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.
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