PPS School Board Jefferson Student Achievement Committee Meeting

Several folks offered their work on assessing and presenting findings about Jefferson’s efficacy in implementing its new program – and in generally weathering yet another year of transition for the school. Basically, the meeting made transparent what Superintendant Carole Smith learned through reports and data. Jefferson implemented new academic programs this past year that divided the school into four academies: two academies for students in grades six through nine that are single-sex programs – the Young Men’s and Women’s academies, the Arts and Technology Academy and the Science and Technology Academy. I would like to know more about the YMA and YWA – there is a marked gender gap in performance (measured by students leaving grade nine with the most credits and smaller failure rates). Girls out-performed boys by over 100%! (Girls had a 63% rate of attaining 6 credits, while boys had 27% rate of attaining 6 credits). Research has shown that young women excel in same-sex academic programs, but same-sex academic programs are difficult to institute without also implementing equity due to Title IX. But, in the course of Q and As, it was shared that a school doesn’t have to have a young men’s program if a school has an all-girl’s academy. This is new, apparently. This is hard for me to believe given the controversy that erupted over same-sex public school programs in PPS recently – with the ACLU strongly advocating against these programs. The question of why the boy’s academy is failing in comparison to the girl’s academy was skirted – I began to imagine that the Young Men’s Academy might be operating like the special program in The Wire, Season 4 – with the “corner kids” who generally had oppositional defiance problems pulled out and taught in a close-curriculum setting in the basement. In The Wire, out of the initial cohort of ten students, two were female. Is the Young Men’s Academy a special place for “the corner kids” in the Jefferson district?

The overall assessment is that Jefferson students are performing low and that morale and control are low at the school. Teacher and administration turnover rates are huge – with over 22 principals in 10 years. Consequently, no one trusts one another, and no one knows how to communicate with each other. Yowzers! Principal Cynthia Harris and Vice Superintendant Toni Hunter laid out some hope and concrete programs they will implement to give Jefferson a vision, and voices to teachers and students. I was very excited and enthused to hear that Professor Ken Peterson will be helping with some Behavior Management Professional Development, and that Linda Christenson will be working with teachers and building a committee for curriculum development.

I spoke with Principal Cynthia Harris and she suggested I come visit Jefferson if I’m interested in sharing ideas or watching Ken Peterson or Linda Christenson – I would love to find the time next fall to do this – Jefferson is on the edge of the tragic abyss and many people are fighting and rallying around it to not fall and thrive!

And what meeting would be complete without a parent freak out levelled at the Superintendant? CooCoo for CoCo Puffs for sure - but this parent freak out which included fist gestures and yelling reminded me that despite the rather placid tone of the meeting, a great deal of communication issues and emotions remain tied up, contorted, and lead to obscene, irrational outbursts about Jefferson and PPS...

We need MORE of a public forum about education in Portland!