessary to finance our massive facilities needs, given the current national economic climate, I think the plans to put a bond on the ballot in November are unrealistic. Even if we were able to convince the electorate to approve a bond issue, it is unlikely that we would succeed in finding buyers at a price that would be prudent. It makes more sense to wait for the bond market to recover some stability. I applaud the Board’s creative solution of borrowing from reserve funds to tackle some of the most urgent problems of safety and building integrity.
Ultimately, though, the real problem is that Oregon does not provide adequate or stable funding for education even in good times and economic downturns quickly become crises. In the short term, we should continue the vigorous advocacy with the state and federal governments to allocate stimulus funds for school construction and repair. Longer term, Oregon must stop a generation’s worth of disinvestment in education. This is not an expenditure problem; it is a revenue problem. The Board should continue to forge alliances with other boards of education across the state to champion fundamental restructuring of Oregon’s tax system to restore the balance between personal and corporate taxes and, perhaps, reverse or revise the ballot measures that have so profoundly damaged the state’s ability to function. The upside of a crisis is that it focuses the mind; we now have an opportunity to fix a system that has been deeply dysfunctional for many, many years. Never let a crisis go to waste.
ANSWER: Trudy Sargent, Zone 6
In these difficult economic times, my first priority is to avoid lay-offs. The district needs its employees to continue working with kids and supporting their learning. I also don’t want to exacerbate the recession by increasing unemployment; I also worry about laid-off employees who are unlikely to find jobs in this economy. As a result, I support the proposed wage freeze for next year.
As a member of the Board, I support the work of the Board and the Superintendent in developing the Milestones Framework, which looks at where students need to be at various milestones in their education and focuses resources on students meeting those milestones and identifying students who need additional support for timely and effective interventions. To use this process, I would support across the board type cuts, for example increasing class size by small amounts, rather than cutting supports to initiatives such as those focused on improving the graduation rate.
I support the Superintendent’s proposal to fund at least a half-time library position in every school next year, in recognition of the data that shows that the presence of school libraries strongly support student achievement. In a year when the economic forecasts continue to deteriorate, I can only focus on holding steady and advocating for a state budget that uses federal stimulus dollars and state reserves to prevent deep cuts to schools.
As a member of the Finance Audit and Operations Committee of the Board, I have supported the district’s use of many opportunities for community involvement in the budget process, from the Superintendent’s inviting public input in the development of her budget through public meetings and web surveys, to public hearings held by the board, to the involvement of concerned citizens in an in-depth budget review through service on the Citizens Budget Review Committee. I continue to work with district staff to find ways to explain the budget that is meaningful to the average concerned citizen, rather than merely meeting the legal requirements the district is bound by.
[Regarding the amount and timing for a capital improvements bond,] current estimates show that the district has a huge need for capital improvements, of approximately $1 billion. As a member of the Finance Audit and Operations committee, I’ve been deeply involved in the multi-year task of analyzing the district’s buildings, its demographics, growth projections for the city and the district, and its short and long term needs, to lay the groundwork for a capital bond. I see this work being undertaken over decades and multiple bonds, beginning in the coming year or two. I don’t have a clear dollar amount in mind for the first bond, but will be involved in the complex process of determining the right time and the right amount for its successful passage.
Achievement Gap
QUESTION: What will you do to close the persistent gap in achievement between white students and students of color?
ANSWER: Scott Bailey, Zone 5
Here are six ideas:
First, I would advocate for more state and federal funding for the two programs that research has shown to enhance the health and safety of young children: home visits by a registered nurse after a child is born, and Head Start or similar high-quality pre-K education with a strong parent-involvement component. Of course, in these times, this is a long-term goal.
Second, I would support parent involvement programs that complement those in Head Start, to help build a culture of parent involvement in all of our schools, focusing on welcoming parents into schools, parenting classes, classes on what to do at home to help your child succeed, and how to advocate for your child.
Third, I would support two current PPS initiatives, one that works with selected students in the summer after Kindergarten to improve their readiness for first grade, and one that identifies priority students in 6th grade and 9th grade for extra support services to keep them engaged in school and lower the odds of dropping out.
Fourth, I would support a focus on what’s going on in the classroom for each student: better assessments (see above), identification of an instructional leader(s) in each building (not necessarily the principal), and professional development that is focused on differentiated instruction.
