December 09 School's Report

District 1 Residents,

I'm excited to send my School Report for the Observer so soon after the November Elections! I'm a proud resident of Munjoy Hill and excited to represent my neighborhood on the School Committee for the next three years. The last six months was a great learning opportunity for me as I sought input from residents about Portland's educational future.

I don't become an official voting member of the Committee until December; by then Superintendent will have already taken the unusual step to announce budget cut recommendations for the current school year. The recession has taken a $200 million toll on our state with every area of government feeling its impact. Anticipating this loss in funding, the Portland School Committee directed the Superintendent to find $2.7 million in the budget to protect us from this curtailment. Next year, our schools are told to anticipate no less than $7 million cut from state educational funding.

Making tough choices may be the most difficult part of being a public servant. In his weekly column for The Portland Forecaster, new superintendent Dr. Jim Morse states, "every cut will result in some loss of student services, materials and a better-prepared workforce." I believe this is true, but in the face of these challenging times, I'm fortunate to live in such a resilient community.

Communities find ways to support each other during hard times. The School Committee, City Council, and Portland legislators have found ways to work together. The motivation that I've seen in our community for education has been an inspiration.

I will continue to seek your input regarding finances and future direction of schools. The Portland schools is accepting budget suggestions here: http://www.portlandschools.org/budgetsurvey.php On the website, you can also find more information on the dates of future School Committee meetings.

-District 1 School Committee Member-Elect, Jenna Vendil

Post-Election Day

Thanks so much for everyone who turned out to vote! I am excited for my work to start on the Portland School Committee as your District 1 representative.

I began my campaign on the values of educational equity, vision, and accountability for our Portland schools. I reached out to parents, school staff, and community members to hear about their ideas on how we can improve our schools. I am grateful for all the support I've received early on in my campaign.

I will be inaugurated along with newly elected District 2 representative Ed Bryan and At-Large incumbent Sarah Thompson on Monday December 7th, 2009 at Portland's City Hall. The ceremony begins promptly at 4pm with a short reception afterwards.

My campaign is also hosting a post-inaugural party at Slainte - 24 Preble Street, just a couple of blocks from City Hall. The party will begin after the reception ends, after 6:30pm.

Please join me at either gathering. I could've have done this without your support!

Election Day

Election Day is my favorite holiday of the year. There's always so much energy and excitement–it's also the day you see the culmination a campaign's hard work and energy.

2009 is going to be an important year for Maine people. There's too much at stake today, so go out and vote!

We have the opportunity to Protect Maine Equality at the ballot to ensure same-sex couples have the rights and benefits of marriage.

We have the opportunity to defend our communities against drastic cuts to basic social services and programs with TABOR and the Excise Tax Repeal on the ballot.

If you live in Portland, there are some critical local election races as well. The League has it's annual voter guide so check it out before you head to the polls!

If you live on Munjoy Hill, I'll be at East End Community School shaking hands with voters later today.

Highlighting Our Successes in Portland Schools

Almost every time I've told a community member, educator, or principal that I'm running for School Committee, I get the response "Why would you ever want to do that?" or "Good luck".

Making tough and unpopular choices may be the most difficult part of being a civil servant. But what inspires me is the incredible amount of energy, motivation, and excitement that educators and parents have towards our public schools. My favorite part of running for School Committee is how much I've learned over the last six months from those who know our schools the best--our parents, educators, and students. We need to do more to build on our successes. Below is some observations and profiles of public schools in Portland I've been able to tour and meet parents from.

The first school I toured was East End Community School with Principal Carol Dayn this past June. EECS is the newest facility in Portland, built to replace aging facilities in the neighborhood such as Jack School and the Adams School. Those who live on Munjoy Hill may have had their first encounter with EECS by voting there on Election Day. The PTO's Greening Committee plays an active part to improve the physical learning environment at East End Community School with community gardens and sculptures. They've done a great job inviting groups like Local Sprouts and Cultivating Community to participate in their programs. The Enrichment Committee works with parents, teachers, and outside organizations to develop creative ways to inspire kids to learn. Their current project is to collaborate with Portland Stage Company to provide accessible Shakespeare readings and field trips for various ages and grade levels. The Wellness Committee has brought speakers and put together educational events around health issues and healthy living.

