A note to the neighborhood from a few Abernethy/Hosford/Cleveland parents…
“…if you want your neighborhood high school to remain that way, and your community to remain a community, please come to the meeting….”
Monday, November 30
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Cleveland High School
RESCHEDULED TO:
Tuesday, December 8
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Cleveland High School
UPDATED PRESS RELEASE FROM PPS:
Reminder: PPS Families Invited to High School System Design Meetings
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This is a reminder that Portland Public Schools and the Portland Council PTA invite you to join the conversation about the future of the high school system. Come to any of eight community meetings — starting tonight and running through Dec. 17.
Meeting dates/locations
Monday, Nov. 30 Lincoln High School, 1600 S.W. Salmon St.
Tuesday, Dec. 1 Jefferson High School, 5210 N. Kerby Ave.
Wednesday, Dec. 2 Roosevelt Campus, 6941 N. Central St.
Tuesday, Dec. 8 Cleveland High School, 3400 S.E. 26th Ave.
Wednesday, Dec. 9 Marshall Campus, 3905 S.E. 91st Ave.
Thursday, Dec. 10 Wilson High School, 1151 S.W. Vermont St.
Tuesday, Dec. 15 Madison High School, 2735 N.E. 82nd Ave.
Thursday, Dec. 17 Franklin High School, 5405 S.E. Woodward St.All meetings are from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and most will be held in the cafeteria. A meeting was held at Grant High School Nov. 17.
Translation services and childcare for children 3 and older will be available at the meetings. Learn more about High School System Design at highschools.pps.k12.or.us.
Meeting content
Each meeting will include a presentation and discussion of a proposed high school system model that includes community schools, focus (small) schools and education options (charters and alternative schools).Participants will have a chance to give feedback on the proposed model, and to offer their specific thoughts about the academic program that should be offered at all community schools. School district leaders will be available to answer questions and to hear concerns and ideas.
Next steps
These conversations at every neighborhood high school are the next step in refining the model and implementation plans. Your feedback about what academic program should be offered in each community high school will inform Superintendent Carole Smith as she prepares to recommend to the school board early next year how many community high schools the system should have and the enrollment size at each.Early next year, the school district will again invite community engagement on the next important choices: which current high school campuses will house community schools, which will become smaller focus schools and which might have other uses. At that point, the discussion will move from the abstract model to allow community members to weigh options for specific campuses and possible boundary changes.
Major changes not until fall 2011
In mid 2010, the Portland School Board will be asked to make a series of critical decisions to implement the new High School System. The first improvements to high schools will start in the fall of 2010, but major changes including closing current neighborhood high school campuses, implementing new high school attendance boundaries or opening new focus schools will not occur until the fall of 2011.###
See note from neighbor Robin Corrigan & PPS release below:
I am writing to you to let you know about the Portland District High School Redesign meeting coming up on Tuesday, December 8
Monday, November 30, to be held at Cleveland High School from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.I am sure you’ve all been more or less following the Portland District’s plan to revamp the high school system. Some schools will be designated “magnet” or “education option” facilities. If a neighborhood school is turned into a magnet or education option, then all students wishing to go to that school will be required to enter a lottery, even though they live in the area that had been served by that school when it was a neighborhood school.
The District says that it has not made a decision as to which schools will become magnets. However, rumors are swirling that Cleveland might be being considered a good choice for a magnet because of the success of the IB program. I just got off the phone with John Wilhelmi, the leader of the high school system design team at PPS, who assured me that no decisions had been made. But he also said that no school was NOT being considered for changes. He encouraged all interested community members to come to the meeting at Cleveland to hear the District proposals up to this point.
And I’m encouraging you to do the same. We think that a strong neighborhood showing might convince the District to keep Cleveland a neighborhood school. So if you’re free on Monday night November 30, please consider coming to the meeting. I know we all hate evening meetings, but this one is important.
Please forward this email to friends who might be interested.
Thanks
Robin
RELEASE FROM PPS:
Nine meetings scheduled on High School System
11/10/2009
Portland Public Schools and the Portland Council PTA will host meetings at the school district’s nine high school campuses about plans for the PPS High School System.
Meetings will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., except at Grant High School, where it begins at 7 p.m. Dates and locations are:
•Tuesday, Nov.17 – Grant High School, 2245 N.E. 36th Ave.
•Monday, Nov. 30 – Cleveland High School, 3400 S.E. 26th Ave.
•Monday, Nov. 30 – Lincoln High School, 1600 S.W. Salmon St.
•Tuesday, Dec. 1 – Jefferson High School, 5210 N. Kerby Ave.
•Tuesday, Dec. 1 – Marshall Campus, 3905 S.E. 91st Ave.
•Wednesday, Dec. 2 – Wilson High School, 1151 S.W. Vermont St.
•Wednesday, Dec. 2 – Roosevelt Campus, 6941 N. Central St.
•Thursday, Dec. 3 – Franklin High School, 5405 S.E. Woodward St.
•Thursday, Dec. 3 – Madison High School, 2735 N.E. 82nd Ave.
The goal is a high school system that serves all students better; the model includes community schools, focus schools and education options. Participants will hear an overview of plans and be invited to talk about their expectations for the community schools and their offerings.
All families, students, PPS employees and community members are invited to attend the meeting at their neighborhood high school or one that fits their schedule. Translation services will be available.