Fifth, the suspension and expulsion for students of color is way out of proportion, especially in the middle grades. Much of that is due to teachers and administrators misinterpreting student behavior, and pushing out the very students we need to wrap our arms around. We need focused professional development that helps staff respond in ways that connect with students.
Sixth, I would propose for discussion shifting PPS to a balanced calendar schedule. Research has shown that the long summer break can have an adverse affect on students from low-income families. A shorter summer break could lessen that effect. More frequent breaks through the year could lessen teacher burnout as well. When the funding picture improves, intensive tutoring during those breaks can help students who are behind catch up, so that they don’t spend the whole year falling behind.
ANSWER: Steve Buel, Zone 4
Achievement is a meaningless word unless it is defined. If the question addresses testing then I won’t do much as I believe we are already overemphasizing testing in the district. If we are talking about improving education in general then I will address the inequities in Portland’s two-tiered educational system by making a resolution to instruct the superintendent to create equity in offerings and opportunities within three years. I will also address the huge problems in teacher hiring, discipline, and the lack of engaging curriculum (i.e. music, the arts, physical education, technology, vocational education, civics, history, geography, and science). I would make a resolution to return funding and the application process to Benson Tech. At one point Benson had a one and one half percent drop-out rate and was one of the top technological high schools in America. It was a great opportunity for students to work their way out of poverty. I would also work hard to make Jefferson a good, solid comprehensive high school. I would work to create afterschool athletics and activities tied to the school for the middle grades. I would work to create a more child-centered curriculum in the primary grades.
ANSWER: Martin Gonzalez, Zone 4
I propose to set actual goals to close the achievement gap and put in place mechanisms to assess progress. I would then target the use of resources to implement proven methodologies that are based on sound research. PPS needs to make sure there is teacher mentoring within each building. We need to fund after school homework and other support activities at all grade levels. Resources to schools need to be equitable, not equal. We need to involve parents to ensure a better understanding of the importance of turning in homework, regular school attendance, and the importance of making up of assignments when students are out of school.
ANSWER: Pam Knowles, Zone 5
There is a high correlation between students of color and the lower socio-economic areas of the school district. Unfortunately, the schools in less affluent neighborhoods get fewer resources—this perpetuates the achievement gap. For example, some schools have science labs and staffed libraries, music and arts while others do not. Course offerings and electives differ from school to school. In the Portland Public Schools District, some students have more opportunities than others. This has also been a problem in the transition to K-8 schools. Every child in PPS deserves the same opportunity for success. I will fight to ensure every child in Portland Public Schools has the same access to programs and opportunities the District has to offer. Here are some of the ways I know we can narrow the achievement gap:
- Develop more partnerships with the County and social service agencies to provide wrap around services in the schools to support families and children so that children are prepared to learn when they come to school.
- Open more schools to the community to provide services and increase awareness of schools and to increase the involvement of parents in their children’s education.
- Increase early childhood education opportunities.
- Provide more training for teachers in high-risk schools in cultural competency and working with at-risk students.
- Even out the disparities in the district, including the availability of libraries, the arts, foreign language, AP classes, PE, etc.
- Replicate and expand mentoring programs for academically at-risk students to pair students with teachers and administrators who will hold them accountable.
- Include career and technology education in high schools to engage more students
- Partner with the City and County to implement the Strategic Education Task Force Plan, which includes a summer youth corps for at-risk youth and includes academic enrichment and job exploration. I am a member of this Task Force.
I believe with these adjustments, and my continued work with the City, County and other partners we will be able to cut the dropout rate in half by 2011, therefore significantly closing the achievement gap.
ANSWER: Rita Moore, Zone 4
The disparity in outcomes for students of color remains alarmingly persistent. It appears in test scores, disciplinary statistics, high school graduation rates, college entrance and graduation rates, and ultimately in employment and incarceration statistics. Research and experience suggest that the root of the achievement gap is complex and the solution must be equally multi-faceted.
