So it has been a pretty emotional several months. We are almost done with this current adventure in public education. Francis will start her new school barring major upheaval the week after next.
The day I applied for my petition transfer the principal said place based education wasn't for everyone. Obviously not, I hadn't even heard of it although I was apparently hip deep in it. I have spent the last week looking up place based education in response to a really insulting and intrusive homework policy and have come to the conclusion that place based education (which is not environmental education, and isn't what it sounds like intuitively) isn't such a bad thing and in fact encompasses many things that I do think we ought to teach people. I still don't agree with it, especially in the lower grades, because I don't think that public education is for personal gratification or even job placement, but to allow all people to participate in political life. Middle schoolers and high schoolers are probably more ready to be involved in public life than we give them credit for, but grade schoolers really ought to be learning to read and write and sit still and follow directions and any number of other skills that Foucault would label violent. Society sucks, because in order to work, we all have to find a way to think outside the monkey sphere.
Still, I am taking advantage of my monkey sphere right now, and moving Sarah Taylor out of my 150 person inner circle. I wish her peace and happiness and much much personal growth in all the insulting ways you think I am, because she is guiding the lives of many people and I don't want other families to go through the painful transitions that we have with SES.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
What to tell St. Peter
(this was lost for a time in my computer woes over Christmas and was supposed to be my article for February/Lenten Reflection)
For Christmas, my daughter got a Barbie Doll marketed under the name ‘My Scene.’ Because she is 7 and an avid reader, Francis attempted to read this label herself. It took a few turns of conversation to figure out why she was talking about her ‘sins.’ We had a good laugh over the mistake and I asked her to stop calling her dolls sins. When she didn’t, I got one of those questions difficult questions; “Mom, what is a sin?”
Many more learned people than I have spent a lot of time and energy coming up with more complicated ideas of sin and redemption, but I have found that all that effort is lost on a seven year old girl who is very committed to the people around her but not very interested in what some dead people said. So, right or wrong, this is what I told her.
Sins are when you hurt God’s feelings. We have had a lot of discussions relating to hurt feelings, and they generally revolve around thinking of yourself first and not caring about the needs of other people.
This just seemed like a nice introduction to what has been sitting on my mind lately. I have been thinking about evangelism and reading a book about a “new” way to evangelize by being people’s friend first and telling them about God second. There is something that rings true about this at the same time it rings false. After all, it would be a sin to stand next to your befriended neighbor at the Pearly Gates and have to tell them (and St. Peter) that you never even told them you were a Christian, let alone made it seem so appealing that they wanted to know more about it.
We need to consider how we as a congregation meet these people at our own front door. Do we show them our love of Jesus? Do we show them that Christ loves us? If we can do that, we don’t need to tell them that Christ loves them, they will know. Being saved isn’t what makes Christianity so appealing; it is what makes it possible. Before we can save anyone, we need to show them the wonder of a community where everyone makes good faith efforts to forgive each other and when they want to know how that is possible, then you can tell them about the grace of the resurrection. One of the most beautiful ideas in the Episcopal faith is that we invite people to share our worship first, then they can see the wonder of salvation.
For Christmas, my daughter got a Barbie Doll marketed under the name ‘My Scene.’ Because she is 7 and an avid reader, Francis attempted to read this label herself. It took a few turns of conversation to figure out why she was talking about her ‘sins.’ We had a good laugh over the mistake and I asked her to stop calling her dolls sins. When she didn’t, I got one of those questions difficult questions; “Mom, what is a sin?”
Many more learned people than I have spent a lot of time and energy coming up with more complicated ideas of sin and redemption, but I have found that all that effort is lost on a seven year old girl who is very committed to the people around her but not very interested in what some dead people said. So, right or wrong, this is what I told her.
Sins are when you hurt God’s feelings. We have had a lot of discussions relating to hurt feelings, and they generally revolve around thinking of yourself first and not caring about the needs of other people.
This just seemed like a nice introduction to what has been sitting on my mind lately. I have been thinking about evangelism and reading a book about a “new” way to evangelize by being people’s friend first and telling them about God second. There is something that rings true about this at the same time it rings false. After all, it would be a sin to stand next to your befriended neighbor at the Pearly Gates and have to tell them (and St. Peter) that you never even told them you were a Christian, let alone made it seem so appealing that they wanted to know more about it.
