A bold proposal for Portland's schools

More precisely, its four poorest high schools, the four that have been hit hardest by Portland Public Schools' unconscionable transfer policy. Added to the list is Benson Polytechnic, the once renowned vocational technical high school hard hit by recent district cuts to staffing.

Steve Buel, a former school board member, proposes adding twelve full time equivalent positions to each of the schools -- Roosevelt, Jefferson, Madison, Marshall, and Benson-- as a means of boosting enrollment.  Buel calls the district's transfer policy a Catch-22 --"...less kids equals less curricular offerings which means less kids which means less curricular offerings etc."  It's a cycle that accelerates the enrollment loss.  Buel says that the increase in staffing will short circuit that cycle and make the struggling high schools much more attractive to students and their parents.

I believe he's right.

The cost to the district?  Buel estimates it at about $5 million out of a budget of  in excess of $400 million.  That comes out to little more than 1% of the district's annual general fund budget. 

Buel includes this challenge to the district's leadership:

"The superintendent and the school board need to either commit to having equitable and good high schools or find some other school district to administer. And they need to show their commitment with giant steps, not baby and backwards ones."

I like this bold proposal for equity.  Here's hoping that Steve Buel will make himself available as Dan Ryan's replacement on the school board.  I've personally backed the appointment of Jefferson Parent Teacher  Student Association president Nancy Smith with an e-mail to the board.  With this proposal, however, I'll do whatever I can to see that Steve Buel is given serious consideration by the board's search committee.

This is the kind of bold leadership the school board badly needs. 

Comments

[Steve R.]

People interested in advocating for Steve Buel or Nancy Smith should take the time to attend one of two meetings this week (announced on very short notice by the school board).

[Anne T.]

Buel's proposal is concrete and refreshing. It would be a good BEGINNING towards lessening inequities, but please be aware that it is only a beginning.

[Terry]

"Concrete and refreshing" I agree with. As for it's only a beginning, well you have to start someplace.

The current board has made no discernable progress in correcting the glaring inequities that plague Portland's schools. All they seem to do is argue endlessly over the minutia of enrollment formulas for providing FTE.

[Zarwen]

Indeed. Just yesterday I had coffee with a member of the Citizens Budget Review Committee. She expressed concern that the Superintendent and School Board are avoiding any actual problem-solving by engaging in endless "processes."

A despicable, nevertheless time-honored, tactic, IMHO.

GO STEVE!

[Steve Buel]

Zarwen, we'll have to "wait and see" if the school board is actually stalling with endless processes.