The most obvious response must be to ensure that minority and poor students get at least an equitable share of available resources, if not greater resources. Under our current system, however, there is a vast disparity in the educational experiences of students based on where they live. Students in some areas have ready access to an expansive curriculum, including a wide range of enrichment opportunities and extracurricular activities, while thousands of students, primarily in minority and poorer areas, are destined for an impoverished experience with overcrowding, little or no arts, music, athletics, technology, or libraries. This disparity is a consequence both of the poorly planned restructuring in the K-8 reconfiguration and small high schools, and of staffing constraints caused by declining enrollments. I am currently a member of the citizen committee appointed by the Superintendent to examine how the existing transfer policy impacts equity and make recommendations for reform. Choice is a core value of Portlanders, but need not come at the cost of injustice.
More broadly, minority students and students in high poverty areas are subject to highly regimented environments that leave both students and teachers frustrated and disempowered. Nobody disputes that our students need to develop good basic skills. The question is how. For less advantaged students, current educational orthodoxy dictates a focus on a narrow range of academic skills measured by high stakes tests. The irony is that by restricting the curriculum in most schools, we have surrendered the proven benefits of educational synergies and ignore everything we now know about brain development, multiple intelligences, different learning styles, and how we learn. More money for enrichments in all schools would be most welcome, but in many ways, this is more a philosophical than a fiscal issue. For example, there are elementary schools in poorer neighborhoods in Portland where students are denied recess in order to have more instructional time. Any mother can tell you – and recent research confirms – that this practice will almost inevitably fail to produce the desired results while increasing negative behaviors. This is not a question of money; it is a question of understanding students’ needs.
Education for the 21st century should focus on helping students develop all their potential by promoting flexibility, creativity, independence, entrepreneurialism, and positive risk-taking as much as the 3 Rs. PPS needs to rethink what we are educating kids for and develop a comprehensive vision of the educational experience PK-12 that will engage students, feel relevant to their lives, and give them both the experiences and the life skills that they will need as they transition into adulthood, whether or not they go on to higher education.
ANSWER: Trudy Sargent, Zone 6
I support the use of the Milestones Framework with its targeted focus on closing the achievement gap. The district has identified some strategies that are working and will continue to analyze its data to determine what is working and what is not. A continued emphasis on identifying students by name that are struggling and providing timely and targeted supports for those students to keep them from falling further behind is critical.
Teacher Quality
QUESTION: Teacher quality is a major factor, some say the most important factor, in student achievement. What will you do to maintain and improve teacher quality in Portland Public Schools, especially in high-needs schools?
ANSWER: Scott Bailey, Zone 5
First, I think the focus should be on quality teaching, as opposed to quality teachers. To improve teaching, we need:
- Better preparation of teachers. Studies show that having a master’s degree makes no difference in teacher effectiveness, for instance.
- A more timely hiring process, and the elimination of forced teacher placements that used to occur in the past. I will watch with interest the new hiring system for teachers this spring.
- Mentoring programs for new teachers.
- An instructional leader in each building—maybe the principal, maybe not—to observe teaching, lead critiques, model lessons, and help build a learning community.
- Professional development that is based on the needs of each building, and is evaluated by teachers.
- Better evaluation of Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) to ensure they are meeting teachers’ needs.
- An improved teacher evaluation system. There will likely be a joint teacher-management committee coming out of negotiations with the Portland Association of Teachers.
I think the most important factors in improving teaching at high-needs schools are to have a good principal, effective teamwork among teachers, a supportive central office, and strong community partnerships. Surveys of teachers show that good working conditions are much more important than “combat pay” in keeping teachers happy.
ANSWER: Steve Buel, Zone 4
Portland hires last of all schools in the metropolitan area. We should hire first to get the first crack at the best teachers. We need to move away from our overemphasis on testing so teachers will feel empowered to really teach what is important to children. We need to eliminate unnecessary meetings and paperwork so teachers have time to truly teach. Teachers should direct their own training because they know best the skills they need.
ANSWER: Martin Gonzalez, Zone 4
Teachers need time to collaborate with and teach each other. It is important to have teacher mentoring within each building. Teachers also need strong support from principals and counselors to deal with classroom management issues. A couple of things that could potentially help keep good teachers in high-needs schools is the district’s acknowledgement that these schools need more resources such as smaller class sizes and aides in the classroom. The District’s in service training must be provided on site. It is better to use effective teachers to teach others at the building level. Principals need to evaluate and follow procedures to put teachers on plans of assistance, and if necessary, let go of teachers who are not being successful in the classroom.
