Superintendent Smith’s end of the year report highlights Franklin as a high school ”where the graduation rate exceeds the state average, students of color graduate at the same or better rates than white students.”  That’s great news.  How are they doing it?  Will the superintendent and her team take an in-depth look to see?

The district does a remarkable job of replicating failure but rarely replicates success.  Smith might like to chalk Franklin’s improvement up to their core program but that’s just part of the story.

I hear from a variety of sources that struggling students at some Portland high schools are counseled into leaving their neighborhood high school so that they don’t affect the school’s graduation rate.  Is Franklin doing that?

Assuming that Franklin’s improvement is accurate, why is PPS investing in programs that aren’t seeing the same kind of results?  Jefferson wasn’t mentioned in the superintendent’s highlights.  How are they doing?

PPS has contracted with SEI (over $1.5 million annually) to provide services to students in N/NE.  Is it paying off?

Smith and her team like to talk about “going deeper” to hit that “sweet spot” but that’s where it ends.  Just talk.

April 20, 2009 PPS Big Ideas Q & A offers some insight into the future.  Pull your wallets out because it will require BIG BUDGETS.

Q9: Is high school redesign leading to a facilities bond for PPS?

YES. However, to make any decisions about high school buildings, we must make decisions about the programs within those buildings.  How many high school buildings do we need?  What size, and where?  Should they include special spaces such as labs, workshops and performance space?  This high school design conversation will answer those questions and allow us to finalize a long-range facilities plan for PPS that includes high schools. [Read more →]

Marshall small school principal Fred Locke showed up at last night’s community meeting to plead with the community to please, please support his dream of a focus school at Marshall.  The crowd overwhelmingly said NO.  They don’t want a small school at Marshall.

Give it up Fred.  Your dream is Marshall’s nightmare. 

If you want to be king of a small focus school, start your search here.

I’ve heard several stories of PPS retaliating against employees for speaking out just in the last couple of weeks.  I experienced that myself when working in PPS HR department.  I’d gone to the superintendent to complain of a hostile work environment and employment discrimination and a few weeks later my position was cut.  Imagine that.  

People need to fight back.  Here are some links that provide information about employee rights: 

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) 

EEOC – Retaliation

Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) - Civil Rights Complaint Process 

BOLI – Whistleblowing

1-800-MIS-USED

I’m tired of PPS claims that they can’t do things because they don’t have the money.  PPS is arguing that the district needs to close high schools because they don’t have the $4.5 million necessary to create equitable programs districtwide.  Bullshit.  They need to quit wasting money and be honest in how they use it.  

The Office of the Inspector General is the government agency responsible for investigating fraud, waste or abuse of Department of Education funds.  Anyone suspecting fraud, waste or abuse of federal funds can report it anonymously and there are whistleblower protections for employees.