Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 2018)
January 31, 2018 Page 5 Tubman’s Revival C ontinued from f ront a bit,” Butler told the Portland Observer. Her father was Harold Wil- liams Sr., an influential com- munity leader who owned a consulting business, participat- ed in public life as an education advocate, and was elected as a member of Portland Community College Board of Directors. He passed away in 2012. It was back in the early 90s when her brothers attended Tub- man. It since transformed into a young women’s academy but that too closed down. The build- ing has remained dormant for over five years. “There’s a lot of history here. And there are many families here that have been, as we know, displaced,” Butler said. “So this is an opportunity to say there’s still a place for you here. And Portland Public Schools is still committed to academic excel- lence and that we’re going to do whatever’s necessary to provide equitable opportunities for all students.” Butler has participated in doz- ens of community meetings and has coordinated with 26 school district departments in anticipa- tion of the school’s reopening. District officials report that she has received tremendous sup- port from the four north and northeast Portland elementary school communities which will feed into Tubman, identified as Boise-Eliot-Humboldt, Irving- ton, Martin Luther King Jr. and Sabin. “The support has been hum- bling,” Butler said. Tubman’s re-opening was wrought with uncertainty last fall when the school board con- sidered pursuing a backup loca- tion for its students in light of air quality concerns due to its prox- imity to a major freeway. But the district has since redoubled their commitment to its reopen- ing after a community outcry questioned the legitimacy of yet another delay in a long line of postponements by the district, though they’ll still perform air quality and environmental test- ing. They’ve also set aside fund- ing to perform repairs and install a new ventilation system. Harriet Tubman Middle School and Roseway Heights are both two new middle schools slated to open this fall. Butler will helm Tubman and Kathleen Ellwood will be the principal at Roseway Heights. Butler is drawing on the sup- port of so many community mem- bers who are invested in seeing Tubman’s reopening. She plans to integrate as many supports for the school as possible, from aca- demics to tutoring to providing a high rigorous curriculum. “My hope is that school can be everything that a kid needs,” she said. Another aim is to make the school a community resource, a place where parents might go to find help with their job search, for example, or as a resource for information about home owner- ship or how to do your taxes. Butler is a former principal at Open Meadow (now Open School) in Portland. She was an assistant principal at both Martin Luther King Jr. School and Mar- garet Scott Elementary. She also was a former teacher at Whitaker and Beaumont Middle Schools. Though she’s had an illus- trious career in education, she said she originally wanted to be a news anchor and pursued a speech communication degree as an undergraduate student. “I was at a cross roads where I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. And I was intro- duced to the Portland Teacher’s Program. And a good friend said ‘I think you should be a teacher.’ And then the rest is history […] thank God for second chances,” she said. Since then, Butler has earned two master degrees — one in education and one in administra- tion from Portland State Univer- sity and the University of Port- land, respectively. She’s since L egaL N otices Need to publish a court document or notice? Need an affidavit of publication quickly and efficiently? Please fax or e-mail your notice for a free price quote! Fax: 503-288-0015 e-mail: classifieds@portlandobserver.com The Portland Observer put those skills to work in high ranking roles at SEI Academy, St. Andrew Nativity School, and De La Salle North Catholic High School, establishing academic programs, developing curricula, and creating training workshops for teachers. She also was a department chair at Portland Community College, following in her father’s footsteps. Harold Williams was the longest standing board mem- ber at PCC. He was so influen- tial that PCC’s basketball court is named after him. His picture is also on a place of honor on the side of the Urban League of Portland building, near Tubman, and a bench is named after him at nearby Dawson Park. “He was definitely one who was a trend setter. Wasn’t afraid to kind of push the envelope a little bit and get people to think outside the box,” Butler remi- nisced. “My dad was very, very, aggressive about really main- taining a presence. Because he could forecast that this area was changing and that, you know, many families would be priced out of the market.” Butler said she tries to instill the values her father pushed, like making sure all his kids were ed- ucated and had passion for the community. Chicago-Style Steppin Fun, Healthy Social Dance for Couples and Singles. Weekly Classes www.groovinhighsteppers.com Denise Johnson 503-819-4576 Hernandez Williams 206-683-4101 Co-Founders and Instructers