We need to consider how we as a congregation meet these people at our own front door. Do we show them our love of Jesus? Do we show them that Christ loves us? If we can do that, we don’t need to tell them that Christ loves them, they will know. Being saved isn’t what makes Christianity so appealing; it is what makes it possible. Before we can save anyone, we need to show them the wonder of a community where everyone makes good faith efforts to forgive each other and when they want to know how that is possible, then you can tell them about the grace of the resurrection. One of the most beautiful ideas in the Episcopal faith is that we invite people to share our worship first, then they can see the wonder of salvation.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Just in case I wasn't clear
Heather Lee
535 SE 27th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214
February 15, 2005
Superintendent Vicki Phillips
Portland Public Schools
501 North Dixon Street
Portland, OR 97227-1807
Dear Ms. Phillips,
I am enclosing my letter of petition to transfer my daughter from Sunnyside Environmental School. There are many parents who feel as I do and I would like you to know how we feel about the methods of communication and attitudes of inclusiveness of the school.
I first became concerned with the inner workings of the administration at the school last November when an email was distributed by an outraged parent regarding a proposal to the board to change the enrollment status of the school. This proposal would change the status from a neighborhood school with a focus option to a focus option school only. I am not alone in thinking that comments should have been solicited from the entire school and the neighborhood surrounding it before this change was sent to the board. Site Council had made this decision alone and had made an announcement in the PTA meeting the night before the board meeting. The PTA was told that parents did not need to do anything.
I went to that board meeting. The board did not look very happy to see so many parents flying blindly into their meeting wanting to know why this was new information. The board appeared to stand by their decision to leave the enrollment status alone – a neighborhood school with focus option. Furthermore, in order to make the transition easier for the neighborhood families, they were to have neighborhood enrollment status at several surrounding schools.
Several announcements went out into the school newsletter, and a survey/information sheet was distributed to all the parents letting them know they had such “wonderful options.” December was a very bleak month in the building. Rather than creating a space for airing out all the emotions and distributing clear information about what was happening in the school, the administration chose to encourage perceived troublemakers to leave the school. All complaints, questions and concerns were relegated to the level of educational philosophical differences. Since most of the rumblings were about safety, I have to wonder if the safety of children in the care of Portland Public Schools a matter of philosophical differences?
In an attempt to find a way to clear the air and keep the school from imploding, I chose to research the methods and means of school organization created by the Board of Education for PPS and discovered that our site council was not organized according to the principles set out in board policy 7.10.010-P. Additionally, there was not a Local School Advisory Committee. I went to the site council meeting in December and did not feel that they were concerned with the best interests of the community, only in installing their own agenda in the school. I scheduled a meeting with the principal and got permission to organize more elaborate communication for the school administration to communicate with the families but was specifically told that we did not need any more committees in the school.
I have looked into the actual implementation of the neighborhood transfer options for Sunnyside neighborhood families and they do not have neighborhood privileges at the provided list of surrounding schools, they have priority – which moves them to the top of the waiting list. All of the surrounding schools have waiting lists. It is thus my understanding, based on that research into the enrollment figures for the surrounding schools, that there is no way to restructure the district neighborhood divisions and allow Sunnyside to be a focus option only school. In light of that, I find it unconscionable that the board of education allows the administration at Sunnyside to persist in their illusion of being a focus option school. Unless there is a change in the special 'exit' policy that was created for this implementation of a neighborhood focus option school, they are going to have to accommodate the neighborhood status of the school in both their philosophy and their curriculum.
As things stand now, an LSAC has been created in the school against the wishes of the principal. However, most parents already feel so disenfranchised with the administration that I feel it is too late to address many of these issues at the school level. I personally feel that there is no possible scenario that involves a win-win outcome for the families and most especially the children attending the school. For this reason, I have removed my children from this school. Poorly handled politics and nepotism are not things I want them to learn.
Sincerely,
Heather Lee
February 14, 2005
535 SE 27th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214
February 15, 2005
Superintendent Vicki Phillips
Portland Public Schools
501 North Dixon Street
Portland, OR 97227-1807
Dear Ms. Phillips,
I am enclosing my letter of petition to transfer my daughter from Sunnyside Environmental School. There are many parents who feel as I do and I would like you to know how we feel about the methods of communication and attitudes of inclusiveness of the school.
