Dear CPPS Supporter,

First of all, let us send a belated Thank You for helping to pass Measures 66 & 67.  This means that Portland Public Schools will not have a $22 million shortfall, which is good for our kids!  This would not have happened without all of us rolling up our sleeves and helping in a wide variety of ways.

But our work is never done. Read on to learn how we’re building family engagement systems and participating in the high school system design conversation.

Family Engagement Update

CPPS builds family engagement systems that empower parents, family and community in support of student learning. This year, we are involved in parent-organizing projects in several schools.
 
CPPS worked with partners to organize a Families Writing Together night at Tubman Middle School. The evening started with entertainment by the Young Women’s Academy Strings Orchestra. The event brought families of diverse backgrounds together to write poetry. Each family composed a poem that recalled fond memories and reflected their values and interests. The workshop, led by Renee Mitchell, promoted community-building within the school and demonstrated the power of having a family connection to academics.
 
In George Middle School, CPPS is teaming up with Sun and school staff to promote family engagement. A Multicultural Night was organized to bring parents students and teachers together to celebrate and learn about the diversity at their school. Teachers were invited to choose one of the 24 languages spoken at the school and create a learning activity related to the cultures that speak those languages. The Norman Sylvester Band performed and presented a program on the history of jazz in Portland. Parents, students, and teachers learned about the fascinating web of cultural traditions that link George community members together.

High School System Redesign

CPPS is developing a communications project to broaden the range of voices heard in the high school system redesign conversation. Our main focus is on reaching out to the families who are most excluded from the process and bringing their wisdom, ideas, and concerns to the table in this important discussion.

We will work with partners to develop long-term focus groups that will provide consistency and perspective as the system redesign evolves. We will be organizing in the Madison, Marshall, Jefferson, and Roosevelt clusters, focusing on middle-grade feeder schools. The results of the focus-group surveys will be available to CPPS members and the wider community on our website. Stay tuned for additional details.
 
Please Support Our Work

CPPS is developing a communications project to broaden the range of voices heard in the high school system redesign conversation. Our main focus is on reaching out to the families who are most excluded from the process and bringing their wisdom, ideas, and concerns to the table in this important discussion.
 
We will work with partners to develop long-term focus groups that will provide consistency and perspective as the system redesign evolves. We will be organizing in the Madison, Marshall, Jefferson, and Roosevelt clusters, focusing on middle-grade feeder schools. The results of the focus-group surveys will be available to CPPS members and the wider community on our website. Stay tuned for additional details.

 
CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education!
 

Sincerely,
 
Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org

Dear CPPS Supporter,

Only two days remain before polls close here in Oregon and the energy is high. We know we’re winning. But opposition turnout is high, and we are going to need every vote and every helping hand if we are going to claim victory on January 26th.
 
All across the state, Vote Yes for Oregon coalition volunteers are canvassing and making phone calls to help pass Measures 66 & 67, protecting healthcare, education, and public safety for all Oregonians.

The determination and persistence of our volunteers is truly inspiring. This last weekend, over 700 people packed into the Vote Yes for Oregon Campaign offices for our MLK day on the Move event.
 
Join us! In Portland and across the state, we’re knocking on doors and making calls to let voters know about Tuesday’s special election. Vote Yes supporters are working alongside teachers, nurses and elected officials to make sure that everyone who can vote knows where and how to get their ballot counted.

And that’s the sense on the ground today: that every vote truly does count. In a special election, voter turnout is key. These final two days are the last mile in this race. The energy and activism that we put into this race in the final push will send a clear message that Oregonians no longer will sit by and let corporations continue to pay just the $10 a year corporate minimum while our children lose school days and tuitions rise.

Arm Yourself with the Facts

Will Measures 66 & 67 affect you?
 
Know where you can turn in your ballot.
 
Get out the vote & volunteer for upcoming events.

Please Support Our Work

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today, and join us in voting YES on Measures 66 & 67.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education! 
 
Best wishes,
 
Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org

Dear CPPS Supporter,

As the January 26 elections approach, once again we want to encourage you to vote YES on Measures 66 & 67!
 
If you’re still undecided, or if you want to help us spread the word, please take a moment to read the letter below from the Vote Yes for Oregon Campaign Director, Kevin Looper. We hope you find it informative and inspiring.