ANSWER: Pam Knowles, Zone 5
I believe teachers are the most important part of a child’s education. As a school board member I will support:
Professional Development. Meaningful site based professional development opportunities led by PPS master teachers who have experience working with the challenges presented by PPS students, especially those in high needs schools, can better prepare our teachers and help them with the challenges of high needs students. In addition, we need to establish district-wide mentoring programs for new teachers with our best master teachers, as well as mandate coordinated planning time for teachers within every school across the district. Teachers need mentorships, professional development opportunities, trainings, and proper evaluations to maximize their success in the classroom.
Principals. For the past two year the Nike School Innovation Fund has partnered with the District to improve principal leadership and teambuilding. The district should continue this partnership and look for additional resources to help principals with evaluation and coaching skills. In this way they can serve as an additional resource for teachers.
Evaluation. I support the District and teachers participating in a review of the district’s evaluation standards and procedures to ensure clear personal and professional goals for each teacher in every classroom. I would encourage the district and teachers to review programs being used in other districts that create new career opportunities for teachers, who can develop as leaders and mentors, as well as potentially provide additional pay for exceptional work.
ANSWER: Rita Moore, Zone 4
Many things contribute to teacher quality, some quantifiable, some not. Research suggests that the experience a teacher brings to the classroom has a profound impact on student performance, yet many teachers leave the professional within 3-5 years. Mentoring by master teachers and programs to facilitate team teaching have proven to be effective in enhancing both teacher quality and retention. These programs can be invaluable for younger or struggling teachers and can help promote a positive building-wide environment that nurtures teaching and learning. Oregon established a teacher mentor program two years ago, but to date it is still a relatively small program. I would support expansion of those efforts. In addition, the level of teacher experience has been shown to be particularly important for high-needs students, but the teaching staff in schools with high rates of poverty and minority students tends to be relatively less experienced. I support creating monetary incentives to reward experienced teachers who choose to teach in high-needs schools. It is also important to improve the timeliness of teacher recruitment in PPS. We lose many promising new teachers to neighboring districts because our process is so late.
Teachers themselves say that a critical element in efforts to improve teacher quality is the nature and quality of the school leadership. Principals should be seen primarily as educational leaders, rather than administrators, who work collaboratively with the staff to identify and resolve problematic situations and forge a common educational vision for the school. It is particularly important, then, that principals themselves embody the highest standards of professionalism and receive adequate and appropriate support from Area Directors and TOSAs. And, as in any organization, it is critical that everyone share common goals and be given clear expectations for performance.
PPS has an unusually qualified, experienced, and stable corps of teachers. This is a tremendous source of strength and wisdom. Unfortunately, a history of bitter labor/management relations is interfering with the District’s ability to create a productive, collaborative environment that can produce the best outcomes for our students. With Carole Smith as Superintendent, we have an opportunity to repair relationships, restore trust, and forge a real partnership among District leadership, teachers, staff, and the community that will allow us to address issues of quality, innovation, retention, and fiscal efficiencies that are now impossible.
ANSWER: Trudy Sargent, Zone 6
In bargaining with the Portland Association of Teachers this year, the district and the union have reached agreement on formation of a committee of teachers and administrators who will revise the evaluation process for teachers. This committee will work to bring the district up to date on useful, effective evaluation tools that will provide teachers with meaningful feedback to improve instruction and principals with meaningful standards on which to evaluate teachers. Last year a similar committee worked hard to revise the hiring assignment and transfer process for teachers, which should result in fewer forced placement of teachers in schools, often the high needs schools which have difficulty retaining teachers.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
QUESTION: Studies are clear that meaningful parent involvement in our schools is a critical factor positively affecting student achievement. Describe how you see parents being involved in our schools. What will you do to increase meaningful parent involvement?
ANSWER: Scott Bailey, Zone 5
I see parents having three roles in our schools. First, is helping their child succeed. Last year I worked with the PPS Curriculum Department to develop a workshop for parents on what they can do at home to help their child become a better writer. This workshop has been adopted by PPS, and volunteers are being trained to present the workshop in English and Spanish at 20 schools next year. I see this as the first step in developing a series of workshops to fully involve parents as partners in their child’s education. The annual Parent Leadership Conference (which was my idea nine years ago) is another vehicle for parents to learn skills such as how to advocate for their child’s needs.
