A Long Read of Asks, Reports, Opinions, Confirmations experiences and Comparisons
OUR MISSION (Long Read )
Our Mission is to organize Parents for better outcomes by enriching them through support, information and education. We are dedicated to parents: to involve their families, to anticipate their challenges and help them to take advantage of opportunities to guarantee a successful student. We are dedicated to the Parent's development of leadership skills, knowledge and responsibility.
After the Race Talks Event in February 2020
March 2020, I called schoolboard members who had committed to supporting our asks "trust Circles". We had agreed to meet once a month with Scott, Julia - Board Chair in the beginning, that is why her name on the letter, Amy and Eidit (Board Chair now). It was told to us that only three or four could meet because schoolboard rules only allows a minimum number of members to do the kind of activity we requested. If the whole board participated than that would become a PPS sponsored gathering where certain security rules would set in.
Amy K. past board chair and I where the last to meet for planning and then of course, it happened, she had to cancel because, now, that day PPS was changing into a COVID Alert Mode and Later decided to close down. See Our Site called "It's not Black or White"
They had soon forgotten our agreement. Yes PPS making promises but the Pandemic was the distraction. We are sadly mistaken if we think the PPSSB is going to honor their promises? Our strategic action always has to be, "stay in their faces," constantly reminding them of their promises!?
We sent a letter and ended up having some Zoom Conferences after it took a long while for everyone figuring out the communication methods. Which ended not being so fulfilling.
Then the Schoolboard election happened. We lost two who promised this gathering but we are hopeful because the ones who took their place are our community members, our friends! We are back in the process of building a relationship with the new ones. Turnover and/or attrition is our worst enemy. Because of it we always have to start over again or rebuild or reteach or start over with relationship building
.
We are the Families
fed up with the racism, classism, push out, so called achievement gap and exclusion within our education institutions.
We are families who will demand our rights for our children to get the education they deserve. We will take our place as experts of our
children back. We will model the strength and tenacity of a strong father/mother/grandparent/guardian who does not give up.
These are our children- pushed out excluded, labeled, profiled, hurting and marginalized... Some have no hope. Through our efforts we will restore that hope.
We will do this with our love, support, education, engagement, mentoring and sometimes even with tough love.
We will take full responsibility along with accountability to galvanize, organize, and strategize the families.
Our goal is to rejuvenate our Family community/families through diverse methods as mentioned above.
Our Vision is to see transformed quality of life within our school communities. Our families will be whole again and the achievement gap closed. PARENT POWER
ENVISIONING: 2014*15
TO THE DAY GUARDIANS OF PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS' STUDENTS
The 2015 Report Card articulates positive and not so positive experiences with PPS in trying to ensure a fundamental right to education based on the best practices, research and experiences of Portland Parent Union and Dignity In Schools, along with the moratorium work. We are proposing a human rights framework for Portland Public Schools who claim to be grounded in principles of equity, dignity and community participation. Our report is a culmination of several years of advocacy, dialogue, support, pushing back. Along with marginalized students, parents, educators and community members. (this section referenced from the Model Code )
We envision a school system that supports all children and young people in reaching their full potential. PPS we can't seem to get there! WHY?
All children and youth have a human right to quality public education in safe and supportive environments, providing a foundation for access to higher education, meaningful employment and full participation in society. Yet the current PPS educational policies and practices are pushing many young people out of school. PPU and PPS agreed this was a huge problem in PPS and decided to do something about it. Thus the "Moratorium Committee"! The Campaign "Solutions not Suspensions".
The role of parents in leading efforts to improve their neighborhood schools is usually ignored in portrayals of school reform. PARENT POWER WILL dramatically demonstrate how grassroots organizing generates school improvement on a wide scale in Oregon's largest school district. Through the voices of local parents and community members and partners, the PPU REPORT CARD chronicles stages of ineffective parent support from PPS across PPU's MORATORIUM CAMPAIGN which tried to intentionally include all stakeholders to support a paradigm shift in the school discipline practices.
We offer written report containing an evaluation of PPS's behaviors, performances, history or accomplishments as adjudged by others. In 2013 when the Moratorium idea was first introduced; Discipline Disparity results were presented in data form from PPS's Student Services Dept. along with a testimony from PPU and CEP, impacted organizations who have pushed back on PPS for many years. Results were presented to the School Board and the Superintendent. Progress [or the lack thereof] was monitored and tracked over time partly in response to the growing concern of the quality of PPS's educational support to black males in their system. As a result of the implementation of promoting a request for a discipline moratorium a movement began. The board at the time was on board and PPS claimed to be ready to work with us.
