A New Deal for Portland Public Schools
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Portland Public Schools are at a turning point. In many ways, the Portland District seems near collapse. Glaring funding inequities plague the poorest neighborhoods of Portland, with public schools closed and merged and buildings leased out to the highest parochial school bidder. Schools are segregated economically and racially — especially in middle and high schools — to a degree disproportionate to neighborhood populations.
We need a New Deal for PPS. I have more exploration of the problem and suggestions for a solution on my blog.
Submitted by: Steve – Wed, 07/18/2007 – 11:30pm
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New Deal For Portland Schools
Steve:
Equitable educational opportunities at every neighborhood school? What a novel idea! You're right, though, it's not really a new deal at all; that's what we had here at PPS for years, when students attended their neighborhood schools, and all neighborhood schools had a full array of programs and electives, regardless of the demographics of the neighborhood.
It worked here in Portland, it works right now in Beaverton (a very popular school district I might add). So PPS, what's the problem?
Thanks!
Thanks for your support and constructive criticism, N. I'm going to publish another draft soon incorporating your idea that magnet and special focus schools could still have a place in this plan.
I'd love it if more folks could kick my ideas around and poke holes in them. With that kind of collaboration we can put together something really strong.