The president of the Peaks Island PTO gave me a tour of the Peaks Island School in September. As Portland's second smallest school, this island school had gone through a major transition the last several months with a principal leaving over the summer. The school year began with Assistant Superintendent Jill Blackwood serving as Interim Principal. Peaks Island parents and community members have been extremely active in the supporting the educational development of students at the school. There's a 1:1 student and tutor ratio. Wednesday afternoons are dedicated to various learning and interactive afterschool activities like field trips, additional workshops, homework help, etc. Parents are known to come in and lead some activities and help out in the classrooms. Yesterday I met with Peaks Island's new Principal, Tim Devaney who was hired in September to take over both Peaks and Cliff Island School.

Portland Adult-Ed is not your typical Portland public school as I learned from Anja Hansen, an Academic Advisor for PAE. It has the largest enrollment in the district serving over 2,000 students in various fields such as job training, community enrichment, or academic courses. It's also a decentralized program split between the West School for Academic, GED, ESL learners and Riverton Elementary School for Certificates, Job Skills and Prep, Computers, and Community Life Centers. Classes are also offered in various community spaces, public schools, and learning centers around Portland. I visited the site at the West School where the small building houses both the Adult Ed and West School programs.

Earlier this month, I met with Principal Derek Piece from Casco Bay High School. CBHS consists of one floor of the PATHS building where Central Administration Offices and School Committee meetings are held. Casco Bay is Portland's youngest high school with some amazing accomplishments to boost--an expeditionary program that has been very successful for its current students. It's first graduating class has a 100% college acceptance rate. While it manages to find room for nearly 200 students in its facilities, it's received lots of attention towards its successes and models for active work inside the classroom and in the community.

I got to meet a few members of the PTO and Principal Mike McCarthy of King Middle School, the hosts of a School Committee Candidates Forum. (You can find the forum televised on TV3 and available by request). While I didn't get a full tour of the facilities, I did get to sit in on a PTO meeting where there was planning for a fall desert potluck for KMS families with discussion about donations from local businesses and promotion.

The goal of these tours is to gain a strong sense of what student education is like for students at our public schools–what are the challenges and opportunities. I look forward to meeting parents, students, and officials from the schools I haven't been able to visit yet. My aim is to solicit the opinions and perspectives from the people who know the schools the best--our educators, parents, and students. We have great innovation already happening in our schools and with proactive PTOs working to gain community support for education, this work needs to continue further. As I think about my future work on the School Committee in the next three years, I welcome opportunities and invitations to strengthen our schools where there are gaps and find ways to share best practices with others to build more models of success.

Immigrant Youth Speak Out For Equal Education

Over a year and half ago, young activists and former students in the Portland public schools approached me about the challenges facing immigrant and refugee students and students of color in our public schools. I met with former students who had gone through the English Language Learners (ELL) track in high school who felt under-supported in their aspirations for college and families who weren’t receiving the proper notification that their kids weren’t receiving credit for the classes they were taking. I met with advocates who spent the last ten years trying to access data of dropout and completion rates based on race or ethnicity, gender, class year, and free or reduced lunch eligibility from the school department and State Department of Education, but told no such data exists.

As The League became more involved on the issue of educational equity, it became increasingly clear that young voices, especially immigrant experiences, had been left out of the debate around education in our schools. Many of the students I’ve worked with have the aspirations but lack the opportunities, resources, and support to be truly successful in school and in the community. These are the stories that need to be heard firsthand by our elected school officials and education leaders—a purpose shared by other advocates like the NAACP and Maine Civil Liberties Union who worked to organize the diversity panel last Wednesday at the Portland School Committee’s workshop.

The panel consisted of current and former students of Portland Public Schools - Jean Paul Kamanzi, Joseph Perez, Kelsey Phillips, and Alfred Jacobs – who spoke about their experiences in our Portland schools to illustrate the challenge and opportunities for educational equity. All students agreed that high school was an exciting time for them. Portland High School grad and Sudanese immigrant, Alfred described his experiences as a former ELL student who enrolled in college after high school, only to drop out of college because he felt ill-equipped and prepared despite having a high school diploma. For Jean Paul who also attends PHS, his frustration is that he’s not able to take more challenging classes in math and science because he is an ELL student. Joseph who was a successful member of the wrestling team when he attended Portland High but eventually dropped out, talked about how the only time he got to see the principal was when he got into trouble.

Our public schools are our most vital areas of investment—it has potential to be the greatest equalizer for our most vulnerable families. It's possible for Portland to become a model district in which all students are prepared to learn actively, think critically, and pursue even greater successes after graduation. We have the opportunity to provide the training, support, and tools needed for all our youth to be successful, productive members of our community. It’s not okay that our public schools fail to meet the needs of our young people.