Second, parents can help their child’s school succeed. They can do this by volunteering in the classroom, serving as mentors, working through the PTA, being a site council representative, and so on. I have been an advocate for stronger site councils (a committee consisting of the principal, teachers, classified staff, and parents, and sometimes students and community members focused on improving the school).
Third, parents can help the school district, by serving on district-wide committees, or participating in groups like CPPS, PTA, Stand for Children, the Latino Network, and so on. Several years ago I called out PPS for not including parents and the public when deciding on new curriculum materials, and negotiated a new process that has successfully involved parents.
To increase parent involvement, we need to:
- Help schools become more welcoming to parents. The CPPS Parent Involvement Assessment that I initiated showed that one out of five parents does not feel welcome in their child’s school. A number of schools have developed successful strategies to connect with “hard-to-reach” parents. There’s no reason these strategies can’t be deployed at all schools.
- Improve school-parent communication. The Assessment showed that communication drops off after third grade and is unsatisfactory in high school. We need to have a conversation with teachers to develop communication methods that don’t take much time but keep parents in the loop.
- Improve connections with working parents. Many working parents prefer electronic communication, for example. For others, the timing of meetings and activities is an issue.
- Expand parent workshop offerings.
- Implement site council training, and evaluate principals based on site council effectiveness.
ANSWER: Steve Buel, Zone 4
The school board needs to do several things to involve the community. They need to be responsive to public comments at the board meetings. They need to have actual discourse on topics in open meetings as a democracy is supposed to work. They need to hold committee meetings when the average citizen can attend and also invite interested citizen groups to attend and take part in these committee meetings.
Parent involvement is worse in lower-income schools. This is where we need to concentrate our efforts. Having events and activities which attract parents is critical. This includes athletic and music performances. We need to make sure our secretaries are trained to respect the public and our administrators truly welcome the public into the schools. We need an online information system similar to Evergreen Schools in Vancouver where parents can monitor their children’s grades and attendance as well as receive information about the school.
ANSWER: Martin Gonzalez, Zone 4
Schools and administrators set the stage for a welcoming environment where parents can have more meaningful participation. Rather than trying to fit parents into existing models of participation it will be important to look at examples of parent participation that provide for wider participation of culturally specific communities. At the very minimum, schools must provide multi-lingual interpretation and translation of materials school communities that have a diverse student population. I have seen great participation of parents in schools where students lead the parent teacher conferences. I have also seen good use of Title 1 monies to promote parental involvement. Teachers could also make more frequent calls to families as way of reaching out to them and inviting them to participate.
ANSWER: Pam Knowles, Zone 5
I was very active and involved throughout all three of my children’s education, and we all benefited from that experience. I was elected and served as PTA president at Buckman Arts elementary and was a founding parent for daVinci Arts Magnet Middle School. I agree that parental involvement in every phase of a child’s education is essential in their development and success. Here are some ways we can increase parental involvement:
Open our schools. Schools should be the center of the community and we should find as many ways as possible to have the community involved. When I was PTA president at Buckman, our goal was to involve as many neighborhood families as possible. Buckman is comprised of half neighborhood and half magnet families, which made blending a little trickier since we didn’t’ all live next to each other. We held potlucks, picnics, concerts, plays, art shows and family dances. We made sure all communications were in a variety of languages and we had childcare available. We fought to be a Portland Parks school, and we volunteered to be one of the pilot Sun schools to provide social services, family support and additional after school activities for children and adults. By making our school the center of the community we were able to help all parents, even those with limited resources or language, feel comfortable in the school.
In the mid 90’s I led a group of parents from 8 inner east side elementary schools in developing a fund raiser called Food for Thought where we raised over $200,000 for the schools involved. Some of those schools had trouble involving parents but we worked with them to find something that would pull more parents in. By focusing on each schools strengths, and the strengths of their parent community, we were able to pull in more parents and make them feel successful.
Strong inclusive leadership. This goes back to principal training. In order for the school to be successful, it needs a strong inclusive leader who considers parents as partners in the development and success of the school. Parents should be consulted in major decisions affecting the school. The principal should always be considerate of the voices of those who are less vocal. Each principal should be a voice for the school in the community, and develop partnerships that can benefit the school. .
