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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2005)
(Ehe Page A2 vt rt lattò (ít)bseruer A p ril 6. 2005 Phillips Sees Better Schools in the End Local closures, budget cuts make tough sell by K atherine K ovacich T he P ortland O bserver With all those affected by the recent plans to close six local schools, Vicki Phillips has become a household name. The Superin tendent of Portland Public Schools is feeling the heat, but she’s defi nitely not getting out of the kitchen. “These are decisions that are tough and challenging and you’d rather not have to make them,” Phillips said. "I wouldn’t be a re sponsible leader if I chose to do that. Even in times of tough fiscal constraints and declining enroll ment, my job is to make progress. I would be shirking my responsibil ity by not taking on the hard stuff. Is it painful? Yes. Does it make my heart hurt? Yes. But it’s necessary.” The list of hits: Edward, Rich m ond, Sm ith, A pplegate, and Kenton Elementary Schools, and W hitaker Middle School. All stu dents will be merged intoother area schools this fall. Parents, understandably hesi tant toward change for and m ove ment of their children, also are in uproar concerning a possibility of $51 m illion in budget cuts to Portland’s educational system. Phillips claims that resistance to school closures is something she can understand through personal experience. “One of the most heated times I’ve had with my sister was when my nephew ’s elementary school was closing," Phillips said. P ortland’s top educator was working for the state of Pennsylva nia at the time and her sister hoped Phillips could do something to change it. “I understand how painful it is and have an understanding of be ing passionate about trying to re ally respect where they are coming from,” Phillips said. “At the same time, my job is to take care of the stud en ts.” Phillips said she takes comfort in the fact that “we are moving kids to solid schools.” Phillips started out in rural Ken tucky on a small tobacco farm. She was the first of her family to attend college, where she earned a bachelor of science in elementary education and later a master’s degree in school psychology from Western Kentucky University, both with honors. “W hile 1 got a good base in edu cation, I was not encouraged to go to college. I got it by luck,” Phillips said. “I believe kids should have it by design.” Phillips has been working within ÿ o rtla n h (JDbscrucr Established 1970 USPS 959-680 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 Charles H. Washington EoiTOR.Michael L eighton R eporter : Katherine Kovacich D istribution M anager : M ark W ashington C reative D irector : Paul N eufeldt O ffice M anager : Kathy L inder E ditor - in -C hief . P ublisher : I would be shirking my responsibility by not taking on the hard stuff. Is it painful? Yes. Does it make my heart hurt? Yes. But its necessary. - Vicki Phillips, Superintendent of Portland Public Schools photo by K atherine K ovacich /T he P ortland O bserver Superintendent o f Portland Public Schools Vicki Phillips pledges her support to improve schools for low income and minority students while proposing school closures and budget cuts to offset declining revenues. the education system for more than 20 years now, being involved with the Kentucky Department of Edu cation, National Alliance for Re structuring Education, Children Achieving Challenge, Greater Phila- P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer, PO Box3137, Portland, OR9 7 2 0 8 delphia First Partnership for Re form, and as School Superinten dent in Lancaster, Penn. “People have held the bar very high and expected me to rise to the occasion,” Phillips said. The changes slated for Portland schools will not only mean big moves for the environment o f stu dents, but big losses for staff. Across the district, more than 260 full-time positions could be cut. “W e’re going to do everything we can to be generous with our leaves, to minimize the loss. A num ber of teachers are retiring,” Phillips said. She’s quick to point out that this is not just an issue facing the city of Portland, but Oregon as a whole. “I don’t know what you say to staff or children with a state that refuses to tackle the real need here,” Phillips said. “It’snotjust Portland’s children undergoing change.” A recent Census study showed that Oregon ranks 3111 in the nation for school spending. This results in nearly $ 1,000 per-student below the national average. O regon also ranked among the bottom-fifth of states for instructor salaries. D eclining enrollm ent causes schools to lose funding for each student not attending. It may not be a favored decision, but “part of why schools are clos ing is to gain some stability so that we can provide every kid with the quality o f education they deserve,” Phillips said. “In the case of middle and high schools, I think the thing we all agree on is that w hat’s going on here isn’t good enough for our kids,” she continued. As for concerns that bringing two schools together would mean less attention toward each student, Phillips noted that “larger schools don’t necessarily translate to larger class sizes. Where we are combin ing, we still meet the definition of small schools.” She believes that despite the fi nancial hardships the city is going through, the schools will come out better in the end with public in volvement. “One of the things that drew me to this community and that makes me continue to be delighted to be here is the caring and support that the community gives its children. By working together, we can create the kind of school system that Port land needs. Every classroom in every school has to be as good as the next,” Phillips said. “I’m con vinced that with the passion of tl)e parents, these schools will be ex traordinary.” Periodical Postage paid