A Letter from the Vote Yes For Oregon Campaign Director, Kevin Looper 

Really, you don’t want to be that person.
 
In twenty years of politics, I’ve talked to that person hundreds of times. After a close election, that person always comes up and says the same thing: “Oh my, I had NO IDEA it was going to be such a tight election, or I’d have done more to help.”
 
That person usually speaks without meeting my eyes. I do the same. It’s an awkward conversation to have, what with both of us looking at each other’s shoes. So let me please just tell you now:
 
The vote on Measures 66 & 67 is gonna be close.
 
When we took up this fight, the Oregonian headline said, “Proponents bet against history on tax votes.” No one thought we had a chance. Now the polls say we are ahead, but this is no time to relax. Polls measure opinions, but our job is to chase votes.
 
A lot of motivated, early voters are against us. No one really loves taxes. But some people really, really hate them, and those people are guaranteed to vote. Tobacco lobbyists and bank executives don’t have to go door to door to get out right-wing voters.
 
It’s a different story with our base. I hope my Mom will forgive me for saying this, but the good people of Portland and Eugene could use a little kick in the pants. Especially the young ones — and in this election, a young voter is under 60 (congratulations to all of you who qualify!).
 
It’s amazing to see hundreds of people on the phone every night, and the power of more than 900 people canvassing last weekend alone. But we need more. We need you.
 
So please, before it is too late, volunteer. Don’t worry about the rain. This is a once-in-a-lifetime political moment. We have the chance to make history, change the balance of power in Salem between school funding and social service advocates and the big corporate lobbyists, while preserving about a billion dollars worth of funding for schools, seniors, health care and public safety. This will only happen with your help.
 
If, for some reason, you really can’t make it in, go to our website and donate $100 so we can run another radio spot, or $500 for a cable ad. 
 
Don’t read this and think, “I’ll do it later.” Sign up right now, before you forget or someone asks you to do something else.

Oregon is a great place because great people like you care about it. Don’t miss your chance to shape its future. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and we need every free moment you have dedicated to helping secure this vote. ‘Cause, as I hope you heard me say, it’s gonna be close.
 
And come January 26th, I want to be able to look all of you in the eyes, smile, and say, “We did it.”
 
Sincerely,
 
Kevin Looper
Campaign Director, Vote Yes for Oregon
 
P.S. Seriously: right now. Click here: http://voteyesfororegon.org/volunteer/ 

Please Support Our Work

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today, and join us in voting YES on Measures 66 & 67.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education! 
 
Best wishes,
 
Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org

Dear CPPS Supporter,

Happy New Year! As we all recover from the holiday celebrations, it’s time to turn to the topic of education funding once again. On January 26, 2010, we all have an opportunity to vote to protect Portland’s public schools from devastating budget cuts. Please join CPPS in voting Yes on Measures 66 and 67!

January 26 Ballot Measures

On January 26, Oregonians will choose how to respond to this recession. Voting Yes on Measures 66 and 67 will protect our schools and critical services when we need them most by asking corporations and households that make more than $250,000 to pay a little more.  The passage of these measures will protect almost $23 million in funding for the next two years in PPS, or around $430 per student.

The CPPS Board of Directors has strongly endorsed both Measures and we will be contacting voters this January to ensure that likely YES voters will turn in their ballots.

Help Us Spread the Word

Please help us as we contact voters through education-focused phone banks. You can join us on Wednesday, January 6 and/or Monday, January 11, 5-8 p.m. at the Portland Association of Teachers, 325 NE 8th Street. State School Superintendent Susan Castillo will be joining us on January 6.  Please RSVP.
 
Would you rather go door-to-door?  Please join us on Saturday, January 9, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the same location. Again, please RSVP so we can know how many people to expect.

Nonpartisan Voters’ Guide

Our friends at the League of Women Voters have created a Nonpartisan Voters’ Guide. Please read it and share it with other voters.
 
CPPS has fully endorsed Measures 66 & 67 and urges a YES vote.  Please let us know if you have any questions about the measures or their implications for Portland’s public schools. We’d be happy to share what we’ve learned.

Measures 66 & 67 on Facebook

Learn more on Facebook! Vote yes on 66 & 67 for Portland Public Schools.

