Endorsements and Statements of Support

The statements below can be found in the 2020 Multnomah County Voters Pamphlet.

On Racial Justice, Furnished by Michelle DePass:

"Black Lives Matter. Black Students Matter.

Measure 26-215 is an historic, once-in-a-generation investment in Jefferson High School and a new Center for Black Student Excellence.

Nearly 70% of students at Jefferson High School identify as non-white; the school, with its state-renowned dance and basketball programs, has been a cherished institution and pillar of Black Portland for decades. Measure 26-215 will invest $311 million in a complete modernization of Jefferson High School.

Additionally, PPS will invest another $60 million in the development of a community-visioned Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE). The CBSE will unify and elevate Black learning from early pre-kindergarten through secondary education, and guide young learners throughout their tenure in PPS with proven, culturally specific models.

This new collective impact effort translates the decades of visionary leadership and advocacy rising from the community into culturally responsive and pedagogically sustaining approaches of community-based nonprofits like Self Enhancement, Inc., and KairosPDX, among other Black-led, culturally specific organizations here in Portland. This emerging community-led concept seeks to unify and elevate the educational experience of Portland’s Black children and their families, connecting a constellation of community schools, such as Boise Eliot/ Humboldt Elementary, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, Tubman Middle School, and Jefferson High School, and Black-led community-based organizations in the Albina Neighborhood. 

The CBSE will serve as a living expression of Portland Public Schools' expressed commitment to Black Lives and will help advance PPS’s mission to prepare students to be compassionate critical thinkers, able to collaborate and solve problems, and prepared to lead a more socially just world.

Please join us. Vote YES on Measure 26-215.

Albina Vision Trust
Former Senator Avel Gordly
Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)
Brown Hope
Candace Avalos
Latino Network
Oregon Food Bank
Portland: Neighbors Welcome
Safe Routes Partnership
Somali-American Council of Oregon
Stand for Children
Sunrise Movement PDX"

 

Support from Local Business Leaders, Furnished by Julia Brim-Edwards:

"Business Leaders: An Investment in Schools is an Investment in our Economy

As leaders and entrepreneurs of businesses large and small across Portland, we ask you to vote YES to renew the PPS School Bond as both an investment in our future, and to help our city’s economic recovery.

Portland’s economy rests upon the bedrock of public education. Excellent public schools are necessary for building and retaining Portland’s quality workforce, supporting and attracting new businesses, and preparing the next generation of Portlanders for a rapidly-changing economy.  

AN INVESTMENT IN PORTLAND SCHOOLS IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.

We’re invested in our community’s success, and invested in the success of our public schools. Voting YES on Measure 26-215 to renew the Portland Public School Bond allows the district to continue its historic effort to provide safe, modern classrooms for every PPS student.    

This investment will also provide thousands of hours of work for local construction companies, manufacturers, architecture firms and workers employed by these industries. Portland Public Schools’ “Equity in Public Purchasing and Contracting Policy,” will help direct bond investments to small, local businesses. These investments in underrepresented companies ensure that the PPS Bond will create immediate jobs, cut the district’s energy usage through critical building improvements, and ensure every student in PPS is prepared for a modern education.  

NO NEW TAXES - AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EVERY DOLLAR SPENT.

As businesses, we understand the importance of monitoring the bottom line. Measure 26-215 renews the school bond without raising taxes. This renewal will continue to provide independent community oversight so that tax dollars will be used only for approved purposes. The measure also requires independent performance audits of all bond expenditures. 

Please support this investment in Portland’s economy. Business leaders ask you to vote YES on Measure 26-215.

Portland Business Alliance
Bozz Media
Black American Chamber of Oregon
Columbia Corridor Association
Forum Law Group
Melvin Mark
NIKE
TenBridge Partners LLC
The Standard"

 

PPS Access for All, Furnished by Michael Rosen:

"REMOVING BARRIERS TO EDUCATION 

Measure 26-215 calls for a landmark commitment of funds to make the first floor of every school in the district accessible to those with disabilities. Within five years, every first-floor bathroom, classroom, library and cafeteria will be accessible.

This is both a heartening step forward and an indictment of how long accessibility concerns have languished. The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law 30 years ago, yet in 2020, the majority of school districts are not accessible to students with disabilities.