In Portland, OR Subscriptions are $60.00 per year 503-288-0033 FAX 503-288-0015 news@portlandobseryer.com subscription@portlandobserver.com ads@portlandobserver. com classirieds@portlandobserver.com The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 1996 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED The Portland Observer--Oregon's Oldest Multicultural Publication-is a member of the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY. and The West Coast Black Publishers Association, Serving Portland and Vancouver. Let’s Make Read Across America An Every Day Event King ’s Voice Booms in Tribute (AP)- The voice of Martin Luther King Jr. boomed again from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church on Saturday as dozens o f people gathered to commemorate the 37th anniversary o f the civil rights leader’s assassination. E x c e rp ts o f se v e ra l K ing speeches were played over a loud speaker at the church where King preached from 1960 to 1968, includ ing his “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” speech, delivered in Mem phis, Tenn., just hours before his death. Among the crowd was U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a lieutenant o f King’s during the civil rights movement who became a follower as a teen ager after hearing King on the radio during the Montgomery Bus Boy cott. Lewis, a Georgia Democrat, re membered being a nervous college student when he met King for the first time. “He changed my life,” Lewis recalled. "The most peaceful warrior o f the 20th century lived and walked among us.” Their 10-year relationship ended when King was gunned down on a Memphis hotel balcony on April 4, 1968. Lewis was in Indianapolis when he heard the news. “It was a very sad and dark hour in America and for the movement,” Lewis said. “But we didn ’ t give up. We didn’t give in. We kept the faith.” Kids who read - and kids who are read to - do better in school and better in life. It’s a fact supported by research and the com m on sense wisdom o f parents everywhere. By Reg Weaver, President, National Education Association This week, more than 45 million students, parents, grandpar ents, teachers, education support professionals, and others are taking part in the National Education Association’s Read Across America day. You're never too old, too wacky, too wild to pick up a book and read with a child. nea NATIONAL E D U C A T IO N ASSOCIATION nea.org Great Public Schools fo r Every Child NEAs 2 7 million members are the nation's leading advocates for children and public education But reading can’t be just a one day event. Kids need to expe rience the joy o f reading every day. It’s more than a way of helping students in school. Family reading helps strengthen families. Strong families help build strong communities. Reading and lifelong learning are at the core o f our founding generation’s highest aspirations for the United States of America. NEA’s Read Across America is one example o f NEA’s work to make sure every child has a public school as great as America’s best public schools. NEA’s Read Across America events bring others into the school com m unity who might not otherwise get involved. School-based and community- based Read Across America events draw com m unity leaders, politicians, athletes, musicians and actors into contact with students and with schools. Some o f those connections between com m unity leaders and schools evolve into ongoing efforts to he engaged with the school year-round. In the same way, it provides an opportunity to highlight what NEA knows works in the classroom - the same ingredients that are supported by research by parents and by teachers and education support professionals: strong parental involvement, qualified and certified teachers, small class sizes that allow for individual attention, and books and materials aligned with high standards - and high expectations - for every child. So on March 2 - and every day - take a m om ent and read with a child. Visit NEA.org to find out more about how you can get involved in activities in your area. Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo from Spain swings an incense burner as Pope John Paul Il's body lies in state inside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican for public viewing. World Pays Tribute to Pope (A P )-P ope John Paul Il’s body was carried solem nly on a crim son platform to St. P eter’s Ba silica, past a sea o f more than 100,000 pilgrim s who w aited for hours M onday under a blistering sun for a glim pse o f the late pon tiff before his funeral and entom b ment. The world advocate for justice and m orality died on Saturday, ending more than a quarter-cen tury as leader o f the C atholic Church. He will be laid to rest Friday in an ancient grotto hold ing the rem ains o f popes through the ages, after a funeral to be attended under heavy security by President Bush and dozens of other world leaders. Up to 2 m il lion pilgrims are expected in Rome to pay their final respects. As cardinals in their red robes and caps filed past the P o p e's body during M onday’s cerem o nies, bow ing and crossing them selves, a long line of faithful, tour ists and Rom ans who had packed St. P e te r's Square slow ly snaked into the basilica. On John Paul’s feet were a pair of the simple brown leather shoes he favored during hjs 26-year pontifi cate and wore on many of his trips to more than 120 countries - a poi gnant reminder of the legacy left by history’s most-traveled pope. John Paul was 58 when the cardinals elected him in 1978. He appointed all but three o f the 117 cardinals entitled to attend the secret conclave electing the new pope, but there is no guarantee that his legacy o f conservatism will continue into the new reign. Advertise with diversity in u ^ In v tla n b ( D b s m ic r ( all 5O3-2K8-OO33 a<K(d portlandobservei com I