I first became concerned with the inner workings of the administration at the school last November when an email was distributed by an outraged parent regarding a proposal to the board to change the enrollment status of the school. This proposal would change the status from a neighborhood school with a focus option to a focus option school only. I am not alone in thinking that comments should have been solicited from the entire school and the neighborhood surrounding it before this change was sent to the board. Site Council had made this decision alone and had made an announcement in the PTA meeting the night before the board meeting. The PTA was told that parents did not need to do anything.
I went to that board meeting. The board did not look very happy to see so many parents flying blindly into their meeting wanting to know why this was new information. The board appeared to stand by their decision to leave the enrollment status alone – a neighborhood school with focus option. Furthermore, in order to make the transition easier for the neighborhood families, they were to have neighborhood enrollment status at several surrounding schools.
Several announcements went out into the school newsletter, and a survey/information sheet was distributed to all the parents letting them know they had such “wonderful options.” December was a very bleak month in the building. Rather than creating a space for airing out all the emotions and distributing clear information about what was happening in the school, the administration chose to encourage perceived troublemakers to leave the school. All complaints, questions and concerns were relegated to the level of educational philosophical differences. Since most of the rumblings were about safety, I have to wonder if the safety of children in the care of Portland Public Schools a matter of philosophical differences?
In an attempt to find a way to clear the air and keep the school from imploding, I chose to research the methods and means of school organization created by the Board of Education for PPS and discovered that our site council was not organized according to the principles set out in board policy 7.10.010-P. Additionally, there was not a Local School Advisory Committee. I went to the site council meeting in December and did not feel that they were concerned with the best interests of the community, only in installing their own agenda in the school. I scheduled a meeting with the principal and got permission to organize more elaborate communication for the school administration to communicate with the families but was specifically told that we did not need any more committees in the school.
I have looked into the actual implementation of the neighborhood transfer options for Sunnyside neighborhood families and they do not have neighborhood privileges at the provided list of surrounding schools, they have priority – which moves them to the top of the waiting list. All of the surrounding schools have waiting lists. It is thus my understanding, based on that research into the enrollment figures for the surrounding schools, that there is no way to restructure the district neighborhood divisions and allow Sunnyside to be a focus option only school. In light of that, I find it unconscionable that the board of education allows the administration at Sunnyside to persist in their illusion of being a focus option school. Unless there is a change in the special 'exit' policy that was created for this implementation of a neighborhood focus option school, they are going to have to accommodate the neighborhood status of the school in both their philosophy and their curriculum.
As things stand now, an LSAC has been created in the school against the wishes of the principal. However, most parents already feel so disenfranchised with the administration that I feel it is too late to address many of these issues at the school level. I personally feel that there is no possible scenario that involves a win-win outcome for the families and most especially the children attending the school. For this reason, I have removed my children from this school. Poorly handled politics and nepotism are not things I want them to learn.
Sincerely,
Heather Lee
February 14, 2005
Tuesday, February 8, 2005
What's wrong with Public School
I am applying for a Petition Transfer to move my daughter from Sunnyside Environmental School immediately. I have grave concerns about the overall focus of this program in terms of its safety, curriculum and community.
I do not feel that the administration is adequately concerned with the health and safety of the students. The first example of this is with regards to lice. Initially, the administration proposed removing the lockers from the hallways. I believe this did not happen due more to economics than health, however, I was grateful my child had a place to keep her clothing separate. Soon after the school year started, my daughter did not come home with her sweater, and I was told she had loaned it to one of her classmates because they went for a walk and he did not have a jacket. The classroom is also full of pillows and dress up clothes and silks for creative play. When I asked what the cleaning policy of these materials would be at the beginning of the year I was told not to worry so much. I am not alone in this concern. Last year, the kindergarten, these children, had an epidemic of lice sharing because of district policy. As parents, we collectively instituted rules for our children about sharing hair products and coats and hats. That we as a group have made this decision, and the persons in authority are telling our children otherwise indicates a lack of interest in parent involvement. The second example of the disregard for safety is connected to the first. The children go for weekly walks as a group. This walk is a required part of the curriculum and the students must go, regardless of the weather. There are 30 children in this class and there are 3 adults on this trip. I understand and do not take issue with a 1:30 ratio for teaching in the classroom, however, on these walks, 2 are teachers offering the lesson and one is a parent volunteer. While my daughter was raised in a densely urban environment and is very comfortable and I feel safe with her walking city streets, I do not know about the other children in her class, and I am concerned that she and the rest do not have enough eyes watching them to insure that they do not wander into traffic, away from the group, or into less caring hands. Furthermore, if they go walking in the rain, how are they to finish learning for the day if they are sitting in wet and dirty clothing?