With a new superintendent and a fresh School Committee, there’s hope for education advocates to participate in meaningful dialogue to reduce race and class inequalities in our educational system. Teachers and former community advocates have made equity and diversity a critical part of their work in education, but this work needs the increased support of the superintendent, school committee, and the principals. We look forward to taking the next steps needed to ensure all our students are learning for their future.

Candidate's Forum

Last Tuesday, The League of Young Voters and Community Television Network held their annual fall candidate's forum in Portland. This year's forum featured candidates who are running for municipal office. While The League featured about twenty five candidates at three different candidate debates last year, this year's local races were featured on a smaller scale with 9 candidates attending (10 will be on the ballot), and three contested races for District 1 City Council, District 2 School Committee, and Citywide Water District.

The forum attracted a diverse group of Portland voters who sought to learn more about the candidates on the 2009 ballot: why the heck were they running, what values and issues they stand for, and what their vision is for our city and our community. The questions were broad, challenging, and also politically relevant for the pending issues that the candidates will face if elected.

I've attended and helped organize forums in the past, nothing quite prepares you for the experience being on the "other side," as a candidate. You are quite literally in the blinding spotlight with two cameras facing your right and left side. It's definitely an experience that any first-time candidate would get nervous about. In my short experience so far, running for office is not about you--but about the connections and bridges you make in your community.

I don't know whether to consider myself fortunate or unfortunate to have no opponent in my race for Portland's School Committee in District 1. I'm still running the only way I really know how--by doing the work. I've knocked my doors in my neighborhood, attended neighborhood meetings and school events. I've taken tours of Peaks Island School, visited Cliff Island voters, and toured East End Community School, Portland Adult-Ed, and the West School. I've spoken with parents, educators, policy makers, and advocates about the best ways we can improve our educational system in our community. The candidates forum was the first time I got to present myself as a candidate in a public venue. I enjoyed the opportunity to share some of my ideas, and the community concerns I've heard regarding our schools.

Stay tuned to The League or Community Television Network for segments of the forum!

Gearing Up

It's only Wednesday, but what an exciting week so far--

• On Monday, I turned in almost 100 signatures to City Hall and unveiled my new website.

• Tuesday morning, I got the call from the Elections Clerk: I'm officially on the ballot this fall for School Committee.

• Yesterday afternoon, I found a note in my inbox from a Portland High School student who won't be old enough to vote this November. He wanted to express his support and said, "Reading your biography, I really just feel you'll be such a valuable addition to the School Committee."

You bet I'm ready to kick this campaign off--and I want you to join me.

For those of you who may not know me, I'm running for the Portland School Committee ensure excellence for our children and our community. I want to increase collaboration, bring innovation, and establish a system of accountability to the Portland public schools.

Learn more about me and have fun!

Jenna Vendil's Campaign Launch Party
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
5:30pm - 7:30pm
North Star Cafe – 225 Congress St. Portland, ME
All is welcome!

On Education and Running...

I’m a candidate for the Portland School Committee in District 1. I hope to earn your vote on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009.

I’m running because I understand education’s potential to transform our children’s lives. As a product of a single-parent household, I found that public education was my pathway out of poverty. I took college-level classes at Brown University while still in high school and earned scholarships to move onto higher education. Without strong teachers and mentors, I wouldn’t have had those opportunities. We need to achieve greater educational equity in our public schools so that everyone has the same opportunity to succeed regardless of their family’s income or background.

I’m running for this position in order to bring vision to District 1. We’re in the midst of a profound economic recession and we will face more difficult budget times ahead. Our own community is a tremendous resource that we can use to help our youth. Over the last three years I sought to bring organizations, businesses, and community members together through my work as an organizer. I’ve seen how hard work and collaboration can make Portland achieve incredible things and find common solutions to meet our greatest needs.

I’m committed to greater accountability so that the decisions our School Committee makes will put our kids first. We need to ensure our programs are meeting our educational goals. We need to seek input and solicit feedback from parents, educators, and the public. With more information and input, the School Committee and the administration can be more effective on placing our resources where we can have the most impact.

Together, we can ensure excellence for our children and our community.

