Category: Community

Jobs with Justice calls for show of support for teachers

February 2, 2010 by

As Portland teachers approach two years without a contract, Portland Jobs with Justice is calling on parents to join the fight for a fair resolution. Come find out how you can help.

  • 6-7 p.m. tonight, February 4
  • PAT office, 345 NE 8th Ave.
  • Dinner and child care provided
  • RSVP to Margaret, 503-236-5573 or margaret@jwjpdx.org

Steve Rawley published PPS Equity from 2008 to 2010, when he moved his family out of the district.

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Cheating in Class

December 15, 2009 by

A big PPS Equity welcome to Lili Taylor and her new blog Cheating in class: the shit they’re not telling you about the public education system.

Lili started posting last month, and has so far covered facilities concerns, financial waste at BESC, and the high school redesign in Portland Public Schools.

Steve Rawley published PPS Equity from 2008 to 2010, when he moved his family out of the district.

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Marysville donations at Schoolhouse Supplies

November 11, 2009 by

Schoolhouse Supplies has set up a special account for donations to the Marysville community, who lost their school to a fire yesterday. Donations of cash or supplies are accepted.

Steve Rawley published PPS Equity from 2008 to 2010, when he moved his family out of the district.

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This Week in PPS: Terry Olson

October 19, 2009 by


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tolson

This is a full transcript of the podcast, with hyperlinks:
This week in PPS, we mourn the passing of Terry Olson.

The veteran teacher, husband, father of three, and grandfather of two passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 15th, after a long fight with cancer. He turned 63 on October 9th.

Terry’s blog Olson Online was a seminal space in Portland’s blogosphere. He started writing about “[p]ublic education advocacy, tax reform, and other stuff” in January of 2003, and continued writing forcefully about these issues until recently. To the end, Terry never pulled his punches.

Six weeks before he died, he wrote his final blog post  about a bizarre charter school proposal in Corbett. The title of his last piece: Hypocrisy.

Terry’s blog was the first electronic gathering place where Portlanders discussed school equity issues extensively. He worked with the Neighborhood Schools Alliance when they rose up in opposition to Vicki Phillips’ rushed school closings and reconfigurations. He encouraged me and my wife Nancy to “come out” (well, actually, he “outed” us) when we were blogging anonymously about PPS.

By pushing us into the open, he emboldened us to mature as bloggers and expand the chorus of voices calling for school equity.

I only knew Terry as an education activist, and only in the last five years of his life. Our conversations were virtually entirely online, either in e-mail or on the blogs. I only met him twice in person. But his influence on me as an activist and citizen journalist was crucial. Without his ongoing encouragement and guidance, it’s unlikely PPS Equity would exist today.

The last time I saw him was In February 2008.  Terry stood with me in icy wind and rain at the last Celebration, the school district’s school choice fair, handing out fliers (PDF) about the inequity of school choice. He stayed with me in the wind and rain until we had handed out all 500 fliers.

To me, this epitomized Terry’s selflessness in fighting for the greater common good, even as he literally fought for his own life.

He was a contributor to PPS Equity, both as an author and in the comments section.

Terry will be deeply missed by his family, to whom we send our deepest condolences, and in the community, where he led us by example.

Thank you, Terry Olson.

Steve Rawley published PPS Equity from 2008 to 2010, when he moved his family out of the district.

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Rest in peace, Terry Olson

October 18, 2009 by

Friend of PPS Equity Terry Olson passed away on Thursday. Tomorrow’s PPS Equity podcast will be a tribute to him. His son Adrian posted a note on Terry’s blog Thursday.

Steve Rawley published PPS Equity from 2008 to 2010, when he moved his family out of the district.

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This Week in PPS: Parent Union kickoff

October 12, 2009 by


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Stephanie Hunter, Shalonda Menefee
Stephannie Hunter and Shalonda Menefee

A report from the PPS Parent Union kickoff weekend, with Sheila Warren, Stephanie Hunter, Ken Libby Shalonda Menefee and more.

Steve Rawley published PPS Equity from 2008 to 2010, when he moved his family out of the district.

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PPS Parent Union hosts high school redesign round table

October 7, 2009 by

Families unable to attend the all-day high school redesign sessions hosted by the district will have the opportunity to engage the district on the topic at the PPS Parent Union Parent Information Gathering this Saturday, October 10, from 1 to 2 p.m.

The full event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m at the Curious Comedy Theater at Vanport Square, 5225 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. There will be door prizes, Mom’s Comedy Theater skits and children’s activities. The event coincides with the anniversary celebration for the Vanport Building.

Steve Rawley published PPS Equity from 2008 to 2010, when he moved his family out of the district.

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This week in PPS: Rob Ingram

September 28, 2009 by


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Rob Ingram
Rob Ingram: “I’m one of those guys who believes that actors and musicians and athletes are a little over-paid, and our teachers and social workers are way under-paid.” (photo by Steve Rawley)

This week in PPS, we begin a new series I’m calling “Difference Makers,” interviews with people making a difference in the lives of youth.  This week, I talked with Rob Ingram, director of the City of Portland’s Office of Youth Violence Prevention. We had a broad ranging talk touching on the Million Father March, Black Men Working, the success of students involved with SEI, the PPS high school redesign, and the over-representation of black men in Oregon’s criminal justice system. I caught up with Rob at his office in Northeast Portland.

Links

Steve Rawley published PPS Equity from 2008 to 2010, when he moved his family out of the district.

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Community Care Day Saturday

August 26, 2009 by

Join your friends and neighbors to help spruce up your neighborhood schools 9am – noon this Saturday, August 29. Hands On Greater Portland has a complete list of schools and more details.

Steve Rawley published PPS Equity from 2008 to 2010, when he moved his family out of the district.

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Community Care Day coming up

August 4, 2009 by

Community Care Day is Saturday, August 29 this year.

Steve Rawley published PPS Equity from 2008 to 2010, when he moved his family out of the district.

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