Comments on: In the news: new Madison Principal backs out

By: Liz

Liz — Fri, 29 May 2009 02:42:13 +0000

Wow! I obviously know a different Deborah Peterson. The one who puts her hand in my face and says she wont deal with me and then runs away. The one who tells numbers of our kids to stop cheering at the homecoming football game becuuse it made our Cleveland “guests” uncomfortable. the one who never atended a girls basketball game but made a great big impression with Steve Duin by getting 1000 Lake Osewgo ‘neighbors’ to come support our girls. The same principal that has locked students in bathrooms. The same principal that rarely returns emails or phone calls. The same Peterson that met with me and my child to discuss what it was like to be a student on her campus. Mind you I have a very great daughter. A student leader, varsity athlete, co editoe of the yearbook, and NEVER a discipline problem. My child described the dificulties she was having in a very small voice and with tears and all Peterson had to offer was a transfer. A transfer. Is this a solution? an answer? She offered mediation. Then she left for Germany and forgot about us. But the night she had my daughter removed from the campus for cheering and then the subsequent suspension from a week of athletics, with no ‘due process’ thats my favorite.
Its simple she had a contract and its up. It was up last year, but those Boosters they got to keep her for another year. Give it up, let her go. Most of her staff started celebrating with the announcement.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:37:12 +0000

I sincerely apologize for any disrespect. Foot – Mouth – Me.

By: lakeitha

lakeitha — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:32:15 +0000

The meeting was absolutely scheduled to be underhanded. PPs did not give the same opportunities for input to the Jefferson and Roosevelt Clusters as they did for other clusters. This meeting has not been publicized as well and the agenda will be different from the other 3. Who in the hell really wants to be up at 8:30 am on a Saturday? The only reason there is a meeting in our area is because a few of us asked specifically why no meeting was being held in our part of town.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:40:27 +0000

FYI – I don’t necessarily agree with this post that the meeting was scheduled to be underhanded in any way but I think this is a good opportunity for Roosevelt to have their voices heard.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:37:00 +0000

This came in my in-box today from a yahoogroup.

“Friends of Roosevelt H.S.,

Saturday, May 16th 8:30 a.m. at Jefferson High School EXTREMELY IMPORTANT MEETING FOR ROOSEVELT

You need to know that this meeting was added after our actions. The Supt. And the Board of Education had no plans to hold a meeting in North Portland. We were expected to go to Wilson or Franklin or Madison to express our thoughts. When a North Portland meeting was reluctantly added you will notice that they scheduled the meeting for a Saturday at

8:30 a.m. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine the strategy behind this!!

We are planning a Roosevelt walk to the meeting at Jefferson. We are meeting at Portland Community College at 8 a.m. and will walk to nearby Jefferson for the meeting with Supt. Carole Smith and other PPS administrators. This meeting begins at 8:30 a.m.

We plan to remind our community public school leaders that we are opposed to their transferring our Principal Deborah Peterson.

For those of you far away from Portland we will provide you with contact information of where you can email or call. For those of you who could care less—Shame on You!! That is not Rough Rider Spirit!! Roosevelt needs your help!!

It’s a numbers game. Good attendance good impact!! Bad turn-out reinforces the decision makers stereotype about Roosevelt and its lack of support! You will have a chance to be seen and heard. Media will cover this event.

Bring anyone having a pulse or even if they do not have a pulse bring them anyhow!!”

By: Elena Garcia-Velasco

Elena Garcia-Velasco — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:27:32 +0000

I wouldn’t be able to tell you the exact number of administrators I’ve seen coming and going through Roosevelt in my eleven years in the building, but I’m sure the figure is in the twenties, maybe even in the thirties.
When Deborah Peterson came to us four years ago, the Roosevelt community was in great turmoil, in desperate need of someone who would want to come and stay for a while, someone who would actually take the time to listen to the staff, the students, and the diverse community at large, assess our unique needs and get to work. From the moment Deborah showed up back then, laptop in hand, just to listen and take notes, all the way to now, the whole campus has undergone a very profound transformation. Deborah’s support has been instrumental in the development of the strongest possible academic programs with the resources we have within our small schools structure, while keeping a sense of unity throughout the campus and with the North Portland community at large. Deborah’s work has brought a great deal of stability to the Roosevelt community. As a firm believer in the power of small schools, I want to point out that our development and our considerable gains have been in part possible thanks to Deborah’s high level of competency as our campus principal. Let’s not forget to give her the respect she is due.

By: Madison Alum

Madison Alum — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:32:54 +0000

I don’t know if anyone else noticed this, but during the May 11 meeting with Toni Hunter (at Madison) it was mentioned that there are three High School principal openings right now: Madison, Franklin and POWER. POWER is one of the small schools on the Roosevelt campus. Why wouldn’t Deborah Peterson get to stay there?

By: Amy Ambrosio

Amy Ambrosio — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:25:21 +0000

I have been a teacher at Roosevelt for over ten years and I am a strong believer in the power of small schools to better the educational lives of our students.
Deborah Peterson has provided stability and advocacy for our campus so that we can serve our students. With Deborah in the campus principal position, our campus and small schools have been able to help the Portland community see that our students are intelligent youth, with tremendous potential. She has also tirelessly challenged the district administration on many levels–especially the gross inequities that schools in high-poverty communities face.
Peterson has also galvanized strong community and alumni support for our programs. Deborah Peterson sees and appreciates the gifts our students and families bring to the educational experience at Roosevelt and promotes these gift.
We need this advocacy and ability to work on behalf of our campus to continue. Losing her at this time would be a setback for our students and our teaching community.
I ask all readers to support our campus’ need for continued stability as we continue to work for students who have unimaginable challenges confronting them every day. They deserve all the support possible–that is true equity.

By: bobmjohnson

bobmjohnson — Wed, 13 May 2009 06:09:29 +0000

I am another Bob, not the Bob who has posted above.

Let me set the record straight on Deborah Peterson, Roosevelt, and Madison.

Deborah Peterson is a wonderfully effective Principal who has been the Champion at Roosevelt and has led the efforts that are now beginning to bear fruit in terms of improvements. She has the strong backing of the students, the staff which she had to restructure when she came, the parents, the community, and the alums and other stakeholders.

I am an alum of RHS and can say with utmost confidence that we don’t want to lose her. But Carol believes that her budget won’t permit Deborah to stay at Roosevelt next year. Instead she and Toni are planning on having no site principal at all next year. Instead they plan for just the three small school principals who would be responsible, in theory, for fulfilling all of Deborah’s present roles. I have told both Carol and Toni that idea is sure to fail. There is built in conflict between the three for budget dollars, resources, grants, etc.. It makes no sense and any Business Board of Directors that removed a highly effective CEO and assumed the three business unit managers under him could continue to manage the company as well without him would probably face a shareholder revolt. Carol and Toni are facing the same kind of revolt from Roosevelt stakeholders. We want her to stay as Site Principal.

So have no concerns about the competence of Deborah. She is more than competent, she is a rare leader who has amply demonstrated those skills at RHS.

She wants to stay at RHS. Whether Carol and Toni can be lead to see the wisdom of that happening remains to be seen.

More later.

BobMJohnson

By: mary

mary — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:40:33 +0000

I’d like to know the reason Toni Hunter did not offer Madison the same community process that was given to Beaumont, Ainsworth, Franklin, Lincoln, Wilson, Grant, Ockley, Alameda, and Beverly Cleary. The days of the neighborhood ignoring Madison and quietly transferring out are over folks!