2021 Candidates – Portland School District Board

The following information is copied from the information that the candidates themselves submitted for VOTE411.org. All candidates were invited to submit their biographical information and to answer our questions.

Candidates may enter their information up until Election Day, May 18. Please urge candidates to provide information to voters, if they haven’t done so yet. We provide this service for free to candidates and voters.

Zone 4

Jaime Cale, Social worker, public school employee (Write-in Candidate).  Although circumstances prevented her from filing in time, the Portland League Board has determined that Jaime Cale is a legitimate candidate. In addition to responding to our questions, she was interviewed for our Video Voters’ Guide. She also participated in our Portland School Board Election Forum.
Campaign Phone (public) (503) 388-8921
Web Site (leave blank if not applicable) – http://caleconnectingpdx.wixsite.com/jaimegoldencale
Town Where You Live – Portland, Oregon
Your Experience/Qualifications – Non-profit board experience, Facilitator, Mediator, Social Worker, Community Organizer, PPS Committee Member
County – Multnomah
Term 2021-2025
Herman Greene has not yet responded. However, he has a statement on page M-46 of the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet. He also participated in our Portland School Board Election Forum.
Margo Logan has not yet responded. However, she has a statement on page M-47 of the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet.
Brooklyn Sherman, Student. In addition to responding to our questions, he has a statement on page M-46 of the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet. He also participated in our Portland School Board Election Forum.
Campaign Phone (public) (971) 888-9844
Web Site (leave blank if not applicable) – http://shermanforpps.com
Town Where You Live – North Portland
Your Experience/Qualifications –  As a recent PPS graduate who has been in Portland Publics SpED program, I bring in my personal experience on the positive and the negative effects of the Portland Public School system. I have also in the past have attended community care days and have gone on trips to Salem to advocate for dyslexia. I have also been to School Board meetings to support fellow community members as they presented to the board on issues in PPS.
County – United States of America
Term 2021-2025

Questions

1. Even before COVID and the transition to online learning, school districts struggled with disparities in academic achievement. Educators fear even greater gaps upon their return to classrooms. What strategies will you consider to address these increased disparities?

Jaime Cale: We owe our students a rigorous and robust education. All students should have an equitable education, meaning that all schools across the district should have access to all the same opportunities and curriculum. Students should receive a variety of curriculum, from STEAM to foreign languages. From art to music. Not all children learn the same, and having a variety of lessons, classes and programs will help students who need to use their hands, body and brain in different ways to learn. Additionally, our district serves a diverse population, with almost half of our students coming from BIPOC communities. However, less than 20% of our teachers are from these same communities. We need to hire more educators of color, as studies have shown students not only engage more with their teachers, but higher literacy rates, higher graduation rates and lower discipline occur simply by having an educator who looks like them.

Herman Greene has not yet responded.

Margo Logan has not yet responded.

Brooklyn Sherman: Make sure to leave no families behind.  Not all parents had were fortunate enough to work from home.  Expectations that parents can afford to be involved in schools assumes that this is a choice not a privilege. Technology: As a leader I would work with PPS to ensure that students keep the district Chrome Books upon returning to classrooms and encourage PPS to continue paying for internet service and hotspot.  The digital divide compounds economic disparities.

Human connections: Peer tutoring and reading buddies. Pay high-schoolers from low income households to work as tutors.

2. COVID has shown us the importance of family support in facilitating students’ education. How will you build on this understanding to increase the role of parents in decision making and promote parental involvement in schools?

Jaime Cale: I would propose quarterly town halls to be held in the community. We should be going out into the community, not expecting our members to come to us. I want to hear how the community feels the district is doing, and what issues are affecting the most marginalized communities. We should be able to cite the important matters to our parents, when discussing important votes and decisions that affect their children. Additionally, I have a long history in the PTA, and I can give examples of how to increase parental engagement in schools. It is similar to the above. It’s about reaching out to the community, offering spaces to hear what the community needs, having translation and interpretation always available – Essentially being transparent, open to feedback and being willing to make changes.

Herman Greene has not yet responded.

Margo Logan has not yet responded.

Brooklyn Sherman: Not all parents can make it to schools for meetings.  Encourage PTA/PTSA/PTO Site Council and other meetings to have a hybrid model, so that when meetings are able to be held in person community members can have the option to Zoom in.

Make sure that non-native English speakers have access to meeting interpretation.

Dyslexia is an example of a learning challenge that can impact the parents as well as the students.

3. What is the impact of the pandemic on school budgets and spending priorities? How do you propose meeting these new challenges?

Jaime Cale: We will see the pandemic causing major funding issues. Opening schools during a pandemic has proven to be both challenging and expensive. Buying PPE, cleaning supplies, sanitizer, Chromebooks, hotspots, etc. was not in our proposed budget when it was created. These needs have all arisen due to the changing complexities of opening a school during a global crisis. I think we have to be willing to think outside the box when creating our new budgets. We need to be willing to invest in students. That means spending money on the most important areas – curriculum, social emotional learning and anti-racist pedagogy. With these three important items funded, the district will able to curate and craft a budget that has equity at the forefront.