Visit my website, www.jennavendil.com, to learn more and take action.

on unemployment

We've all heard the saying that young people have got it pretty bad nowadays and my generation is the first generation since the Great Depression when children have it worse than their parents. The recession is hitting everyone pretty hard regardless of age, even creating competition between old and young workers. I've seen it on many levels over the last few years, but I haven't seen it as bad as I have recently.

Over the last couple of weeks I've seen more of my unemployed friends coming into my office looking for help crafting a compelling resume, needing to borrow the printer for cover letters, references or strong contacts, or any job leads in general. Some of the more common barriers I've heard is that businesses aren't hiring and temp agencies aren't returning calls. What's a survivor to this economic recession to do? Taking a lead from Ron Leiber's New York Times article on survivor's guilt, it's difficult to not have some contribution on this topic.

I have much sympathy for those currently unemployed and on the job hunt. It's one of my least favorite things to do. A little over a year ago I had been on the unemployed job search front for three long months before having something emerge. What did I do in the meantime? I picked up extra shifts at a local coffee shop I used to work at, relied on savings that I had because I worked since I was 16. But with all the free time I had, I volunteered extensively for a few local organizations, or go to meetings I wasn't able to attend when I was working on an election. I kept myself engaged and occupied. I began to get involved on boards I sat on, taking on projects that others didn't have time to manage. I also cut corners to help defray my costs.

The important thing I did when I was looking for work was advised to me by my mother: go learn something new. And learn I did. I visited the library and read books on career development and listened to tapes on Russian language. I learned how to drive and at the age of 23, I got my license. I hung out with friends and learned how to brew beer. And most importantly, I learned that a job doesn't give your life meaning. No one can find meaning on that but yourself. Blogger Penelope Trunk gives some other cool advice on some things to do when you unemployed (and it's not job hunting)!

How fellow Gen-Y'ers and people across the US cope with the recession makes are my top reads on NY Times. And with the lack jobs available in the current market, people are turning to creative measures to create their own.

Save Sex-Ed In Our Schools

Public comment on the superintendent budget curtailment proposal was on the agenda for tonight's school committee meeting. One of the more controversial cuts suggested is to temporarily freeze the Family Living Coordinator position in order have that person fill in as a Health teacher at Lincoln Middle School. Currently that Health class is taught by a substitute. Freezing the program would save an estimated $45,000 in costs for the school district (the savings for not paying for a substitute salary and benefits). It is anticipated to reinstate the Coordinator for the next year, however this won't be the only year that our School Committee will face tough budget issues. It's anticipated that next year's budget will look worse and any program cuts that happen now will set a precedent for cuts in the future.

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Wednesday, January 14 2008


To the Portland School Committee,

My name is Jenna Vendil. I am a Portland resident and the Field Director for The League of Young Voters. When I heard that the School Committee is considering a cut to the Family Living Program, I met with several parents with kids in Portland schools to hear their perspectives about this issue. A few of the parents were completely appalled that we continue to consider a cut to this program, year after year. Others felt that the Family Living Program is important but with this year’s budget curtailment, the superintendent’s proposal sounds like a reasonable solution. Yet, all the parents I’ve talked to admit to a certain privilege to raise their children knowing that as parents, they could talk to them about sexuality and reproductive health as they develop into adulthood.

This is why I’m speaking to you tonight. I was raised in a strict Catholic family where dialogue on sex and reproductive health was taboo. It didn’t help that my mom was a single parent who worked two or three different jobs at a time to support my sister and I. If religion or cultural awareness wasn’t a barrier to accessing information on reproductive health and relationships, certainly my mother’s availability to have these conversations was. I am grateful to have a sex education curriculum at my elementary school to help navigate my development as a child to an adult.

This is why I’m encouraging the School Committee to protect the Family Living Program as it is.

The League took this position because the superintendent’s proposal as it stands, negatively impacts the health of our youth. The proposal will take away a trained professional and in their place we will have untrained, and possibly unwilling, teachers to implement vital curriculum for youth.

The League believes that youth deserve access to quality health and sexuality education and instruction supplied by their local schools. The Family Living Program as it stands, does so and much more. Having this program with trained professionals implementing it ensures equity in education for youth who otherwise wouldn’t be able gain access to this information through their parents or health care providers. It provides comprehensive, quality, fact-based education on reproductive systems, abuse prevention, and awareness about choices youth must face when it comes to sexual activity.

I’m asking you to vote against any changes to the Family Living Program. I know in this year’s budget provides a challenge to our schools; but this is one investment in our future we cannot afford to cut.


Thank you,

Jenna Vendil