Access and belonging take more than ramps and doorways, but the $16-million-dollar investment PPS Bond aims to make —together with the implementation of 21st century best practices addressing broader equity—is nationally significant and will have profound impact for all learners.

'In 2015, when my daughter was preparing to enter elementary school, I was quickly disheartened to learn families were being directed beyond their neighborhood schools both for accessibility reasons and predetermined notions of how a child with a disability was taught. In this I found no real inclusive commitment to those children and their community.  Support of the PPS 2020 School Bond in November is one real way to start moving forward with inclusive schools and I’m glad to see the board move ahead with this commitment.' - Mindy Parker, Llewellyn / Cleveland Parent

'Kids with disabilities, and without, should be able to go to school. Grandmas and volunteers and teachers with disabilities should be able to go in any school. When we go in school we should teach all students, all disabilities, all races. We all belong. Next bond, finish the job. You have been talking about equity a long time. Vote for the bond. Free Our People!' - Daniel Jarvis-Holland, Benson Polytechnic High School Graduate and member of the NW Down Syndrome Association Student Social Justice Committee

Disability Advocates Support the Bond Renewal:

Community Vision
NW Disability Support
Carole Smith, PPS Parent
Kiel Moses, Disability Advocate"

 

"Parents, Portland Council PTA: Vote Yes

Portland Council PTA encourages you to Vote YES for our Schools! Parent Teachers’ Associations (PTAs) represent everything that makes a school great: parent volunteers, dedicated teachers, and a commitment to robust education for all students. We build strong communities and strive to give each child the opportunity to learn, grow, and have a successful future. 

A YES vote will continue the commitment our city began in 2012 to modernize our schools. We must continue to make our buildings safe with seismic upgrades and updates to security, HVAC systems, roofs, and plumbing. 

A YES vote will increase special education funding and remove physical barriers which currently impact student and family access to school buildings. Increasing access will help expand family engagement and ensure success for vulnerable community members.

A YES vote will fund investments in historically underserved communities by creating the Center for Black Student Excellence. This work is past due; it is time for Black students to have access to the education and opportunities that have not been provided to them in the past. Together, we need to uplift young BIPOC students and provide the resources needed for education, growth and leadership.

- Portland Council PTA

Join parents districtwide in Voting YES:

Gabrielle Mercedes Bolivar, PPS Parent
Todd Borkowitz, Woodlawn ES Parent
Peter G Glynn, Lincoln HS Parent
Dacia Grayber, Wilson HS Parent
Esther Harlow, Jason Lee ES Parent
Jonas Hinckley, Robert Gray MS and Bridlemile ES Parent
Mary Kroener-Ekstrand, Grant HS PTA President
Jean McGowan, Lincoln HS Parent
Nova Newcomer, Roosevelt HS, Jefferson HS Parent
Steph Noll, Beach ES Parent
Joan Petit, Benson HS Parent
Cindi Polychronis, MLC, Alameda Parent
Amy Sample Ward, Future PPS Parent
Kari Schlosshauer, Abernethy ES Parent
Sarah R Taylor, Beverly Cleary Parent
Mychal Tetteh, Vernon ES Parent
Ellee Thalheimer, PPS Parent
Erin Wallace, Grant HS and Sabin ES Parent
Keli Yeats, Scott ES Parent
Sierra Stringfield, MLC Parent
Lisa Zuniga, Franklin HS Parent"

 

Portland Association of Teachers Support Renewing the School Bond, Furnished by Elizabeth Thiel, President, Portland Association of Teachers:

"This has been a back-to-school season like none other. Instead of decorating our classrooms, organizing supplies, and arranging desks, Portland teachers learned new online platforms, adapted their lesson plans for online learning, and designed new ways to engage young learners in previously unthinkable circumstances. It has been a learning curve for educators, students, and families, and has showcased the resilience and dedication of our school communities. 

Educators can’t wait to get back into physical classrooms with our students. By passing the 2020 PPS School bond, we can ensure that current and future PPS students will learn in modern, safe, healthy classrooms. The pandemic has highlighted issues with our facilities that have existed for decades: poor ventilation and inoperable windows, leaky roofs, unreliable heating, and a lack of ADA accessibility in many schools.