Herman Greene has not yet responded.

Margo Logan has not yet responded.

Brooklyn Sherman: The State of Oregon is looking to use the Federal Pandemic funds earmarked for education to balance the state’s education budget.  The state is assuming that to balance their budget, based on projected loss of revenue, that the State will be reducing their investment in schools. Oregon has the one of the shortest school years and the lowest graduation rates in the U.S. We loose families to Washington where a child receives and entire year longer by the end of Senior year of high school than their peers in Oregon.  This has always put as burden on working poor families in Oregon.  Even those with means are not going to be able to purchase enrichment camps that were accessible prior to COVID.  The loss of the Children’s Museum and their summer camps is just one example of post pandemic ripple effect.  Our SUN programs need to be expanded and accessible to all PPS students.

Zone 5

Gary Hollands, Nonprofit Executive Director.  In addition to responding to our questions, he has a statement on page M-48 of the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet. He also participated in our Portland School Board Election Forum.
Campaign Phone (public) (503) 984-4929
Web Site (leave blank if not applicable) – http://www.garyhollands.com/
Town Where You Live – Portland, Oregon
Your Experience/Qualifications – Occupation: Non-profit Executive Director, Albina Sports Program; small business owner. Occupational Background: Coach, Benson High School Track Team; Founder, Interstate Trucking Academy. Educational Background: Irvington Elementary School, Whitaker Middle School, Benson High School, Fort Valley State University, Portland State University. Prior Governmental Experience: Multnomah Education Service District Board Member, City of Portland Economic Development Policy
County –  Multnomah
Term 7/2021
Daniel Rodgers has not yet responded. However, he has a statement on page M-48 of the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet.

Questions

1. Even before COVID and the transition to online learning, school districts struggled with disparities in academic achievement. Educators fear even greater gaps upon their return to classrooms. What strategies will you consider to address these increased disparities?

Gary Hollands: It has to be a long term strategy starting with 1st – 5th grade. We need to make sure we give the kids the foundation they need to succeed through their educational career and then continually build on that foundation. The foundation needs to start with strong reading, math, writing, arts, sports, and social skills.

One of the ways I plan to help with this is by developing programs at schools that help those who are struggling. The main program I want to boost throughout PPS is the reading program for children K-3rd grade.

Daniel Rodgers has not responded yet.

2. COVID has shown us the importance of family support in facilitating students’ education. How will you build on this understanding to increase the role of parents in decision making and promote parental involvement in schools?

Gary Hollands: I believe great qualities of a PPS board member are: the ability to listen, to learn, to process information, and be willing to collaborate with each other to make educated and informed decisions. I also feel that my lived experience is important, and underrepresented currently on the board.

I have great working relationships with my colleagues now, and I plan on having great relationships with all school board members, should I be elected. When elected I will continue to make the kids a priority, and remind other PPS Board members that the kids should be the main focus and top priority. I think we need to get the parents more involved, but we also need to listen to them on what their needs are.

Daniel Rodgers has not responded yet.

3. What is the impact of the pandemic on school budgets and spending priorities? How do you propose meeting these new challenges?

Gary Hollands: We are in unprecedented time with COVID-19, a racial justice uprising, and all around uncertainty. I feel we need to evaluate and assess where we are at as a district, what the numbers look like for schools that have opened back up, and then prioritize what needs to be done. Once we have evaluated the numbers, we then need to enact policies that will support the priorities for safely reopening.

I will speak up to prioritize budget and policies around keeping our teachers, faculty, and students safe while we transition back into in-person learning. The most important thing in all of this is safety.

Daniel Rodgers has not responded yet.

Zone 6

Julia Brim-Edwards, School Volunteer; Sr. Director, Nike. In addition to responding to our questions, he has a statement on page M-49 of the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet. She is a current member of the school board. She also participated in our Portland School Board Election Forum.
Campaign Phone (public) (503) 701-4096
Web Site (leave blank if not applicable) – http://JuliaforPortlandSchoolBoard.com
Town Where You Live – Portland
Your Experience/Qualifications –  25 years of working with parents and educators to support, fund and improve our schools. School parent volunteer and leader, including serving on the PPS School Board (2001-2005, 2017-2021) and as Board Chair/Vice Chair/Policy Committee Chair/Audit Committee Chair. Chair of the voter-approved PPS 2020 School Bond; Co-founder, PIL Foundation–Support athletic funding equity/middle school sports. Independent & Accountable! Instituted PPS internal performance auditing. Parent of three; PPS alum.
Twitter – @BrimJulia
County – Multnomah
Term 2021-2025

 

Libby Glynn, Mother, Caterer, Portlander. In addition to responding to our questions, he has a statement on page M-50 of the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet. She also participated in our Portland School Board Election Forum.
Campaign Phone (public) (971) 222-9066
Web Site (leave blank if not applicable) – http://libbyglynn.com
Town Where You Live – Portland, Oregon (SE)
Your Experience/Qualifications – I greatly enjoyed the experience of participating on the Multnomah County Youth Advisory Board and being able to work with a variety of local leadership by lending a youth voice. As an adult I have been actively listening to many voices in the community especially in regards to local education experiences with Portland Public Schools. I am currently CoPresident of Bridger School PTA.
Twitter – @libbyglynn7
County – Multnomah County
Term – Four Years
Matthew (Max) Margolis has not yet responded. However, he has a statement on page M-49 of the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet. He also participated in our Portland School Board Election Forum.