Support partnerships. PPS has many partners in programs that support children and families in before and after school programs, mentoring and enrichment. There are many examples of partnerships that could be expanded.
ANSWER: Rita Moore, Zone 4
The one common factor that produces strong family involvement is a school climate in which everyone in the school – the custodian, classified staff, teachers, counselors, principal, and other families – welcomes and respects all families. Children are best served when schools and families are in partnership and I would encourage the District to articulate and enforce an unambiguous message to that effect.
We need to recognize that our schools exist within the larger society and our families come from a wide range of socio-economic environments. The level and kind of family involvement, therefore, may vary significantly from one school to the next. Some families may require particular accommodations, like language assistance; others may benefit from having social services on site. PPS has done a good job in collaborating with the County, MESD, and other public entities to help bring appropriate services to schools, and I would encourage even broader partnerships. In addition, I would work to remove some of the limitations placed on communications within a school that often hinder the creation of a sense of community. I would like to explore how we could open up more of our schools outside of the regular school calendar to allow them to fulfill their role as the center of neighborhood communities.
ANSWER: Trudy Sargent, Zone 6
There are so many ways in which parents are involved in our schools, from the classroom to the Board of Education and at every level in between. As a parent, I was involved as a volunteer in the classroom, led literature circles, went on field trips, helped with special events, such as organizing Harvest Festivals and Run for the Arts, served in PTA leadership, served on a site council, worked on school funding campaigns, and much more. At each school it is important to create an atmosphere where family involvement is encouraged and facilitated. As a PTA leader, I alternated meetings each month between daytime meetings and evening meetings. Both times were well attended, but by different people who were more available at one time than another. Each school community has to determine its own needs and reach out to its families.
One new method of family involvement that I support is the use of an on-line grade book, especially at the high school level, to give parents real time information on their student’s performance. This is a useful tool for parents of all income levels and languages, especially those who might find it difficult to communicate directly with teachers but want to hold their student accountable on a regular basis, not just when report cards come out and it’s too late to affect the result.
Other Issues
QUESTION: What are some important issues that you want to address that are not in the public eye right now?
ANSWER: Scott Bailey, Zone 5
Four come to mind: The shift to K-8s has major problems. We need to carefully evaluate whether students are getting a better education than before, and if not, whether we should try to improve upon K-8s or return to a middle school configuration. For the most part, our schools still do not know how to tap into the energy and creativity of middle-grade kids.
PPS does not support innovation in schools. As a result, parents who want alternative education models put their energy into charter schools. We need to encourage innovation within PPS, to improve education and keep these committed parents in our system.
PPS has done a poor job communicating with the public, listening to the public, and engaging the community as a partner.
We need to turn the Central Office upside down, so that it serves schools instead of dictating to them. Too often our principals and teachers ask, “what are they doing to us now?” The action team I co-led in the 2000 Strategic Plan outlined how to make this change. This is a current topic of discussion among senior management. As a Board member, I can ensure that we have accountability in the Central Office.
I will be posting more information on issues at www.scottbaileyforportland.com
ANSWER: Steve Buel, Zone 4
The most critical is classroom and school disruptions in lower-income neighborhood schools.
Benson Tech needs to have its funding and application process restored.
The stranglehold Stand for Children has on the school board lessening the offerings and opportunities for lower income children in PPS.
Fix Jeff once and for all.
De-emphasize testing.
ANSWER: Martin Gonzalez, Zone 4
I believe that PPS needs to reflect the diversity of its student body. This means that we need to make a more concerted effort to hire more diverse teachers, administrators and staff. In a declining funding environment, we need to have a strategy to fill vacant positions and the positions opened up through retirements with diverse talent.
ANSWER: Pam Knowles, Zone 5
Arts Education. One of my main areas of focus is the benefits of Arts Education. Studies show that involving the arts in core curriculum for students increases a child’s investment in their education. It helps children work through learning differences by allowing them to explore their education by using different mediums. In addition, there are several integral skills children can learn in arts education that prepares them for 21st century jobs. Art increases a person’s ability to think creatively and innovatively, it helps develop problem-solving skills and promotes teamwork.
