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Portlanders
want quality public education for the
city’s children,
young adults and lifelong learners.
Education is a fundamental component
of a well-functioning, economically healthy,
vibrant city. Respondents recognize that
education happens on both the individual
and community levels and want to see an
integrated system of early childhood education
through high school, college, professional
and community education that meets the
needs of community members as well as
the city and our regional economy.
When considering education, Portlanders
frequently mention the value of lifelong
learning. They believe that learning communities
have a higher sense of social cohesion
and civic duty, and that community education
and information sharing enables us to
find creative, innovative solutions to
seemingly intractable problems. Portlanders
see education as the foundation necessary
to achieving individual and community
goals.
Note: For
more on improving the quality of public,
see Education:
Pre-K-12 Schools. For more on young
people and families see Social
Issues: Family & Youth.
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The success of our community depends
on the success of our public schools.
- Active
community involvement strengthens our
public schools.
- A strong
neighborhood school system benefits
the entire community.
- The
success of our community depends
on the success of our public
schools.
- Portlanders want a strong
public school system and believe
it will be a resource that benefits
the entire community, not just
students and their parents.
- Respondents believe strong
schools play a vital role in
building successful communities
by:
- Providing children with
quality education to become
productive community members
and leaders;
- Acting as a force of upward
social and economic mobility;
- Attracting businesses
and good jobs by developing
the skills of the future
workforce (see Economy:
Business);
- Serving as centers of
community activity and learning
(such as Schools Uniting
Neighborhoods sites);
- Reducing criminal or harmful
behavior; and
- Increasing the quality
of life for both students
and the wider community.
- Respondents believe that the
success or failure of public
education will be an indicator
of our city’s future, as most
Portlanders rely on public schools
to educate their children.
| "Portland
citizens cannot lose sight
of the importance of a strong
public education system,
both directly (for parents
of school-age children)
and indirectly (as community
members who benefit from
an educated populace.)"
|
| "I
think great cities start
with great schools." |
| "If
Portland wants to become
a truly international city,
one that supports business,
embodies progressive, forward-thinking
and positive growth, it
needs to make great strides
in supporting, financing
and planning to build a
stronger public educational
system for our city. |
- Active
community involvement strengthens
our public schools.
- Greater community engagement
in schools is viewed as a way
to improve teaching and learning
in the classroom and to promote
the intellectual development
of students.
- Portlanders believe that strengthening
education is the responsibility
of the entire community, and
that school improvement efforts
are most effective when sustained
by active community involvement
and partnerships.
- Respondents want increased
volunteerism in schools, such
as internships and mentoring
programs, to support educational
attainment and achievement (see
Education:
Community Education).
- Build a strong relationship
between schools and the business
community (see Economic:
Business).
- Offer incentives for professionals
to volunteer in the lives of
youth, either during school
times or after school.
| "More
parental involvement
in public schools." |
| "I
would like to see people
getting more involved
in the schools. We should
set up organizations
to bring the community
together for the betterment
of schools." |
| "I
would like to see the
Mayor ... provide leadership
to bring the business,
post secondary and social
service communities
together to champion
high school graduation
with college/work ready
skills for all." |
- Encourage interaction
between students and other community
members, such as seniors, by
allowing school-based volunteers
to obtain a tax credit.
- Provide a forum for a community
discussion about responsibility
and the role for government
versus parents in making schools
and the education of youth successful.
- Businesses could adopt a school
to support classrooms, reinstate
music and art classes or improve
playgrounds.
- "I would like to see city
employees volunteering at Portland
Public Schools (maybe 1 hour
a week) and getting paid for
it. My former employer, Legacy
Health System, did this and
I thought it was a great idea!"
- "Anyone with a child in public
school must 'volunteer' for
8 hours a school year doing
something: fixing up old buildings,
computer/tech work, repairs,
PR, paperwork, etc."
- A
strong neighborhood school system
benefits the entire community.
- Portlanders understand the
power of a positive relationship
between local schools and the
surrounding community (see Urban
Livability: Family Friendly
and Urban
Livability: Sense of Community).
- Most people agree that caring
for the youth of our community
is a shared priority and responsibility
and that we should be investing
in neighborhood schools to strengthen
our sense of community.
- A majority of respondents
desire a system of strong neighborhood
schools that are fully integrated
in, and valued by, their respective
communities.
- Portlanders are concerned
that the neighborhood school
system is failing and they fear
that the system will be weakened
further as poor quality drives
families to seek other education
options for their children,
including alternative and private
schools (see Education:
Pre-K-12 Schools).
- These people believe alternative
schools drain the neighborhood
school system of students and
support, reducing enrollment
and causing neighborhood schools
to close.
- Portlanders are concerned
that once neighborhood schools
are closed they are hard to
reopen.
- There is a great sense of
urgency to keep neighborhood
schools from closing.
| "I
believe in the benefits
of a neighborhood school.
I've heard a lot of talk
of charters and magnets,
but I want my children to
attend a school they can
walk to, who will have friends
in the neighborhood and
be supported by a united
community." |
| "More
funding for schools, with
a commitment to neighborhood
schools that build local
community." |
| "We
need to devote much more
attention to our public
schools. They really need
help and a community that
cares working to strengthen
them." |
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