My Plan for Great Schools

We are in difficult economic times and continue to face tough decisions regarding the future of our schools. We need leadership that can provide creative and innovative solutions that will benefit our schools and our children.  I have years of experience working collaboratively to develop solutions to difficult problems and achieving results.  Here are some of the issues I want to work on as a member of the PPS Board.

 

Decrease the 42% Dropout Rate

The dropout rate is unacceptable.  There are a number of things that can be done immediately to reduce it:

  • Partner 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
  • Increase early childhood education opportunities
  • Even out the disparities in the district including the classes offered, 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 track classes in technology and the trades in high schools
  • 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 will continue my work with the City, County and other partners to cut the dropout rate in half by 2011.

 

Secure Stable School Funding

Since 1991, the Portland School District and the State have been challenged in securing stable funding for education, despite the fact that education is the cornerstone of our society. Children who receive a quality education are more likely to become productive, taxpaying citizens who are less reliant on social services. I have been an advocate for adequate, stable school funding for 20 years. I have the experience that proves I will be a leader for our district in statewide action.  We need to look at:

  • Increasing the local option levy
  • Increasing the percentage that triggers the kicker and place the difference into a statewide education fund
  • Working toward comprehensive tax reform that will stabilize state revenues
  • Adjusting the corporate minimum tax, while protecting and promoting the success of our small businesses

I will be a strong advocate for adequate, stable funding, and comprehensive tax reform so that our children can receive the quality education set out in the Quality Education Model and mandated by the Oregon Constitution.

 

Provide Principal and Teacher Support

Teachers are the most important factor in a child's education. Our children deserve the best teachers.  We must:

  • Provide meaningful site based professional development opportunities led by PPS master teachers who have experience working with the challenges presented by PPS students. Teachers need the skills to tackle any problem in the classroom and improve the performance of students.
  • Provide more training for principals in leadership, team-building, evaluation and coaching so they can help teachers succeed. 
  • Facilitate the District and the teachers to participate in comprehensive professional development programs with proven success in other Oregon school districts. Programs like these create new career opportunities for teachers such as leaders and mentors, as well as potentially provide additional pay for exceptional work resulting in higher achievement.
  • Establish mentoring programs for new teachers with our best master teachers.
  • Mandate coordinated planning time for teachers within every school.

I believe every teacher deserves mentorships, professional development opportunities, trainings, and proper evaluations to maximize their success in the classroom.


Provide Every Child in Every School with the Same Opportunities for Success

There are disparities within the schools in the district. For example, some schools have science labs and libraries 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 inequity is increasingly apparent in lower socio-economic areas and for children of color.  It has also been a problem in the transition to K-8 schools.  We must challenge these differences so that every child has the same opportunity for a quality education. 

I will fight to ensure every child in Portland Public Schools has the same access to great programs and opportunities the District has to offer.


Expanding Arts Education

National studies show students involved in the arts score higher on tests, are more innovative and creative, develop strong problem solving skills and work better in teams. Creativity and innovation are essential skills for the 21st century workforce. The arts are comprehensive investments that help engage kids in school. The district should include the arts in its core curriculum and continue to partner with the Regional Arts and Culture Council to increase arts education through the Right Brain Initiative. I am a member of the RACC.

I have been and will continue to be a strong advocate for arts education as a core component of our schools' curriculum.

 

Enrichment Programs Benefit all Children

Children who are engaged in after-school and summer enrichment programs have a higher level of success.  While all students may achieve at a similar rate during the school year, children from less affluent homes may not receive the enrichment available to more affluent children throughout the summer or after school. This puts them at a disadvantage when starting the next school year.  We need to increase opportunities for enrichment for at-risk children.

In addition, some students enter school less ready to learn and may need extra assistance to achieve at the rate of their peers.  This is why we need more district-wide programs with partners like the Nike School Innovation Fund, which places at-risk kindergarten students in summer academies.  I am a member of the NSIF Advisory Board.

I will continue to support and expand enrichment programs for disadvantaged students so that they may experience success.


The Business Community as a School Partner

It takes a community to raise a child.  Business is a part of the community and can bring unique opportunities and assets to the table.  We all have the common goal of wanting a high quality education for our children so they can be productive workers and citizens.   I have a proven track record working with the business community to develop partnerships that benefit our schools. I developed the PPS Arts Education Plan and worked on the Right Brain Initiative through RACC, programs that put arts in the schools.   I am on the Advisory Board of the Nike School Innovation Fund which, over five years, will put $9 million dollars in Portland, Beaverton and Hillsboro schools for kindergarten academies and principal and teacher training.  At the Portland Business Alliance I am working with PPS and Worksystems, Inc. to connect high school students with job exploration opportunities through a new program called BizConnect. I can leverage these and other relationships to increase opportunities for PPS students.

For 30 years I have been an active part of the education community, first as a teacher, then as a Board member and Chair of the Oregon Childcare Commission. When I had children, I became more involved in PPS.  I was a classroom volunteer, a booster, and a PTA president.  I was a founding parent at DaVinci Arts Magnet Middle School.  As my children grew up, I became involved in creating programs and developing partnerships to increase opportunities for all children to succeed.  Portland Public Schools needs a leader who has experience and a track record of proven results. I am that person.