2003 SPECIAL ISSUE
' 'UJortùmò (©bsertœr
M a
UT
January 1 5 ,2 0 0 J
King Elementary students (above) head for classes at
the landmark northeast Portland school.
A portrait of Martin Luther King
(right) hangs inside King school
where students Mykelle Jordan (from
left), Gisela Reza-Calva, Lizbet
Cedillo, and Marjay Taylor proudly
gather. The school was named after
the civil rights leaders shortly
following his assassination.
photos by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Living the Dream
Civil Rights Leader's Vision Shines at King School
by J aymee R. C vrti
T he P ortland O bserver
From the moment she stepped into the
aged building on Northeast 6th Avenue,
home to Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
School, Principal Ronda Craemer said she
felt something special.
“The (school’s) name has some impact
because it gives you a real ly clear vision to
work towards,” Craemer said.
Formerly Highland Elementary, the
school was renamed after the slain civil
rights leader shortly following his assas­
sination.
The school’s location in inner north­
east Portland has a very long tradition o f
education, housing schools such as Albina
Homestead in 1891 and Highland Elemen­
tary in 1926.
“ King is an interesting school. It tends
to reflect the neighborhood and the
changes taking place on M L K Boulevard,”
said Lew Frederick, director o f public in­
formation for Portland Public Schools. “ It
has seen different waves o f immigrant
populations. At one time, it was primarily
a German school. Then it had a large Jew­
ish population.”
A s 90 percent o f King Elementary is
comprised o f minority students, the school
continues to reflect the neighborhood.
“ In 1992, I counted 100 crack house
buildings (in the neighborhood). The Po­
lice Bureau is here now. Alberta Street has
gone from shuttered storefronts to bou­
tiques. People are rebuilding homes that
are affordable to middle-income folks,”
Frederick said.
Four years ago. King Elementary made
the district's “ Targeted for Success” list,
as one o f 20 low-achieving schools. F ail­
ing at their mission to prepare each young
person for success, K ing adopted a strin­
gent reading curriculum called “ Success
For A ll,” as well as carefully regulated
math and science programs, more re­
sources from the district and intensive
involvement from parents.
King Brings
Message o f Hope
Success on the
Boulevard
Resident remembers
1961 visit to Vancouver
Avenue Baptist Church
Martin Luther King Jr.
Blvd. sees economic
renaissance
Since King has received special atten­
tion from the district and the community,
65 to 69 percent o f 3rd-graders and 60
percent o f 5th-graders are reading at state
levels. King Elementary w ill continue fol­
lowing district-imposed action plans and
evaluations for the next five years.
While this is Craemer’s first school year
at King, she has worked in the education
industry for 30 years, focusing on
continued
on page B id
Greater Good Cited in Name Change
Union Avenue becomes Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
---------af ter much debate
page B 2
Three White Presidents
and One Black Man
See Page BIS
King's 'I Have a Dream’ Speech
See Page B16
MLK Embraces World Harmony
See Page B4
King Follows Path o f Peace in India
See Page B I2