Fortiani» (Obstruer
October 13, 2010
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Page 3
Fred Meyer
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W eek in R eview
H ealth
pages 6-7
Marshall Closure Eminent
Benson,
Jefferson brace
for new foCus
by C ari
ïNIITIÀlMttNI
pages 8-11
O pinion
pages 14-15
L aw 8< [ ustice
p » ^ 16- 17
H achmann
T he P ortland O bserver
With extra tight budgets for Or
egon in the upcoming years, the
Portland School Board was prepared
to take action Tuesday night on
changes to its high school system,
including the closureofthe Marshall
High in southeast Portland, with
in te n tio n to c o n so lid a te and
stre n g th e n the rem a in d e rin g
schools.
Superintendent, Carole Smith
presented an updated plan for
Portland’s public high schools to
the board two weeks ago and the
district held a work session and
took public testimony at Marshall
last Wednesday.
E x istin g a c a d e m ie s on the
M arshall cam p u s — B izT ech,
Pauling, and Renaissance Arts —
w ould clo se after the cu rren t
school year, and the high school
program at the Harriet Tubman
Leadership A cadem y for Young
W omen in north Portland would
d isc o n tin u e , leav in g a sta n d
alone focus m iddle school.
Cleveland, Franklin, Grant, Lin
coln, Madison, Roosevelt and Wil
son would continue normal opera
tion as community comprehensive
Marshall High School in southeast Portland.
schools with neighborhood bound
aries and well-rounded high school
programs, while Benson, Jefferson,
and existing charter schools would
serve as focus schools, open to
students from across the school
district.
Students leaving Marshall would
likely receive education at Madi
son, Franklin or Cleveland.
S m ith’s vision was drawn from
the harsh reality o f budget reduc
tions presenting the dilem m a o f
keeping all the high schools alive,
but at a subpar level and hoping
to build them back som etim e in
the future or consolidating them
now and strengthening a comm on
core o f program m ing.
Though the school board faces
difficult challenges, the students,
te a c h e rs, and p a re n ts o f the
M arshall comm unity are not about
to let their school be closed in
silence.
L ast W e d n e s d a y in th e
M arshall auditorium , the school
board sat and listened as students
showed up with the all the school
spirit they could m uster, waving
signs that read “ Save M arshall’’
and testifying in support o f what
they called am azin g teach ers.
Teachers and parents spoke o f
success stories, pleading to keep
the school as a m uch needed sup
port system to M arsh all’s pre
dom inately low -incom e students.
At the top ofconcem for Marshall
supporters was how their students
will fare in other schools that lack
the specialized programs that found
success at Marshall. Examples were
a Marshal 1 day care for teen parents,
a full time nurse, an association for
homeless students, and an after
school tutoring and enrichment pro
gram.
Board members watched with
difficulty hours o f inspiring persua
sion from the Marshall community
who will without a doubt, lose their
school unless the school district
decides otherwise.
HHM HHHHI
Schools Make Grade, with Exceptions
el
O bservador
C lassifieds
R eligion
F o o d
” «'2°
Forty-four percent of Portland Public Schools naissance Arts Academy on the Marshall Cam
earned the top of grade of “outstanding” on a new pus moved from “in need of improvement” to
report card on Oregon schools. Overall, 92 per “satisfactory,” and Hayhurst Elementary, Tril
cent ofthe Portland School District’s rated schools lium Charter School and Wilson High School
page 18
earned “satisfactory” or better.
moved from “satisfactory” to “outstanding.”
Based on how students performed on the
Six schools declined this year: CM2 Opal
state’s standardized tests, improvement from Charter School, Grant High School, Sabin K-8
previous years and graduation rates, schools are and Whitman Elementary moved from “out
page 19
assigned one of three labels: outstanding, satis standing” to “satisfactory.”
factory or in need of improvement.
Jefferson High School and POWER Acad
“Beyond the overall grade, these report cards emy on the Roosevelt Campus slid from “sat
offer families a good look at some of the vital isfactory” to “in need of improvement.” Also
achievement data in every school,” said Superin rated “in need of improvement” were: LEP
tendent Carole Smith. “Many students in our Charter School, rated for the first time this
district do incredibly well - but we are not ensur year, and the three small schools on the
ing success for all of our Students, particularly Roosevelt Campus, which is benefiting from a
. .
among students of color and those living in pov $7.7 million federal grant to provide greater
erty.
support and improve results at the north Port-
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