March 28, 2018
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photo by d anny p eterson /t he p ortland o bserver
Benson High School Principal Curtis Wilson inspires students by teaching a Zumba dance class
during a freshmen physical education class as a way of connecting with the over 300 new students
that come to Benson each year.
Connecting
M ETRO
O PINION
C LASSIFIEDS
C ALENDAR
page 16
F OOD
page 9
pages 12-13
pages 14-15
page 15
Principal lets
guard down
to dance and
inspire
by d anny p eterson
t he p ortland o bserver
It’s not every day that you will
find your school principal at the
front of the class leading charges
in a dance routine. But that’s ex-
actly what Benson High School
Principal Curtis Wilson did Thurs-
day for boys and girls enrolled in
a Benson freshmen physical edu-
cation class.
Wilson started teaching Zum-
ba, the fitness craze that uses the
beats from hip-hop, samba, salsa,
mambo, and other music to pro-
vide motivation and drive for aer-
obic exercise, when he began as
principal of the northeast Portland
school five years ago.
It’s a tradition he has held one
day each year at Benson, in the
spring, ever since.
The school leader says it’s a
great way of connecting with the
over 300 new freshman that come
to his school each year,
“To me, it’s negative energy out
of my body. And so I really enjoy
it,” Wilson told the Portland Ob-
server. “Now do I have enough
time to do it on a consistent basis
anymore? No. But this one day, I
just move all my appointments to
the side.”
Wilson was introduced to Zum-
ba at his gym a few years ago. At
first, he was an assistant instructor
for the class, which was held reg-
ularly at the school before he ar-
rived there. But the main instruc-
tor wasn’t available the second
year, so he memorized the moves
and took over.
Wilson is pretty sure students
appreciate their face to face time
with him in class.
“I really want to spend [time]
with these kids so that we can
make life-long memories,” he
said. “Because years from now,
when they’re off in college or
where ever, high school will start
to fade. But I’m pretty sure that
spending a day with their principal
dancing will probably stay with
them for a long time.”
Teacher Disciplined for Protest
A popular middle school teach-
er who led students in a school
walkout last month to protest a
police officer involved shooting
death was placed on leave after a
school district investigation found
he put students at risk.
In a letter sent Friday to Ock-
ley Green parents, principal Paul
McCullough and district senior
director Karl Logan say students
from the north Portland school
were subjected to the risk of harm
because of unauthorized actions
that were not in keeping with the
school’s obligation to ensure stu-
dent safety at all times.
During the walkout, students
were directed to lie down on
Northeast Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard near Ainsworth Street
as part of a die-in protest to support
the family of Quanice Haynes, an
unarmed black teenager killed by
Portland police last year.
The disciplinary action against
the teacher, identified as Chris
Riser, was criticized by his sup-
porters who have started a change.
org petition to help get him back
in the classroom. “He is a strong
voice for social justice, diversity
and equity,” the petition reads. “At
a critical time when gun violence
is rampant, Chris Riser is teaching
the kids that their greatest weapon
is their voice.
More than 1,300 people had
signed the petition as of Sunday.