We had "Solutions not Suspensions" meetings once a month 3rd Wednesday. With the equity and school climate departments Called MRC. We had revamped the discipline code matching up with the Model Code and the Teachers Union voted against it. Teachers where on a rampage of kids behavior being over the top and they could not take it anymore. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hewg4EemOQc
Excerpt From Report Card about teachers 2015
https://simplysheilas.wixsite.com/ppureportcard1/p-a-t-safety-and-discipline
ANOTHER GROUP PPS HAS FAILED IS THE TEACHERS as well as we struggled with the teachers to support us
THE TEACHERS SUMMARY OF SAFETY AND DISCIPLINE PPU agrees with most of this statement below we asked them constantly to work with parents especially the ones they Claim are parents of disruptive children
TEACHERS P.A.T.
Teachers, students in danger Sullivan, president of the Portland Association of Teachers, said for all the talk of alternative strategies, administrators have so far only mandated a reduction in exclusions — with dire safety consequences.
“It’s serious stuff,” Sullivan said, relating stories of teachers who endure threats of violence and death or break up physical fights, only to have the students show up back in class with no consequences.
“We’ve heard in close to every single building that there are huge issues with them not following through on the PPS discipline handbook,” Sullivan said.
In the last two years, she says she has received a dramatic increase in the number of complaints from her member teachers about discipline issues.
“The district isn’t engaging us on what would be a better way,” Sullivan said. “The district doesn’t. They’re not providing any solutions. That’s putting all our kids in jeopardy.”
Sullivan said she supports the work of Warren’s Portland Parents Union and agrees that a program like restorative justice could help.
By the district setting a goal of reducing exclusions without first putting significant funding towards alternatives, such as counselors or behavioral programs, she says teachers and students are caught in a violent cycle.
“You’re saying it’s OK,” she said. “You’re really re-emphasizing that this behavior is acceptable. ... It shows the rest of the class that they can behave that way. ”
2021/ Suggestions From "The Letter"
Please recognize the best things you can do for us is to become steadfast, consistent and persistent with engaging the most impacted in conversations ongoing as well as bringing them in as your consultants in such matters! You can’t advocate for what you don’t know. You can only advocate for what you do know and that can only translate to limited knowledge (understandings)! It is impossible unless you do the work of gathering the essence of “ALL” children. Homework is necessary to be a leader who champions all families!
We at PPU are weary of doing “restarts of hope” only for those who claim they are for all children are really not able to fulfill their promises. This is one of the issues that creates distrust!
The Power Paradox
True power requires modesty and empathy, not force and coercion, argues Dacher Keltner. But what people want from leaders—social intelligence—is what is damaged by the experience of power.
BY DACHER KELTNER | DECEMBER 1, 2007
Our expectations are for you all to fight for “ALL” school children because this is the message one gives when running for school board. You all make us believe that this is the purpose?
The obligation is to find the knowledge you don’t know by building relationships, showing up socially or for dialogue when invited and being dogmatic about learning about all whom you claim to represent. You and others have been invited to our PPU Circles, Trust Circles, People Celebrating People and Restorative Listening dialogue over the years. We can name on three fingers who shows up. We keep inviting all to come to us to hear our stories. It’s a simple action! We can, then, answer the question school and board members often ask “Why is it families of color and poor white families do not show up to our meetings?”
Make sure that you encourage inclusive ongoing conversations. Always look to empower people in that way! Develop a team of the most affected/marginalized allies who can counsel you!
Organizing for school reform offers an urgently needed alternative to traditional approaches to school reform. While many current reforms are innovative, they often fail to thrive due to lack of trust, understanding, or cultural relevance to the community being targeted by the reform (Oakes & Rogers 2006; Payne 2008). The high turnover of reformers (superintendents, principals, or outside organizations) in high-need schools and districts is another major cause of school reform failure (Mintrop & Sunderman 2009). Finally, reforms also fail because they do not address extreme inequities in resources and empowerment between poor communities and their more privileged counterparts (Oakes & Rogers 2006; Renée, Welner & Oakes 2010).
Credits: Oakes and Rogers 2006; Renee, Welner & Oakes 2010, Sheila Washington Warren Portland Parent Union Founder and Director, BreneBrown, How to Raise Your Voice to Break Through Silence: Laura Sergy and Andrea Menard, Dave Beckwith, with Cristina Lopez -Center for Community Change
