Comments on: It’s Not Rocket Science

By: Carrie Adams

Carrie Adams — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:28:06 +0000

Thank you! The board, superintendent, parents and community need to hear from students. Times have changed since most of us were in school and what worked for us may not work for you.

By: Genta Ohgushi - Super SAC member

Genta Ohgushi - Super SAC member — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:46:17 +0000

I will not respond too the rest of the points made in this article, but I will say that I agree completely that students that the system has not worked for need to be heard. I will try to get a few such students to give presentations about their experiences at a school board meeting.

By: Carrie Adams

Carrie Adams — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:00:42 +0000

From the PPS FAQs on high school redesign…”How is High School System Design Different From Other PPS Change Processes?

System Focus: System-wide changes are designed to improve student outcomes and program equity at all high schools, instead of focusing reforms at specific schools alone.”

I’d like to know how the redesign is going to impact current grants. In February 2009, Benson received a five-year Federal Small Learning Community to support their Academy structure and enhance and strengthen their AP and Dual credit options for students.

At what point does PPS pull the plug on things like new grants or high school transfer requests?

Scary to think that people incapable of planning for a series of meetings are responsible for pulling off a major redesign.

By: Steve R.

Steve R. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:14:33 +0000

I agree that they’re building on a weak foundation… middle grade education in Portland is an absolute crap shoot. My daughter starts sixth grade next year. Her current school only goes to fifth. There is no middle school in our cluster.

But, that being said, I like the idea of making sure every student has access, without playing the lottery, to a “comprehensive” high school in her general part of town. Too bad they can’t apply this thinking to grades Pre-K-8, too.

Maybe it would have made more sense to start at the younger grades and phase this kind of system up as kids age up… less disruptive all across the board, and builds a foundation first.

Also, I’m pretty concerned about the numbers of students they want to put into “focus option” high schools. Are they still talking about a third? That’s too high, and means the numbers in the comprehensives will bee too low.

All in all, PPS has a problem with big-picture thinking. This is a pre-K-12 system, and they can only manage to look at four grades at time?