Career and Technical Training. I believe the district should put more focus on career and technical training. Over the last 15 years we have decimated out career and technical education programs and our school to work programs at the middle school and high school level, leaving very few opportunities for students who are interested in these pathways. Part of the reason for the high drop out rate is that students feel less engaged in school. By increasing career and technical training opportunities and by including career development core curriculum, we would be able engage more students and keep them in school.
Schools as Community. As mentioned above, I also believe schools should serve as the center of a neighborhood or community. Schools should be the central resource for everyone in the community regardless of if they or their children attend the school. We should have more community events, such as the Buckman Arts Show; we should use the schools for night classes teaching anything from basic financial management skills to fly-fishing. A neighbor seeking resources within their community should have to look no further than their neighborhood schools to find the information.
ANSWER: Rita Moore, Zone 4
Ideally, structural decisions would be guided by a comprehensive vision of the kind of education we want to provide for our students. The absence of a definition of a baseline educational experience that all students can expect became painfully apparent during the reconfiguration. Task forces were charged with developing a minimal model for both K-8s and high schools, but to date have not publicized their conclusions. As we move toward another major initiative, I think it will be important to develop that vision. Should it focus exclusively on developing basic skills or should it include some level of exposure to the arts? If, as experience suggests, we have to choose between smallness and a full curriculum, which is our priority? Should all children be expected to go to college or should a high school diploma be sufficient preparation to earn a living wage? What is the ideal balance between school autonomy and central control? What should be the role of school choice in PPS and how can we accommodate it while maintaining system integrity?
These are big questions and consensus on the answers may be difficult, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be asking them. In fact, whether these questions are articulated or not, the School Board and the District are making choices with every decision they make. I believe that decision making is improved when there is clarity around a common understanding of the goal.
This clarity will be particularly important as we move ahead toward another major structural shift with the high school redesign. As we consider the alternative models, it is imperative that we think through very carefully the costs and benefits of each to ensure that our final choice will promote our goals of increased equity and improved achievement and that we have sufficient resources to implement the model faithfully. Our ability to make a decision of this magnitude would be greatly enhanced if we have a common understanding of how the community answers these big questions. Given my understanding of the current state of planning, I doubt that sufficient progress can be made in time for a final choice among the models to be made in June. Although we are all eager to resolve the high school situation, we should not make any precipitous decisions and should perform due diligence to ensure that the outcome is positive.
Finally, I would argue that these larger issues have been a focus of political debate, public policy, and private sector interventions on a national level for quite some time and PPS’s actions have already been changed as a result, for better or for worse. I would argue that we should directly engage in the discussion to clarify what we think will work in Portland and act deliberately rather than be acted upon. And it is a way to engage the community. Public education is a public good; every citizen is a stakeholder, whether they have school age children or not. Portland’s future as a livable, economically vibrant, destination city rests in no small measure on the state of public education. We truly are all on this together and we owe it to the city, as well as the children, to get it right.
ANSWER: Trudy Sargent, Zone 6
As a board member, and current co-chair, I don’t feel the need to bring any additional issue to the public eye currently, as I feel the board has a very full agenda that I have helped to shape. I do appreciate the board’s shared leadership model that allows me to know that there are 6 other board members who bring different experiences and skills to the table; they also bring a variety of issues to our attention and can take the lead on those issues.
Qualifications
QUESTION: What strengths/weaknesses do you bring as a Board member? Is there anything not readily apparent that you would like us to know about you and your qualifications?
ANSWER: Scott Bailey, Zone 5
I’ve worked for over 20 years as an economist, specializing in workforce development. I was on the team of educators and business representatives that built a four-year curriculum on career pathways and job-seeking skills for high schools in Vancouver. We can make education much more relevant, and lower the dropout rate, by helping students identify what they like to do (e.g. are you a people person, do you like to work with your hands, are you a science/math person…), connecting those interests with careers, and connecting those careers with academics. We can teach high school students basic skills like how to build a resume, how to fill out a job application, how to interview for a job, etc.
I have worked as a volunteer for over ten years trying to bring positive changes to PPS, with some modest successes and some frustrations as well. I have a pretty good understanding for how to get things done, and as a Board member I will be able to surmount some of the obstacles that have gotten in the way in the past. I have met many times with the Superintendent and senior management on a wide variety of issues. I have built good relationships with them and know how to work with them effectively.