Please Support Our Work

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education!
 
Happy New Year!
 
Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org

Dear CPPS Supporter,

From all of us at CPPS, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! We appreciate all you do throughout the year for the children in Portland Public Schools, and we look forward to continuing to work with you throughout 2010 and beyond.

Please Take a Short Survey

We want to develop a closer connection with our members!  Each month, we will try to create a very simple survey exploring your thoughts and experiences regarding your children’s schools.  Our desire is to tie that information more closely to our work.
 
This month, we’d like to know more about which topics interest you most.  Please take a few minutes to complete this short, four-question survey.

SCRAP Field Trips

From art to zippers, SCRAP is a wonderland of thousands of creative reuse materials. Located in Northeast Portland, the organization inspires environmentally sustainable behavior by offering educational programs and materials needed to spark creativity while learning about waste reduction and reuse.  If you know any schools and teachers who might be interested in SCRAP’s fun-filled, educational field trips, please direct them to the SCRAP website or contact the organization’s field trip coordinator, Jon Toorock.

Marysville Auction

In the aftermath of the November 11 fire that consumed the Marysville School in SE Portland, many businesses and community organizations donated clothing, backpacks, and school supplies to help the community make a smooth transition to a temporary new home in the Rose City Park school building. However, the need is still great.
 
On January 7, group of local school fundraising professionals will host a benefit auction and dinner at the Ambridge Events Center (1333 NE MLK Blvd.) to raise money for the Marysville School PTA. Tickets can be purchased for $30 each. For more information, read the full announcement. To make a donation, contact Laura Davis.

Thank You for Your Support

As 2009 draws to a close, please remember that CPPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and your donation is tax-deductible. Take advantage of the tax savings by making a donation by December 31. You may donate through our website or through the donation page for our parent organization, Parents for Public Schools – just select “OR-Portland” as the chapter designation.

Please Support Our Work

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education!
 

Happy Holidays,

Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org

Dear CPPS Supporter,

We intended for this newsletter to be an update of the work we’re doing, but the recent Marysville School event has overshadowed everything else.  Like all of you, we were deeply saddened that the building that housed the Marysville community was lost, and incredibly relieved that all the children and staff were unharmed. 
 
As Thanksgiving approaches, we are thankful to school staff, who ensured that children got safely out of the building and felt safe and cared for.  We’re thankful to the emergency responders, who came quickly and even managed to save the school pets.  We’re thankful that we live in a community that provides so much support when it’s needed — sheltering the waiting students and staff in the nearby library, providing lunch, and working almost immediately to prepare Rose City Park for its new inhabitants.
 
Yet there is more work to be done. Below are just a few ways you can help.

Help Marysville School Recover From the Fire 

Schoolhouse Supplies is accepting supplies and financial donations on behalf of Marysville at its office, located at Madison High School, 2735 NE 82nd Ave (lower parking lot). For information, call (503) 249-9933.

The Oregon PTA and Portland Council PTA are accepting coats, jackets, and sweaters, as well as supplies. Drop off donations at the Marshall Campus, 3905 SE 91st Ave, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
 
Hands On Greater Portland is coordinating efforts to prepare the Rose City Park grounds.  Volunteer slots have filled up quickly, but there will be other opportunities in the coming days to help Rose City Park and other PPS schools. 

Changes to the PPS High School System 

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. Learn more.

Meetings will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., unless otherwise noted:

• Tue, Nov 17 – Grant High School, 2245 NE 36th Ave, 7:00 p.m.
• Mon, Nov 30 – Cleveland High School, 3400 SE 26th Ave
• Mon, Nov 30 – Lincoln High School, 1600 SW Salmon St
• Tue, Dec 1 – Jefferson High School, 5210 N Kerby Ave
• Tue, Dec 1 – Marshall Campus, 3905 SE 91st Ave
• Wed, Dec 2 – Wilson High School, 1151 SW Vermont St
• Wed, Dec 2 – Roosevelt Campus, 6941 N Central St
• Thu, Dec 3 – Franklin High School, 5405 SE Woodward St
• Thu, Dec 3 – Madison High School, 2735 NE 82nd Ave

We’ve also formulated ten questions for these meetings, which you can download from our website.  We encourage you to bring your own questions to the meetings, and to use or modify our questions as well.
 
