Neighborhood Schools Alliance's blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — October 30, 2006

Neighborhood Schools Alliance Fall Round-up

Voters urged to re-elect Kulongoski, defeat measures 41 & 48
Many PPS issues to watch—Good & bad news in Jefferson cluster
• Where is promised follow-up on County audit of PPS showing inequity in transfer policy?

CONTACTS: N-Nancy Smith, 503-285-0500; SE-Cindy Young, 503-232-6559; SW-Ruth Adkins, 503-977-2933

Portland, Ore. - Grassroots schools watchdog group the Neighborhood Schools Alliance (NSA) urges voters to turn in their ballots for this crucial election. We urge voters to :
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Thank you for visiting the Neighborhood Schools
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Hello everyone, we are in the midst of a software upgrade on our website, so please bear with us....we invite you to stop back soon for updated content and to post your news & commentary about Portland schools!

Sincerely,

Neighborhood Schools Alliance

We just obtained a copy of a memo that was presented to Foundation (and, we believe, leaders at PPS) urging them not to push through a sweeping reconfiguration/closure proposal. Read it and weep--the district chose to ignore this sound advice.

UPDATE: Today's Oregonian has a story on the memo.

There is still time to stop the juggernaut. Please, School Board members--Stop, Think, and Say No!

********

RE: Thoughts On How to Best Implement a Long Term Strategy of Academic Excellence, Fiscal Accountability, Budgetary Stability and School Consolidation in the Portland Public Schools
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 24, 2006

Neighborhood Schools Alliance Draws Line in the Sand
on School Closures & Reconfigurations

Urges Board to Table Superintendents’ Proposals,
Supports Erik Sten’s Leadership on Schools & Family Housing

Portland, Ore. - The whirlwind is almost at an end—this week marks the last few community meetings to consider Superintendent Vicki Phillips’ sweeping school closure and reconfiguration proposals before the Board votes on May 1. These proposals will change the city for years to come, yet we’ve had only a few short weeks to decide if this is a good direction for Portland.
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Three excellent letters were published in today's Oregonian expressing concern about the short timeframe for discussing the plan, the lack of true public input into that plan, the cost of converting to K-8, and the permanent harm caused by closing neighborhood schools.

Keep those letters coming: letters@news.oregonian.com

Attend those school meetings--check the calendar on this website or on the PPS website.

Concerned about school plan
Saturday, April 15, 2006
The Oregonian
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 12, 2006

Don’t close Humboldt!

Jeff area unfairly targeted for yet another poorly planned upheaval

Portland, Ore. - Among the many serious concerns we have about Vicki Phillips’ rapidly impending top-down reconfiguration of Portland Public Schools, the closure of Humboldt Elementary stands out as one of its most senseless and destructive aspects. We urge the public and School Board to consider:

• Why would we close a school that is a shining example of closing the “achievement gap”? At Humboldt, 96% of kids qualify for free/reduced lunch yet 91% of third-graders are meeting or exceeding benchmarks, up from 56% last year. This is an absolutely outstanding achievement that should be celebrated, nurtured, and built upon. Instead the plan is to close the school, and send the children across I-5 to a consolidated school at Ockley Green. Why mess with this success?
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