News
Head Start
High Point Juneteenth
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the door to the largest full-day Head Start program in the
metro area.
But the fact that the respected institution was ranked next
to last among all the applicants despite a history of educa-
tional innovations and a spotless financial record is raising
the alarm about who is driving the changes in early child-
hood education in the state.
“This crew at the state came in with the imperious notion
that they knew what was best for Head Start. Much like the
Obama administration,” Herndon says. “Both have imple-
mented policies that have harmed Head Start.
“Neither had the good sense to talk with the Head Start
community before developing policies. Or to ask the com-
munity three simple questions, ‘What is working, what
needs to be fixed and will you help us?’”
Rupley says the state grant is for expanding programs that
serve communities where kids are not “kindergarten ready,”
and that show innovation in their approach as well as new
ideas in engaging the outside community.
“The grants were then competitively scored because there
are always more requests for slots and students then there
are monies to be able to give for innovation,” Rupley said.
“So they were very, very competitive applications.”
Rupley pointed to two standout programs that did receive
the funding – Portland Public Schools’ Head Start destined
for the district’s new Early Learning Center at the newly
rebuilt Clarendon Elementary School in North Portland;
and the Oregon Child Development Coalition’s Head Start
focusing on Klamath tribal children in the Chiloquin School
District.
“I think that some of what we were looking at is what
kind of things were they doing to reach out to their commu-
nity in a different way than they have in the past,” Rupley
said.
“Sometimes applications don’t reflect the good works that
are going on in organizations, and that’s probably the part
that I think is the very hardest thing to say to somebody —
that you may be telling me all these things are going on in
your organization but that didn’t show up on the paper that
the reviewers read. “And that’s the kindest way I know how
to say it, and that’s the hardest part of competition.”
Herndon points to a laundry list of innovations at Albina’s
22 locations, including family advocates to help families
navigate county social service systems; free preventive den-
tal care for kids and pregnant moms; an in-house Health
Team that incorporates high school and college students
working towards degrees in related fields; a fresh food part-
nership with a local catering vendor for healthier school
meals; an expanded multi-lingual Pen Pal program linking
kids in Oregon, California, Texas and Mexico.
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
‘Neither had the good sense
to talk with the Head Start
community before
developing policies’
Sisters Presea’ 6, Pre’a 3 and Presaia, 6, enjoy some food at what organizers hope to be the first
annual Juneteenth Celebration, June 22 in the High Point Neighborhood. The event also included
music by Leif Totusek and Thione Diop, food, and a presentation by event organizer and fitness
and wellness expert Liz Davis.
Herndon is proudest of Albina Head Start’s new Mandarin
Chinese immersion program, taught by an instructor from
China, which inspired Portland Public Schools to install a
continuation program at King Elementary School starting
this fall.
“This is the first time the Black community has ever start-
ed a language program,” he says. “And Portland Public
‘Sometimes applications don’t
reflect the good works that are
going on in organizations, and
that’s probably the part that I
think is the very hardest thing to
say to somebody’
Schools thought highly of it enough that they went with it
and are starting the same thing at King – and that Mandarin
immersion program goes all the way through high school.”
Albina was awarded a Spirit of Portland Award in 2011
for Outstanding Organization. Just last week the group
learned that its application to the federal New Market Tax
Credit financing program was successful, allowing them to
eliminate all their outstanding debts and pay off the mort-
gages on three of their program buildings.
“We serve the largest number and percentage of black
children in the state,” Herndon says. “We probably have the
most diverse staff. And that’s the thing that’s disturbing to
me, these people down in Salem talking about ‘the equity
lens’ and ‘equity.’
“From the very inception of education reform in the state,
I think you have people who probably have good intentions
but have never successfully run programs that impact the
children that they say they want to help–the folks that are
furthest behind in the achievement gap.”
Herndon on Tuesday night sent an official letter to the
Early Learning Council to appeal the grant award, but Rup-
ley on Monday said there is no appeal process.
“I feel badly for Albina because I know they’re doing
good work and I will continue to reach out, because I have
worked with all of the Head Start providers across the
state,” Rupley said.
“And I think that Ron will tell you that I’ve listened to
him for two years. I’ve learned an incredible amount from
him, and so we will continue to work in the direction that I
know that he feels is important too.”
Find out more about Albina Head Start www.albina-
parents.org.
Teens
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The state plans public service announce-
ments, parent guides and “new rules for
packaging and labeling.”
The state Liquor Control Board has
already banned packaging with cartoons or
depictions of children, and mandates that
product labels list amounts of active THC,
and ingredient lists.
“The initiative legalized marijuana only
for adults 21 and over and it is incumbent
on everyone — retailers, parents, health
professionals and public officials — to do
everything possible to keep pot away from
kids,” Inslee said. “If we fail in that, Wash-
ington’s regulated, retail market for
marijuana may fail, too.”
“The federal government sent a strong
message to Washington and Colorado that
we must enforce against underage access to
marijuana,” says Attorney General Bob Fer-
guson.
A $400,000 education campaign by the
state Department of Health targets parents’
responsibility to educate kids about the
health effects of pot, view it at www.learn-
aboutmarijuanawa.org/.
“Teens who use marijuana regularly are at
higher risk for addiction and are more likely
to get lower grades in school,” says State
Health Officer Kathy Lofy, M.D.
Meanwhile Inslee on Tuesday announced
a “comprehensive review of the criminal
“We’re forecasted to need another 1,000
prison beds by 2018, and I think this is the
right time to take a step back, take a deep
look at our current system and talk about
opportunities to effectively leverage our
public safety dollars,” Inslee said in rolling
out the effort.
“I’m hopeful the work of this task force
The state’s prisons are currently 2 percent over
capacity, and are expecting a 7 percent jump
in the next decade, which is expected to cost
some $387 million to $481 million
justice system” to find ways to slow the
prison system’s growth and improve public
safety.
Inslee signed an executive order creating
a bipartisan Justice Reinvestment Task
Force to study the system.
will reveal the drivers of prison growth so
we can develop strategies to address them
while continuing to improve public safety
consistent with our Results Washington
goal measure of reducing recidivism.”
“By launching this project and establish-
ing an inter-branch task force, Washington
becomes the 23rd state to take important
steps through the JRI toward creating new
justice reform policies grounded in research
and state-specific data that will improve
community safety,” said Bureau of Justice
Assistance Director Denise E. O’Donnell.
Inslee’s office says the state’s prisons are
currently 2 percent over capacity, and are
expecting a 7 percent jump in the next
decade.
Number crunchers estimate that rate of
growth will cost somewhere between $387
million and $481 million in construction
and operating expenses.
Inslee’s 21-member task force includes
lawmakers and representatives from across
the law enforcement community as well as
a former offender and one community
member.
It will be led by Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-
Hoquiam and the governor’s general
counsel, Nick Brown.
June 25, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 3