Protect Oregon This Thanksgiving 

Oregonians need to come together to make sure that those who need us most–children, seniors, and struggling families–aren’t left in the cold with nowhere to turn. This Thanksgiving, that means working to pass Measures 66 and 67 in order to preserve critical funding for schools and basic services that Oregonians depend on.
 
The election is more than two months away (January 26), but here are four ways you can get involved over the next two weeks to help protect Oregon’s future.
 
1. Host a Turkey Talk on Thanksgiving
 
Why not turn your Thanksgiving Feast into an opportunity to talk to your friends and family about what’s at stake this January? To get your Turkey Talk Kit, which includes conversation starters, FAQs, and even a simple table piece, call 503-234-0444, email Christel Allen, or download it directly.
 
2. Honor a Favorite Teacher by Knocking on Some Doors
 
Show your appreciation for a favorite teacher by taking part in an I Heart My Teacher Neighborhood Walk on Sunday, November 22, 1-5pm. Learn more and RSVP at (503) 234-0444.
 
3. Attend a Vote Yes For Oregon Campaign Kickoff!
 
Attend a campaign kickoff meeting for the Vote Yes For Oregon Coalition. Hear the latest updates on the campaign, find out how you can help support Measures 66 and 67, and take home stickers, lawn signs, and more! November 17, 6-8 p.m. at the Hollywood Senior Center, 1820 NE 40th.
 
4. Sign the Vote Yes Pledge
 
If you haven’t already done so, sign the Vote Yes For Oregon Pledge. This will let the campaign leaders know they can count on your Yes vote this January, so they can focus their efforts on voters who still need to hear about what’s at stake. Sign the Pledge now!

CPPS Seeks Independent Contractor 

CPPS seeks an independent contractor for its Parent Leadership Conference (to be held in March, 2010). Job responsibilities include:

• Recruit & train volunteers
• Arrange all conference logistics
• Schedule presentations & speakers
• Facilitate volunteer PLC committee
• Submit written report after conference

Please submit your résumé and cover letter to couch.kathy@gmail.com.

Monthly Survey 

We want to develop a closer connection with our members!  Each month, we will try to create a very simple survey exploring your thoughts and experiences regarding your children’s schools.  Our desire is to tie that information more closely to our work.

This month, we’d like to know more about which topics interest you.  Please take a few minutes to complete this short, four-question survey.

Please Support Our Work 

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education!
 
Best,
Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org

These two measures protect funding for education, healthcare, and public safety while keeping the burden off of middle-class families and the folks who are already struggling just to make ends meet. These measures do this by making sure that corporations and the richest households are paying their fair share to fund classrooms in communities all over Oregon.  Our schools can no longer afford for two-thirds of corporations doing business in Oregon to pay just $10 a year, the corporate minimum income tax (unchanged since 1931). 

Voting YES on these measures is critical to protecting Oregon’s classrooms and to making Oregon’s tax system fairer for middle-class families.

Take the first step in defending Oregon’s education, healthcare, and public safety; sign the Defend Oregon Pledge and learn more about these tax fairness measures.

Dear CPPS Supporter,

We hope your school year is off to a good start!  We at CPPS are once again working on a number of fronts to make our schools better for all of our kids.  But we can’t do it without your help.  Please join our efforts and maximize your impact on Portland’s public schools.

Family Engagement

This year, PPS has mandated that all schools develop a Parent and Family Involvement Plan and a Family Engagement Action Plan. The action plan focuses on helping students become better writers.   Principals have been given the templates (see pp. 12-14 ) to guide schools in the process of developing and reviewing the plans.

CPPS will partner with the district to offer technical support as schools develop their plans. If your school would like assistance, please contact CPPS Co-President Linda Olson.
 
We are also selecting schools to pilot a Partnership School Model for Family Engagement based on Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family/School Partnerships. This book describes compelling, practical ways to collaborate in building partnerships to make schools welcoming to all parents and create a culture of learning and achievement. One of the authors, Harvard professor Karen Mapp, is a member of our national organization, Parents for Public Schools. CPPS will provide a free copy of this book to your school upon request.

