NSA draws line in the sand on closures & reconfigurations

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.

Neighborhood Schools Alliance (NSA) members have attended all of the Portland Public Schools (PPS) “conversations” and hearings over the past couple weeks. We have listened to District staff repeat the same talking points, night after night. We have heard the testimony and questions of community members as well as Board members. (Reports from several of these meetings are on our website’s blog.) Our reaction thus far:

• The District’s numbers don’t add up. We have yet to hear the specific costs to carry out the K-8 transition, implementation, and retrofitting in each building. How much will all this really cost? Where will that money come from? Will the losses of families in the wake of closures and reconfigurations wipe out any savings in operating costs?

• PPS is conducting a slick political campaign, complete with spin, soundbites and “message.” The PPS website has an entire section devoted to selling the proposals—featuring cherry-picked pro–K-8 research. Community, political and business leaders have gotten the hard sell, and many (though not all) have fallen in line. Portland needs thoughtful debate and careful educational reform; instead we are being steamrolled into submission.

• Too many unanswered questions. With the ever-shifting rationales for closure (It’s due to low performance! No, it’s to save money! No, it’s due to low enrollment!), the suddenly declared “urgency” to make sweeping changes, and the lack of specifics, it’s hard for parents to have confidence that these changes have been carefully considered. One parent noted: “As a contractor, I measure twice and cut once. The District hasn’t done the first measurement.”

• District staff do not have the capacity to carry out so many complex changes all at once. Many teachers have courageously testified against the speed and scope of these proposals. If these changes are worth doing, they are worth doing right. It is impossible to carry out so many transition and implementation processes simultaneously, and do them well. The District is still floundering badly with the Jefferson redesign—how can they take on changes across the entire city? As one speaker commented, this is “an educational hurricane with undocumented costs and unforeseen consequences.”

• Board should Stop, Think, and Say No. Our volunteer School Board members are under tremendous pressure to rubber-stamp the proposals; we applaud those who are asking questions, and urge all Board members to Stop, Think, and Say No. As trustees of our public schools, Board members must take the time for proper due diligence. They are the ones who will be held accountable should the reconfigurations fall short of promises. There is little chance of passing a local option come November if the District has alienated its loyal base of parents and is stuck in a citywide quagmire with a rising pricetag.

PPS has successfully persuaded just about everyone that “more schools need to close.” Rather than corporate-style downsizing, and mismanagement by soundbite, the Neighborhood Schools Alliance proposes a more thoughtful, proactive approach focused on smart urban planning.

We must not close any more schools until PPS has taken the following steps:

8. Conduct a thorough re-assessment, in partnership with City and Metro planners, of how many neighborhood schools we actually need in a vibrant, family-friendly city, and where they should be located.

Toward this end, a few days ago City Commissioner Erik Sten put forth a proposal that would reverse the problem of declining enrollment in Portland public schools and increase the amount of affordable family housing in the City. Here's a quote from Sten's statement:

"While we are close to finding a solution that will get us through the next year, I think we need to take a step back and stop improvising. We should write a script for the future of Portland. The City of Portland needs to be a permanent partner in this effort, and family housing is a critical piece of the puzzle." [emphasis added]

"We must find ways to increase the number of children in Portland Public Schools so that schools are funded at a level where they flourish, not falter. Increasing families in the inner neighborhoods will not only help Portland Public Schools but will take some of the pressure off outlying districts confronted with overcrowding."

Sten goes on to propose two initiatives to retain families with kids in PPS and increase affordable housing in Portland. These resolutions will be considered at the City Council meeting this Wednesday, April 26.

NSA urges citizens to show your support for Sten's family housing/schools resolutions by writing erik@ci.portland.or.us or calling 503-823-3589.

States NSA member and former city planner Nicole Breedlove: “I hope City Council will vote for Commissioner Sten’s excellent resolutions. We need more affordable housing in Portland and more families for our neighborhood schools. Most of all, we need a vision for Portland’s schools that is positive and focused on smart planning.”

NSA urges the School Board:

• Table the Superintendent’s proposals.

• Conduct a thoughtful, educationally sound community discussion about the pros and cons of K-8 and middle school configurations.

• Follow the eight steps outlined above, and only then revisit the need for additional school closures.

Let’s take a step back and stop improvising. Portland can do better. Our children deserve better.

The Neighborhood Schools Alliance is a diverse group of parents, teachers, and community members from all areas of Portland working together to support and strengthen our neighborhood schools.
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