In the past ten years, PPS has had four different task forces looking at school buildings from different angles. I’ve been on all of them. That depth of experience will be important as we head towards a construction bond.
My challenges as a Board member will be to keep my community roots, develop strategic ways of two-way communication with the community, and to focus my attention on a limited number of priorities in order to be effective and not get spread too thin.
ANSWER: Steve Buel, Zone 4
I have over 40 years of teaching experience, including 10 in PPS. I am willing to truly address problems at the school board level by raising issues and bringing resolutions to improve what is happening in Portland’s schools. I have spent 35 years paying close attention to Portland’s schools.
ANSWER: Martin Gonzalez, Zone 4
I listen so that I can formulate critical questions that can be of benefit to the issues that we as board members are trying to resolve or analyze. I have a collaborative approach, and the ability to see solutions. Currently I am representing a community and student population that has never had formal representation on the school board.
ANSWER: Pam Knowles, Zone 5
The unique strength that I will bring to the Board is creating collaborative working relationships among multiple stakeholders. I have demonstrated that leadership for the benefit of Portland’s kids multiple times over almost 20 years of involvement in our schools. These efforts include:
- Founding parent of DaVinci Arts Magnet Middle School, giving 450 children a year an arts-infused education.
- Served as PTA president of Buckman Arts Elementary School
- Appointed by the governor to be a founding member and served as Chair of the Oregon Commission on Childcare, championing parental and family leave, and statewide childcare resource and referral through the legislature.
- Coordinated BizConnect which connects with high school students with local businesses to obtain career related learning experiences such as internships, resume writing and interview training.
- Directed a partnership between the PPS Board, teachers and administrators, philanthropists, artists and businesses to develop an Arts Education Plan for PPS.
- Served on the IHave a Dream Board, providing support and scholarships for at risk students
- Currently serve on the City/County Strategic Task Force on Education
- Currently serve on the Nike School Innovation Fund Advisory Committee to improve school leadership and to provide kindergarten academies for at-risk students.
- Currently server on the Regional Arts and Culture Council and helped establish the Right Brain Initiative, putting arts and artists back in the schools.
Another unique qualification is that as a former teacher, I have real classroom experience and know what it’s like to feel the impact of a lack of resources. I also struggled as a new teacher without mentorship or guidance. I never forget this experience or my deep commitment mentoring and professional development for teachers as I continue to work on improving education for our children
As a teacher, lawyer, arts advocate and business leader I have the experience, relationships, and victories to prove I am ready to serve the families of the Portland Public Schools District.
ANSWER: Rita Moore, Zone 4
I am a systems thinker, able to analyze information critically and to see how the different pieces of a large system fit together. While there is much to be proud of in PPS, a weakness of the District has been a tendency to identify and respond to issues in isolation, without due consideration of how they impact the system as a whole.
One of my strengths is the ability to understand the big picture. This is probably attributable, at least in part, to my varied experience. I grew up in a family of poverty myself and a good public education was my ticket to achievement and independence. I am passionate about ensuring that public education remains a source of hope and a path to achievement for all of our children. I have experience both here and abroad in teaching at the university level and coaching faculty in curriculum development and teaching methods, so I am familiar with the process of teaching, though at a different level. As an advocate for children involved in the child welfare system, I am familiar with many schools across the District and have worked with the multiple agencies that interact with our children and can facilitate partnerships for better service delivery and greater community involvement. Finally, as a practicing mediator and facilitator, I understand the power of real collaboration to produce creative and durable decisions that best meet everyone’s needs.
ANSWER: Trudy Sargent, Zone 6
After four years on the Board I am more aware of both my strengths and weaknesses. I possess business, legal and school leadership skills that I have developed over many years; those skills have proven invaluable in my board work. My experiences and education provide me with strong analytical skills, a business and legal background that provides real world context, and leadership skills that help me move agendas forward, with my colleagues, district staff, and the broader community. I’m willing to take a stand for what I think is right and take the heat when necessary. One recent example: I appeared before the City Council to object to their use of urban renewal dollars for the Major League Soccer Stadium when neither the school district nor the county, whose tax revenues were going to be used for the project, had been consulted.
My weaknesses include lacking some political and people skills that could make me more approachable and could help me to make connections and obtain input from a wider variety of sources; I work to compensate for this weakness as best I can.