Opportunities for Involvement

So far this academic year, we have had two meetings with PPS staff on developing a coordinated approach for PPS to support its schools (clear expectations, best practices, etc.) and establish accountability. This is a huge step forward for PPS, but it won’t happen unless we all help make it happen.
 
Here are two ways you can help: 

1. Become a CPPS School Ambassador.  We’ll provide training on how family engagement practices can be implemented at your school, which you can share with other parents and your principal at PTA and site council meetings while keeping us informed on how your school is moving forward.
2. If you have more time and want to learn how to advocate at the district level, join our Family Engagement Team.

Please contact CPPS Co-President Linda Olson if you’re interested in learning more about either opportunity.
 
We’re also working on these other important issues, and we’ll share more information about them in the near future:

• High school redesign
• Principal hiring and evaluation
• Parent Leadership Conference
• Bond measure for modernizing school buildings

Please send us an email if you’re interested in any of these areas.

January Vote on Tax Increases

There will be a vote in January on whether the recent tax increases on corporations and upper-income households approved by the Legislature will be implemented.  
 
The CPPS Board is urging a YES vote to implement the taxes.  If these taxes are overturned, there will be immediate budget cuts in education and other essential services.  We invite you to become involved in the campaign at http://www.defendoregon.org/.

Openings on PPS Enrollment and Transfer Committee

The citizens committee that advises Superintendent Carole Smith on student enrollment and transfer issues has two open positions. School district officials will begin reviewing applications the week of Sept. 21, but will accept applications until Oct. 1.

CPPS Leadership

Long-time board member Sheila Warren has resigned from the CPPS Board of Directors. We will miss her, but we wish her all the best in her new role as the founder and president of the PPS Parent Union. Board member Gretchen Dursch has agreed to step in as the new CPPS vice-president. Thank you, Gretchen!

Please Support Our Work

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education!
 
Best,
Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org

Dear Member,

It is my pleasure to invite you to attend our CPPS Annual Members’ Meeting on Sunday, June 7. This annual meeting is our opportunity to meet you and other supporters face to face. We want to personally thank you for your support of CPPS and for your involvement in Portland’s public schools.

Event Details

What: 2009 CPPS Annual Members’ Meeting
When: Sunday, June 7, 1:00-3:00
Where: Kennedy School Community Room; 5736 NE 33rd Ave; Portland, OR  97211 (view map)
 
Enjoy light refreshments and great conversation with other public school education advocates as we speak with Heidi Franklin, PPS Chief Financial Officer, about the budget for PPS.

Tentative Agenda

• Opening remarks and introductions
• PPS budget discussion with Heidi Franklin, PPS Chief Financial Officer, and Doug Wells, CPPS President and co-chair of the PPS Citizen Budget Review Committee
• Discussion of CPPS vision for next year
• Election of new officers and board members
• Discussion and approval of CPPS budget
• Closing remarks

We hope to see you there!

Special Education Survey

If your child is one of the approximately 6,000 students receiving special education services in Portland Public Schools, you will be interested to know that PPS is conducting a review of its services.  Please take a short online survey designed for parents. It will become part of the data the District considers in making any changes in the Special Education Department.

School Board Elections

Thank you to everyone who voted in the May 19 school board elections, and congratulations to Pam Knowles, Martin Gonzaléz, and Trudy Sargent for winning seats on the school board. We look forward to working with each of them throughout their four-year terms.

Please Support Our Work

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education!
 
Best,
Doug Wells
CPPS President
doug@cppsportland.org

—

At a time of year when principals across the district are being shuffled around, the Madison controversy is just the most recent example of the nagging dissatisfaction parents, teachers and others have with the processes the district uses to place and evaluate principals in school buildings.

The education advocacy groups Portland Stand for Children and Community and Parents for Public Schools made the issue a priority last year when they sat down with human resources administrators to adopt improvements.

While district leaders say the system has been “revamped,” some parents and teachers still report feeling stymied and stonewalled when they feel their principal isn’t a good fit for their school, the Tribune has found through numerous interviews.

“I taught in a school district for 31 years, have many friends who are teachers, and I have never, ever known of anyone asking me what I thought of my supervisor,” said Rick Barasch, who retired from the district last year after teaching in four elementary and middle schools. “Whether they were the world’s greatest principal or the worst principal. Most of my principals have been OK. But no one has ever asked me, and there’s something not right with that.”