2.5 Hours Notice – Translation: Your Input Doesn’t Mean Shit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Matt Shelby, PPS Communications, 503-916-3027
Superintendent to comment on proposed high school changes Superintendent Carole Smith is available this afternoon to comment on her proposal for a PPS High School System. Orcilia Zuniga-Forbes, trustee for Meyer Memorial Trust, Andrew Dyke, EcoNorthwest senior analyst and Charles McGee from the Black Parent Initiative will also be on hand to share their thoughts on the proposal.
When: 1:30 p.m. today, April 27 Where: Marshall Campus library, 3905 S.E. 91st Ave.
On Monday, Superintendent Carole Smith presented the Portland School Board her plan to develop a PPS High School System that provides all students access to a comprehensive high school while maintaining choice for those seeking a more specialized or personalized environment.
Under Smith’s proposal: Cleveland, Franklin, Grant, Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, Roosevelt and Wilson high schools would operate as community comprehensive schools with neighborhood boundaries and an equitable, well-rounded high school program.
The Marshall Campus schools – Renaissance Arts, BizTech and Pauling – would close in fall 2011.
At that time, a new Focus School built upon the strengths of small schools in PPS would open on the campus to all PPS students.
Benson Polytechnic High School would, in fall 2011, become an advanced learning center for career-related and technical learning experiences. 11th and 12th grade students across PPS would have the opportunity to apply to spend half the school day or week at Benson and the remainder at their home school to pursue an in-depth career or technical program. (The proposal for Benson High School is similar to the current successful model of The Center for Advanced Learning.)
In addition, transfers among community schools would be limited and some community school boundaries would change. Monday’s presentation kicked off a comment period where members of the public can offer feedback in a variety of ways. Feedback opportunities and a timeline for decision making are available on the PPS website.
7 comments
Who are the other bigwigs, and why are they involved in this? Are they going to fund the new magnet program at Marshall or something? How nice of them to rush over to Marshall to have a meeting! Too bad the rest of the world doesn’t know about it. . . .
Too bad they didn’t tell anybody AT Marshall about the meeting… And the few students and teachers who found out about the 1:30 press conference weren’t even allowed in the library!
Wow. How is that even possible? Is anyone at Marshall planning any parent/staff meetings about the proposed closure?
The plan was supposed to be a secret so staff is not supposed to be proactive.
Zarwen, there probably won’t be a Marshall magnet school a few years down the road- PPS won’t have enough students wanting to attend ( and mainly due to the horrible location, too much on the fringe ), so David Douglas will most likely take over.
The 3, though really only 1 , focus schools are designed to fail, in my opinion. Benson sits on prime real estate and MLC? for high schoolers? give me a break, most kids leave this school in time for high school, not apply in.
I think once the ” Close the Gap, not the Schools ” gang got started, that’s when the focus school ideas went down the drain.
MMcPherson,
You must have missed my post on “PPS Schools: Where Are They Now?” Especially my last comment there.
Students seem to be planning… More to come…
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