Beyond my classroom concerns, I am frightened by the attitude of the administration with regards to overall safety. At a site council meeting discussing maximum building capacity, it was stated “we certainly don't want the fire marshal in here.” Why not? Are we knowingly placing students in danger for convenience or special interests? Also, a trip to the river in December-besides having no redeeming educational value-took place in weather with poor visibility and allowed children to walk on a public dock without safely equipment. I gave permission for my child to visit the East Side Promenade based on my familiarity with its railings and other safety features. I did not consider they would be down on the water, and did not consider that I gave permission for that. Many parents felt the way that I did, when they went to the administration about their concerns, they were told that the activity fell within the minimum standards of safety. This school has a curriculum that is centered around outside activities. That their standard is the minimum allowed by law does not convince me that they have any practical knowledge of the limits and capabilities of small children.
I am deeply troubled by the proposed curriculum for the elementary education at SES. Primarily, I am concerned that there is no proposed curriculum. That the district allowed the incorporation of a school without a proposed curriculum points to corruption and potential scandal. Repeated requests to the teacher for a copy of the curriculum were met with non responses, and it was not until I spoke to other parents in November that I learned that one did not exist. The staff had repeatedly sent home notes with requests for input that did not seem to be followed through with action. One uniformly requested addition to the curriculum was spelling lists for the first grade class. Although we were finally promised one before the Christmas break, they have yet to materialize. Another concern is that the children all learn to read this year. They had been well prepped for this by the end of kindergarten, and some had already succeeded in breaking the code. I know of not other students in the class who have had the 'eureka' moment an are apt readers. My concern for my daughter is that she was one of the early readers who left kindergarten reading at a late first or early second grade level. She has improved over the course of this year, but not due to any of the assignments her special reading group has assigned. In truth, her special reading group has been sighted sitting in the office and hallways waiting for their teacher. They have been sent back to class because there was no time for them, and I have personally heard one say “Yeah, we get to read with Sarah today.” Do they not always get to read with her? The girls were also promised a special event reading for the river festival, but that did not materialize and my daughter was especially disappointed. I understand that she and the other few have been singled out not so much for their ability as for the need to get them out of the way of the non readers in their class. I think their time would be better spent helping their classmates learn to read and I fear that next year, they will fall even farther behind because they will still not be challenged because of the number of fellow students who still won't be able to read.
I have repeatedly asked for additional homework for my daughter because I do not want her to fall behind the benchmarks, regardless of the standing of her fellow students, and I do not want her to express any more boredom with the school or her learning. I not only have not gotten anything additional, the assigned homework had not expressed any increasing expectations for the students. I find it difficult to discern the academic standards being refined in the homework and I do not find that these assignments overall are teaching any study skills or any academic skills that can be built on in the future.
I am also concerned about the lack of seating in the first grade classroom. Over the holiday, half the seating was removed from the classroom. If this were kindergarten, I would be sympathetic to the use of all centers in the learning environment, however, I believe that some part of the first grade is teaching the children to all focus on the same thing at the same time. This is a skill they will need for their academic and professional futures.
Parent teacher communication is also of concern to me. The creation and assignment of reading groups happened without discussion with the parents, and I found out about it from my daughter. She often comes home with rules of conduct that seem disjointed and are later not enforced, such as skateboard policy on the property. The reading engagement at the festival was only ever a rumor from the children, no note or phone call ever came about it. And the weekly communication is almost always centered on past events rather than future goals.
Lastly, I am gravely concerned about the social values that my child is learning in this environment. All stakeholders are not welcome to participate in planning or guiding events, curriculum or guidelines in this school. That the administration deals with every complaint as the workings of an isolated troublemaker, encourages families to leave if they will not blindly follow, tells students that EMS came to 'save' Sunnyside students from their poor education, does not involve the Columbia Regional Program in every decision and committee that makes decisions, and discourages parents from attending board meetings is not teaching my child anything about compassion, inclusion or dignity.