Questions

1. Even before COVID and the transition to online learning, school districts struggled with disparities in academic achievement. Educators fear even greater gaps upon their return to classrooms. What strategies will you consider to address these increased disparities?

Julia Brim-Edwards: Portland Public Schools has worked diligently to increase graduation rates, preparing students for college, work, and their futures. We have focused intensively on eliminating student achievement disparities, yet Covid has likely widen learning gaps. We must continue to provide basic supports as students return to the classroom, including providing laptops and internet access for those who need it and supplemental academic supports. With a return to in-person learning in our school buildings, we will need to meet students where they’re at and fully fund academic supports and accelerate learning opportunities. We must: 1) Identify students needing the most intensive supports; 2) Ensure social workers and counselors are addressing social/emotional needs/the impacts of social isolation; 3) Expand academic supports to include reading coaches, tutoring, and summer school; 4) Expand partnerships with community organizations to provide students culturally-specific supports, mentoring.

Libby Glynn: Encouraging early intervention by teachers and specialists greatly assists in narrowing the academic achievement gap for younger students. More attention by the districts and more funding for specialists needs to be given to the school communities that experience greater disparities in the academic realm. Citizens are actively trying to complete a much needed overhaul of the PPS Foundation. This will be fundamental in working towards a more equitable solution for many students in PPS schools. I think we need to also be working on drafting state legislation that gives education additional funding from sources such as the cannabis tax. Currently much of this funding is going elsewhere but would better serve the students of Portland and of Oregon. Having greater access to trade schools and magnet programs can have a sustaining and direct impact for students whom are also seeking career opportunities in our rapidly changing work environments. Continuing to use an equity lens is vital.

Matthew (Max) Margolis has not responded yet.

2. COVID has shown us the importance of family support in facilitating students’ education. How will you build on this understanding to increase the role of parents in decision making and promote parental involvement in schools?

Julia Brim-Edwards: This has been an incredibly challenging school year for all of us. Prior to the pandemic, as parents we relied on teachers to educate our kids at school. Last Spring, suddenly, kids were home full-time and expected to learn in a virtual environment, with many homes not equipped with workspace, computers, and internet access. Many parents struggled to maintain jobs while also supporting their kids with on-line learning. Yet, through this, parents have learned what works and what doesn’t work in engaging their kids. District leaders need to hear from them…and to listen. Parents will be key to helping teachers, school board and district leaders build a path forward as our students return full time to the classroom. I am committed to working with parents to take the valuable lessons from distance learning and incorporate them into our schools. We must welcome parents into schools, seek their advice on the most important issues, and consider them full partners in their kids’ education.

Libby Glynn: I believe that increased community involvement is key. School districts should encourage community parental forums to take place quarterly and possibly by school zones. Online meetings and education can continue as another option to meet. Proper communication with parents has been lacking in the recent past and this should be one of the strongest strategies taken by Portland Public Schools to build bridges with the whole family. Utilizing translation services to a greater affect will serve to help build community with less engaged parents. All parents should feel like they have a voice and should be made aware that they can actively communicate with the board as well as the with the district and the individual schools that their students attend. As a leader of a local PTA group we have actively been promoting different types of optional workshops and speakers for parental education purposes. The better informed a parent is can serve to make the experiences of our youth easier.

Matthew (Max) Margolis has not responded yet.

3. What is the impact of the pandemic on school budgets and spending priorities? How do you propose meeting these new challenges?

Julia Brim-Edwards: School board members must prioritize budget items to promote student success and supports for students not at grade level or on track to graduate. School budgets were already tight, and, now, due to Covid, students have experienced increased social isolation and learning gaps. We must fund additional school health and safety measures, and add more social workers, counselors and school nurses. We must fund accelerated learning opportunities, including after school programs, tutoring, and summer school to help our students catch up. By combining federal recovery funds, and funds from the local option, 2020 bond, and Student Success Act, PPS can fund more teachers for smaller classes, reading coaches, counselors, technology upgrades, and special education student supports. I will continue to vote to focus funds on classroom supports, not on administrative spend. And, as PPS Audit Committee Chair, I will continue to rigorously examine expenditures to focus our resources on our students.

Libby Glynn: As stated in the above prior question, funding is available. Priorities need to change and additional funding needs to be allocated to education. We need to actively seek it out and encourage local governments to make new funds available for education. By drafting necessary legislation we can figure out how to fund any existing school budget shortfalls. I believe that issues regarding the safety of students and staff should be a top priority as we return to school buildings. Many school campus’ need both ground improvements as well as building safety updates. School districts are required by EPA law to keep the public informed annually regarding the safety of its buildings. Again, I believe that better communication with the stakeholders of the community is necessary for successful engagement regarding the districts spending priorities.

Matthew (Max) Margolis has not responded yet.

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