Committed to Cultural Diversity
M etro
(L1h' ^Jnrt lattò © b seru er
Í AC,
N ovem ber 17, 2 0 0 4
. Scenic Ainsworth
to Grow Greener
Friends o f Trees launch
linear arboretum
See story, page B6
SECTION
C
D
o in in u n i t y
¿ lie n d a r
Learn to Swim
Fall Swimming Lessons are avail
able at C olumbia Pool, 7701 N.
C hautauqua Blvd. and M att
Dishman Pool, 77 N.E. Knott.
For information, call the Port
land Parks Aquatic Division at
503-823-5130.
Hip-hop
inspires
Urban Music
Project kids
Women in NAACP
Women in NAACP meets from
10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first Sat
urday o f each m onth at the
American Red Cross Building,
3131 N. Vancouver. For ques
tions, call 503-249-6263.
Africa AIDS Response
The Portland-Mutare SisterCity
Association Africa AIDS Re
sponse presents W orld Aids
Day, Hope is Vital, Rhythms for
Life with performances by Maya
S o leil and M archF ourth on
W ednesday, Dec. I at 7:30 p.m.
at theCrystal Ballroom, 1132W.
Burnside. All ages. $25 advance,
$30 at the door. For more infor
m a tio n ,
v isit
www.africaaidsresponse.org or
call 503-224-4400for tickets.
Ethos lets youth guide their music edu
cation with the inception of the Urban
Music Project.
"Ethos started the Urban Music Project
two years ago in direct response to stu
dent input, said Charles Lewis, executive
director o f Ethos, Inc., a music education
non-profit headquartered near Jefferson
High School in north Portland. "We found
that a number of students were particu
larly interested in making their own rap
and hip hop songs.”
E th o s ad d ed c la s s e s su ch as
"tumtablism,” also known as scratching,
beatboxing, and digital recording to its
music education curriculum.
"We have since added breakdancing
and hip hop fundamentals," he said.
The classes, designed for kids 12 and
older, teach the com ponents of building
and creating songs in a lyricism class, an
introduction to the drum machine and
sampler in the beat making class and more
importantly .offer a wider palate of oppor
tunity to those who may not have been
otherwise interested in learning about
music.
—
Lobby for the Better
Train to be a citizen lobbyist on
Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Hollywood
SeniorCenter, 1820N.E.40°’.Free
an d
sp o n s o re d
by
the
Multnomah County Democratic
Party.
Forces of Nature
OM SI presents Forces of Na
tu re , N a tio n a l G e o g ra p h ic
Chases M other N ature’s Dark
Side, at Omnimax through March.
For more information, call 503-
797-4000.
continued
onpa,
Get Schooled
Learn how to help to improve
schools and jobs at a forum with
State Superintendent of Public
Instruction Susan Castillo and
President of O regon’s AFL-CIO
Tim Nesbitt at 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at
the Hollywood Senior Center,
1820 N.E. 40th. Free and spon
sored by the Multnomah County
Democratic Party.
Sense of Pride
Now that the votes have been
cast and counted (sort of), what
do you think the theme of Pride
2005 should represent? Righ
teous anger? Com mitted deter
m ination? Thoughtful reflec
tion? Pride Northwest, the non
profit organization that produces
the annual gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender festival and
parade, seeks a theme which will
express the com m unity’s wide-
ranging feelings and actions
over the coming year. Submit
your
id e a s
to
media@ pridenw.org or call 503-
295-9788 by Dec. 3. A brunch or
dinner cruise for two on the Port
land Spirit will be awarded tothe
person who submits the chosen
suggestion.
Gallery of Visual Arts
View art from talented local art
ists o f all ages throughout the
month o f November at the Inter
state Firehouse Cultural Center;
5340 N. Interstate Ave., from 9
a.m. -6 p.m., free.
Get Fit, Stay Healthy!
Sankofaa Health Institute offers
a free diabetes support group
from 6 to 7:30 p.m. every third
Thursday at Alberta Simmons
Plaza, 6707 N.E. Martin Luther
King Jr. Blvd. Form ore informa
tion, call 503-285-2484.
Creative Space For Dance
Aurora dance studio, 5433 N.E.
30th (& Kil lingsworth ), offers an
array o f classes for children,
teens and adults at all levels of
ability. Call 503-249-0201 or visit
online at w w w .hevanet.com /
auroradance for additional in
formation.
Ethos' Urban Music
Project students count
out beats on a com
puter as part of
learning to read and
write hip hop lyrics.
Achievement Gap Challenge Met Before
Superintendent
confident of
improving schools
by J aymee R. C uti
T he P ortland O bserver
Portland's new superintendent of public-
schools says she knows how to close the
achievement gap afflictingchildren o f color.
Her plan relies on education fundamentals.
Vicki Phillips has a record of making major
gains before in districts largely serving
Latino and African-American populations
with stagnantly low test scores and a high
percentage of low-income students.
"Having been an urban superintendent
before, I’ve had two experiences o f getting
struggling schools on the right track and
staying on the right track," she said in a
recent interview with the Portland Observer.
Phillips comes to Portland from Pennsyl even though I was a good student, I didn't
vania, as the state secretary of education
get any encouragem ent for college from my
and form erly school superintendent in school councilor or my family," Phillips said.
Lancaster, Penn.
“I got to college by luck and
The fundamentals she
I think kids should get there
wants for our schools are
by design.”
an investment in early edu
Phillips says sh e's not
cation and a standardized
naive enough to think she
curriculum at every school.
alone can make necessary
“Part of our job in the
changes to Portland Public-
district is to make sure kids
Schools.
get the same high quality
"One of the reason I took
of core education no mat
this job is I thought there
ter where they live in the
were ingredients you look
city," she said.
for if you want to be an
Phillips says she fought
urban superintendent," she
against low expectations in
said. "I was looking for a
her own upbringing, which
courageous and visionary
gave her intimate knowl
board; not a group that has
Vicki Phillips
edge of the struggles some
the same perspective but
o f her students face.
can come together on behalf of children. I
"I grew up in an environment where the was looking for a supportive com munity
expectations for me were little or none and
and some percentage of staff that was w ill
ing and able to make the change. I think we
have a large percentage of teachers, support
staff and principals who are really ready to
move past expectation and go in the direc
tion that we want to see our schools go."
Phillips says she adm ires the pledge
Multnomah County voters made when the
temporary income tax was passed as a Band-
Aid to ailing schools.
Phillips says she is prepared to work with
state legislators to secure stable funding.
“I’m no stranger to that battle," said
Phillips. She has been on both sides o f the
funding dilemma, representing schools as
superintendent and the state, as secretary of
education. “It will take a coalition working
with the legislature and the governor.”
She added. " I’m somebody who believes
that when confronted with a sound proposal
and an expectation, that w e're willing to be
held accountable for results."
continued
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