In addition to modern and healthy classrooms, our students need culturally-relevant, engaging materials and curriculum. This bond includes substantial investment in new curriculum across core subject areas, including language arts, math, science, the arts and social-emotional learning as well supporting an investment in the courses that engage our students’ passions, like climate justice, ethnic studies, computer science, and so much more. 

It is essential that we continue the work of rejuvenating our aging school buildings. This bond will fund the renovation of Jefferson High School, as well as a center for Multiple Pathways to Graduation at Benson High School, while creating plans for the renovations at Cleveland and Wilson High Schools. 

Crucially, this bond includes funding for the new Center for Black Student Excellence. We are pleased to see this demonstration of the District’s commitment to partner with Portland’s Black community to invest in and support our Black students and families. 

Please join PAT and teachers across the district: Vote YES on Measure 26-215 and Renew the PPS School Bond."

 

High School Principals Across the District: Renew the PPS School Bond:

"Several years ago, we embarked on a long term project to rebuild our high schools. Our modernized schools are centerpieces in our community with the ability to positively impact all of our students living in the neighborhood. Simply walking into newly modernized Roosevelt, Franklin and Grant High Schools speaks to the power of space in education. Seeing the construction underway at Madison and Lincoln gives students, neighbors, and local businesses hope. Each modernized school reflects the community, modern instructional practices, and the physical learning conditions we want for all students. 

We are thrilled the 2020 Bond referred by the PPS School Board will continue this by: 

• completing construction at Benson; 
• investing in a thorough renovation of Jefferson;
• funding planning, design, and construction documents for rebuilds at Wilson and Cleveland High Schools;
• building a new Multiple Pathways for Graduation alternative school;
• funding planning/design for additional capacity at Roosevelt. 

Jefferson was built in 1908 and is a crumbling building with classrooms that are not safe, healthy or appropriate for learning. With this bond, we will be actualizing our racial equity values in communities of color and in N/NE Portland. This investment will build a strong foundation for students and their future. 

Our community has the opportunity to make historic investments in students and to build on the investments already made or underway. This bond and investments will support the work of students and staff happening every day.

Please Vote YES on Measure 26-215.

Margaret Calvert, Principal, Jefferson HS
Peyton Chapman, Principal, Lincoln HS
Chris Frazier, Principal, Franklin HS
Bonita Hobson (Bonnie), Multiple Pathways to Graduation
Filip Hristic, Principal, Wilson HS
James McGee, Principal, Grant HS
KD Parman, Principal, Roosevelt HS
Adam Skyles, Principal, Madison HS
Jo Ann Wadkins, Principal, Cleveland HS
Curtis Wilson, Principal, Benson Polytechnic HS"

 

A Message from the PPS Board:

"This is our chance to reaffirm our commitment to a quality education for every PPS student.  

In what has been a difficult year for our students, for our teachers, and for our entire community, it’s been inspiring to watch the community rally to support Portland Public Schools through unprecedented times. 

We’ve seen teachers innovate to find ways to provide instruction and support online. We’ve seen the community band together to support our students and families. We’ve seen parents, teachers, and staff make enormous sacrifices and find creative solutions, all in service to our students. 

In 2019, the Board of Education adopted "PPS reImagined," a community-driven vision for what we want for all our students. This ambitious vision represents the values and aspirations of thousands of Portland students, families, staff, partners, and members of the community, and articulates our foundational and enduring belief in Racial Equity and Social Justice and that all students can succeed academically. 

Furthermore, PPS students are deeply cognizant of the injustices in our society and it’s our responsibility to hold ourselves accountable for providing an equitable education to all of our students.   

The 2020 PPS Bond is a critical part of PPS reImagined.

This measure would provide an unprecedented investment in rebuilding Jefferson High School, an historic and important public institution for Black Portlanders and creation of a Center for Black Student Excellence, investments in barrier-free campuses so our schools are accessible to all, and updated and culturally relevant textbooks and curriculum materials. Also, the bond would ensure all students have access to tablets or laptops to equitably access and engage in learning and coursework.  

And we can invest in our students and our communities  - without raising existing taxes.

Please join the PPS School leaders and vote YES on Measure 26-215.

Portland Public School Board
Chair Eilidh Lowery
Vice-Chair Scott Bailey
Julia Brim-Edwards
Michelle DePass
Amy Kohnstamm
Rita Moore
Andrew Scott
Nathaniel Shue - Student Representative"