providing parents with the truth about the public education system

Check out the district’s new org chart.  It looks like Lolenzo Poe got a promotion and Robb Cowie a demotion.

I like how the district lists departments instead of titles.  It makes it look like the people at the top do all of the work.

Do you think the district has cut central office positions?

Years ago when I worked in PPS HR department Doug Capps (a former school board member) told me that the district hired him “to help with a little PERS problem.”  Doug floated from one position to another for what seemed like a few years.

A few years later PPS hired Lolenzo Poe another former school board member.  His title has changed several times in the 2 or 3 years that he’s been with PPS.  Other than the district’s racial equity that is still being refined, I haven’t figured out what Lolenzo does.

Now, PPS has hired former school board member David Wynde.  I don’t think his board seat even had time to cool before he was hired.  This is from today’s press release:

Chief Financial Officer Neil Sullivan realigned his department to better manage PPS’ resources and budget development. Recently, Zhai Logan joined PPS as the school district’s new budget director after five years with the Hillsboro School District.

In addition, Former School Board Member David Wynde will serve as deputy chief financial officer. David will provide strategic direction to maximize the
district’s assets and revenue and manage costs, including PERS liabilities and health care expenses. He will also help coordinate and strengthen the district’s
priorities-based budgeting process.

Deputy Chief Financial Officer?  Voters approve a local option for teachers and we get more central office administrators?

Does it seem to anyone else that it might be a conflict of interest to hire former school board members?

The PPS board is set to vote tomorrow night on the controversial STARBASE program. The program is marketed as a way to provide math and science opportunities for at-risk elementary (4th and 5th grade) students. The problem with the program is that the military uses it as a recruitment tool. Their slogan is “First to contact, First to contract.”

The school board has justified contracting with this program because it supposedly gives low-income and minority students exposure to math and science curriculum that they wouldn’t have otherwise.

Why don’t low-income kids have access to the same math and science classes that wealthier students have?

Lolenzo Poe was named Chief Equity and Diversity Officer last January. Where’s he at on this?  Why isn’t he ensuring that all students have equal access?

Is Lolenzo doing anything about the underemployment of PPS staff of color?   How about minority contracting?

I remember Lolenzo recognized PGE as a PPS partner but I’ve never heard him talk about the Portland Teachers Program or Bilingual Pathways.  Does he care that PPS has a problem hiring 6-10 teachers of color from the Portland Teachers Program every year?

Lolenzo has gone above and beyond to support Jefferson High School and Self Enhancement but what about equity in other areas?

I ran across an interesting video from a PPS boundary meeting held last January.  In it, the PPS representative says that the district doesn’t have projected enrollment data broken down by section.  They were using K-5 trend data from the past 10 years to make boundary decisions.

Considering the number of portables that PPS has purchased AND the last minute school assignment changes (Rigler), you would think that PPS might want to look at the PROJECTED data.

Here’s the video:

PPS announced in early July that Marshall will be used as a professional development site for the 2011/12 school year.  Do you think PPS administrators will also use the site for their administrator meetings rather than renting hotel space?

A few months ago a Harrison Park student told me she was pretty sure she passed her state reading test because the teacher read it to her. She just had to mark the answers. She doesn’t have a disability and she isn’t eligible for a testing accommodation.

The Oregon Department of Education test administration manual states “Providing a student with a modification during administration of an Oregon Statewide Assessment will result in an invalid test administration and ODE will count students whose assessments are administered with modifications as non-participants in its calculations of participation and performance. In addition, use of a modification except as determined by a student‘s IEP or 504 Team and documented in the student‘s IEP or 504 Plan may result in an investigation of the testing practices of the school or district.

Modifications that invalidate the tests include “reading the reading/literature passages, items, and distractors aloud to the student.”

Last week I heard that something similar happened at Rosa Parks. The proctor (not a teacher) was coaching students while they were testing.

Have you talked with your kids about their testing experience?  What do they say about it?

Have you ever noticed how much PPS spends on legal costs?

The district has a general counsel, HR counsel, SPED counsel AND contracts out for legal services.

Monday’s board book shows a $700,00 amendment to the Miller Nash LLP contract bringing the total contract to $1,900,000 annually.

PPS has historically contracted legal services out to a few firms with Miller Nash being just one of them.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to invest in prevention of legal action?

I’ll give them free legal advice…quit f—ing people over.

A couple of friends have forwarded this link to an excellent letter from a Laurelhurst parent who has resigned from her position as chapter leader of Stand for Children, and from being a member of Stand.  It was published in the Washington Post and it’s a must read for anyone concerned about public education.

There is an unusually large influx of 6^th-graders coming into Winterhaven from Llewellyn and Duniway.  Does anyone know what’s going on at Sellwood?  Why are families in one of Portland’s best neighborhoods abandoning their neighborhood middle school?