Furthermore, the environmental curriculum seems to be less about scientific principles and environmental justice, which is what I thought we were doing and more about Gaia worship with recycling as the main liturgy. When the infamous river visit occurred, the children were not at the river to learn about currents or pollution or water cycles, they were looking for fairies. Words fail me in my attempt to express in what ways and on how many levels I do not believe that fairies are an appropriate focus of the curriculum in any school.
I have worked tirelessly as the first grade coordinator to facilitate communication between the parents and the administration. I have taken all complaints seriously and expended much energy in smoothing the transition of a new idea into an old building. Based on the entrenchment I see happening, and the lack of community building I feel, I no longer believe this to be an educationally viable model. The painful transition may smooth itself into a functioning school, however, I do not see it teaching children the things that the school system is obligated to teach them, principally reading, writing and mathematics, and I am no longer willing or able to continue wasting her time sending her to school so she can come home and I can introduce her to all the things that have not been introduced, and smooth over the confusing morass of social and religious instructions she has acquired.
I would like to move her now, instead of waiting for the next school year for two reasons. Most importantly, because I do not want her to lose interest in school altogether before next year, because I do not want her to fall behind in the areas of learning she was supposed to have mastered this year, and because I am honestly afraid that what little room is available in the surrounding schools that we have been offered up as options will be full. I would rather home school my children than send them to this school next year.
Sincerely,
Heather Lee
February 8, 2005
I do not feel that the administration is adequately concerned with the health and safety of the students. The first example of this is with regards to lice. Initially, the administration proposed removing the lockers from the hallways. I believe this did not happen due more to economics than health, however, I was grateful my child had a place to keep her clothing separate. Soon after the school year started, my daughter did not come home with her sweater, and I was told she had loaned it to one of her classmates because they went for a walk and he did not have a jacket. The classroom is also full of pillows and dress up clothes and silks for creative play. When I asked what the cleaning policy of these materials would be at the beginning of the year I was told not to worry so much. I am not alone in this concern. Last year, the kindergarten, these children, had an epidemic of lice sharing because of district policy. As parents, we collectively instituted rules for our children about sharing hair products and coats and hats. That we as a group have made this decision, and the persons in authority are telling our children otherwise indicates a lack of interest in parent involvement. The second example of the disregard for safety is connected to the first. The children go for weekly walks as a group. This walk is a required part of the curriculum and the students must go, regardless of the weather. There are 30 children in this class and there are 3 adults on this trip. I understand and do not take issue with a 1:30 ratio for teaching in the classroom, however, on these walks, 2 are teachers offering the lesson and one is a parent volunteer. While my daughter was raised in a densely urban environment and is very comfortable and I feel safe with her walking city streets, I do not know about the other children in her class, and I am concerned that she and the rest do not have enough eyes watching them to insure that they do not wander into traffic, away from the group, or into less caring hands. Furthermore, if they go walking in the rain, how are they to finish learning for the day if they are sitting in wet and dirty clothing?
Beyond my classroom concerns, I am frightened by the attitude of the administration with regards to overall safety. At a site council meeting discussing maximum building capacity, it was stated “we certainly don't want the fire marshal in here.” Why not? Are we knowingly placing students in danger for convenience or special interests? Also, a trip to the river in December-besides having no redeeming educational value-took place in weather with poor visibility and allowed children to walk on a public dock without safely equipment. I gave permission for my child to visit the East Side Promenade based on my familiarity with its railings and other safety features. I did not consider they would be down on the water, and did not consider that I gave permission for that. Many parents felt the way that I did, when they went to the administration about their concerns, they were told that the activity fell within the minimum standards of safety. This school has a curriculum that is centered around outside activities. That their standard is the minimum allowed by law does not convince me that they have any practical knowledge of the limits and capabilities of small children.
