Another idea would be to have a short status report on issues the board is addressing in other forums. “Here is what is taking place this month — we are creating a committee to address the student transfer process. Questions which need addressing are the following 1,2, 3, ….The members of the committee are nearly selected. If you have comments or ideas concerning these issues address them to ….” etc.

Note, the idea here is not to report to the public, but to show the problems are being addressed. Of course, there is the minor detail that many of the problems, partcularly in poor neighborhoods, aren’t being recognized and addressed as I am sure you are aware. The squeaky wheels in the upper income neighborhoods still get the grease and the wheels in many of PPS’s poorer neighborhoods are either too busy trying to get by or are perpetuating a weaker interest in education as an important part of their lives to squeak loud enough to be heard all the way to the Blanchard center.

In my opinion, without significent change in how the board addresses problems the coming economic crisis will send PPS schools spiraling even farther downhill in Portland’s economically poorer neighborhoods.

Thanks for the clarification. I was responding to your point about the board only spending 40 minutes on business on Monday. I understand your point about reports versus discussion of issues of substance.

Sometimes the more substantive discussions take place in other forums – many of which are open to the public but not as closely watched as board meetings. I understand the downside to that: we have to balance out the challenge of getting work done as well as public communication and transparency. In the case on Monday, we have private discussions about bargaining because we have to, as I know you understand.

I apologize if that was the impression. The post was meant to point out the lack of attention given in public school board meetings to discussing and debating serious problems facing PPS and the lack of response to public discussion of these issues. School board meetings have become over the years more information sessions for the board than the public legislative sessions they should be designed to be.

• ELL (currently under investigation by the US Dept. of Ed. Office of Civil Rights for Title VI violations)
• high school design (wasn’t there going to be a citizen’s committee for this?)
• a pending facilities bond without a facilities plan (which hinges on the high school design)

You mentioned K8 curriculum, which was supposedly a priority last spring. But community meetings have stopped (there was supposed to be a meeting at the end of the summer), and the district does not appear to have a single staff member on the “K8 Action Team” full-time. This would be a great time for board members, particularly those who believe all clusters need a 6-8 option, to give the superintendent and her staff a big push on this.

So far, Carole Smith has talked a good game on equity, but the board has failed to challenge her to do better. Applauding her speech at the City Club isn’t enough.