Safe, healthy, and academically-strong schools for all PPS students
Dear friends and fellow Portlanders,
All children deserve a high-quality public education that helps to unlock their full potential. As a product of Portland’s public schools and now a PPS parent, I know the value of great teachers, stable funding, and a community that supports its schools. But not every child in PPS has equal access to these crucial resources. For many years I’ve been frustrated with the condition of our schools, the broken relationship between the administration and teachers, and the fact that low-income children and children of color consistently face barriers to education that others do not.
Fortunately, I believe that PPS is at a turning point — if we’re willing to demand results. We can build a world-class public school system if we keep our focus on student achievement and equity, building and maintaining public trust, and fiscal sustainability.
To do this, we need a board that works collaboratively with teachers, PPS staff, and our community to set aspirational goals and hold leadership accountable for achieving real results. We need a board and administration that understands our teachers and front-line staff are the district’s greatest assets and the foundation of our community.
I will bring the right mix of collaborative and technical experience to the PPS board. I’ve spent my entire career in public service, much of it focused on making local government work better for Portlanders.
Student Achievement and Equity: We have a superintendent who has brought in a strong leadership team focused on equity — but we can’t just talk about it, we need to fulfill our promise to improve student outcomes for every child by setting aggressive goals and investing the resources needed to achieve them. My work at Metro and the City of Portland has taught me how to apply an equity lens to budget and policy decisions. Progress on this issue will not be easy, but it is essential if we are going to build the diverse, thriving city Portlanders want and need.
Public Trust: PPS’s long-term strategy to modernize our schools will have a transformative effect on the city’s current and future schoolchildren — if the district spends that money wisely and voters continue to support it. I’m committed to helping PPS earn and retain people’s trust. I will bring a renewed focus on transparency, accountability and results in everything we do.
Fiscal Sustainability: The state may finally come through with a long overdue increase in funding that will help PPS stabilize its finances — but we need to make wise spending decisions that are focused on the long-term health of our schools. As budget director for the City of Portland I made recommendations to the Mayor and Council on how to invest over $4 billion a year to make Portland a great place to live. As a board member I will bring that same analysis and rigor to the PPS budget to ensure that resources are targeted where they will have the biggest impact on student achievement.
We have a moral responsibility to ensure every child in every neighborhood has access to a safe, healthy, and academically-strong public school. I am running for school board because I believe that my experience and passion for public service will help PPS become one of the best school districts in the country, a district where every child and every school is successful. I ask for your help as we transform PPS together.