I am deeply troubled by the proposed curriculum for the elementary education at SES. Primarily, I am concerned that there is no proposed curriculum. That the district allowed the incorporation of a school without a proposed curriculum points to corruption and potential scandal. Repeated requests to the teacher for a copy of the curriculum were met with non responses, and it was not until I spoke to other parents in November that I learned that one did not exist. The staff had repeatedly sent home notes with requests for input that did not seem to be followed through with action. One uniformly requested addition to the curriculum was spelling lists for the first grade class. Although we were finally promised one before the Christmas break, they have yet to materialize. Another concern is that the children all learn to read this year. They had been well prepped for this by the end of kindergarten, and some had already succeeded in breaking the code. I know of not other students in the class who have had the 'eureka' moment an are apt readers. My concern for my daughter is that she was one of the early readers who left kindergarten reading at a late first or early second grade level. She has improved over the course of this year, but not due to any of the assignments her special reading group has assigned. In truth, her special reading group has been sighted sitting in the office and hallways waiting for their teacher. They have been sent back to class because there was no time for them, and I have personally heard one say “Yeah, we get to read with Sarah today.” Do they not always get to read with her? The girls were also promised a special event reading for the river festival, but that did not materialize and my daughter was especially disappointed. I understand that she and the other few have been singled out not so much for their ability as for the need to get them out of the way of the non readers in their class. I think their time would be better spent helping their classmates learn to read and I fear that next year, they will fall even farther behind because they will still not be challenged because of the number of fellow students who still won't be able to read.
I have repeatedly asked for additional homework for my daughter because I do not want her to fall behind the benchmarks, regardless of the standing of her fellow students, and I do not want her to express any more boredom with the school or her learning. I not only have not gotten anything additional, the assigned homework had not expressed any increasing expectations for the students. I find it difficult to discern the academic standards being refined in the homework and I do not find that these assignments overall are teaching any study skills or any academic skills that can be built on in the future.
I am also concerned about the lack of seating in the first grade classroom. Over the holiday, half the seating was removed from the classroom. If this were kindergarten, I would be sympathetic to the use of all centers in the learning environment, however, I believe that some part of the first grade is teaching the children to all focus on the same thing at the same time. This is a skill they will need for their academic and professional futures.
Parent teacher communication is also of concern to me. The creation and assignment of reading groups happened without discussion with the parents, and I found out about it from my daughter. She often comes home with rules of conduct that seem disjointed and are later not enforced, such as skateboard policy on the property. The reading engagement at the festival was only ever a rumor from the children, no note or phone call ever came about it. And the weekly communication is almost always centered on past events rather than future goals.
Lastly, I am gravely concerned about the social values that my child is learning in this environment. All stakeholders are not welcome to participate in planning or guiding events, curriculum or guidelines in this school. That the administration deals with every complaint as the workings of an isolated troublemaker, encourages families to leave if they will not blindly follow, tells students that EMS came to 'save' Sunnyside students from their poor education, does not involve the Columbia Regional Program in every decision and committee that makes decisions, and discourages parents from attending board meetings is not teaching my child anything about compassion, inclusion or dignity.
Furthermore, the environmental curriculum seems to be less about scientific principles and environmental justice, which is what I thought we were doing and more about Gaia worship with recycling as the main liturgy. When the infamous river visit occurred, the children were not at the river to learn about currents or pollution or water cycles, they were looking for fairies. Words fail me in my attempt to express in what ways and on how many levels I do not believe that fairies are an appropriate focus of the curriculum in any school.
I have worked tirelessly as the first grade coordinator to facilitate communication between the parents and the administration. I have taken all complaints seriously and expended much energy in smoothing the transition of a new idea into an old building. Based on the entrenchment I see happening, and the lack of community building I feel, I no longer believe this to be an educationally viable model. The painful transition may smooth itself into a functioning school, however, I do not see it teaching children the things that the school system is obligated to teach them, principally reading, writing and mathematics, and I am no longer willing or able to continue wasting her time sending her to school so she can come home and I can introduce her to all the things that have not been introduced, and smooth over the confusing morass of social and religious instructions she has acquired.
I would like to move her now, instead of waiting for the next school year for two reasons. Most importantly, because I do not want her to lose interest in school altogether before next year, because I do not want her to fall behind in the areas of learning she was supposed to have mastered this year, and because I am honestly afraid that what little room is available in the surrounding schools that we have been offered up as options will be full. I would rather home school my children than send them to this school next year.
Sincerely,
Heather Lee
February 8, 2005
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