Reminder!! PPS Brown Bag Discussion ~ 1.30.08

Just a quick reminder that this event is this week!  Wednesday @ noon,  in fact.  For those who cannot make it, we'll do out best to report out what we learn in a post and of course invite other attendees, panelists, and anyone else with a question or answer to chime in.  As always, when choosing times and locations not everyone can make it. Were it not so.  Good thing the internet - thus Activistas - is accessible whenever you have the time!

A Friendly Reminder: We hope parents can learn from parents about PPS's many great schools and how to choose the right one for your family - neighborhood, magnet, immersion, charter - without trying to sort out the issues surrounding the district's transfer policy.  There are plenty of opportunities to engage in that (worthwhile but heated) conversation!

How It'll Work: We'll have 3-4 panelists who have kids in a range of PPS school settings: neighborhood schools, magnets, charters, you name it.  They'll talk informally about their experiences - what they have liked, found frustrating, would do differently, etc... Then you can ask questions.  The point here is not to debate the pros and cons of school choice (at all).  It is to help us to understand and navigate the existing system - whether you love it or hate it.  If you're dying to get into the controversy of it all, check out our heated discussion on the topic from back in October - you can still weigh in!

When & Where: Wednesday, January 30th from noon to 1:30 PM in Multnomah County's Central Library in downtown Portland.  We'll be in the U.S. Bank Room - on the first floor, just to the right as you walk in the main doors off SW 10th Ave.

Comments

[Lisa]

Thanks so very much to our parent 'panelists' who volunteered their time to share their experiences with those of us with questions! We had 30+ people in attendance. Please let us know your opinions of the event - was it worthwhile? did you learn something? was it what you expected? would you attend other, similar events? what other questions do you have?

[Wacky Mommy]

As I requested at the discussion today, I would love to attend a forum or panel discussion on equity and school funding.

Thanks.

[Anne]

It was helpful - thanks for hosting it. I had to leave before I could ask specific questions of Karen and Ruth: Is there some way to direct one to them offline?

Thanks again! It was nice to sit in a room of parents fretting as much as I am, and to be reassured that it will ultimately all work out. I also very much appreciated the comment that neighborhood school's might have a lot to offer and should not be overlooked.

[Lisa]

Anne, To connect with other parents re other schools, check out the very new uM School Connections Forum, it may serve your purpose. If not, I recommend asking the question(s) here if you feel comfortable and we can ask Ruth and/or Karen to chime in if they can. http://www.urbanmamas.com/schools

[LTF]

Wacky Mommy, While a panel/forum on equity and school funding sounds useful and interesting and important, I don't imagine that we'll organize it. As we all know, it is an issue where emotions run deep, and we are not experts in stats and money. There might be a more official, school-focused org that would be interested in organizing such an event. As a PPS employee/representative, perhaps you can inquire around? If one happens, we can post it on our calendar, etc... Thanks for the comment.

[Wacky Mommy]

I'm interested in what the parents have to say, and what you all are thinking, in regards to equity and funding.

WM

[LTF]

WM: Luckily, there is a long, long thread from abck in 10/07 that started with a charter post and ended with a sometimes heated equity discussion, as you might recall. Here is the link to revisit (the beauty of w eblog, it just keeps on giving), there are quite a few parent comments with related opinions: http://www.urbanmamas.com/activistas/2007/10/gettin-a-charte.html

I hesitate to start another such thread because it's been done before and it got a bit, uh, heated. It is clearly an important issue, and there's another thread re the district's fall mtg on the topic witha few parent comments: http://www.urbanmamas.com/activistas/2007/11/pps-enrollment-.html

One idea is to start the discussion over on youyr blog?

[concordia_mama]

Hello,
I wasn't able to attend the meeting so i'm just curious...
were any helpful tips given?

Thank you!

[LTF]

Several panelsits suggeste checking out your neighborhood school before considering transfers. They spoke about the benefits of that community, the offerings that you might not be aware of (music, art, etc...). They also noted how many kids in their respective neighborhoods don't attend the n'hood school. Immersion programs were discussed; job-sharing teachers and the impact was discussed. The tough decision to be made betwen one's potential commitment to the n'hood verses one's desrie to find the very best fit for your child(ren) was also mentioned. What else? It was stressed that all schools have pros and cons, don't stress otj too mcuh b/c you can change later. While there is pressure for kindergarten transfers, an interesting point was made that , while there are indeed fewer transfer slots in older grades, there are also fewer transfer applications. You might want to check out the Schools Connection forum on uM that came into bein gright after this meeting. It is a way to connect parents with Q's about specific schools with parents whose kids attend those schools. It seemed that beyond Q's about the general process & personal factors involved, parents were really seeking individual school info from parents at that school. Link: http://www.urbanmamas.com/schools. No doubt there was far more. We talked from 12:05 to 1:30. Anyone else wish to expand? Jump on in!

[Wacky Mommy]

Hey -- by the way, I am not a paid employee for PPS. It is a volunteer position and I am happy to donate my time.

[concordia_mama]

LTF,
Thanks for sharing that with us!

[jess]

I was unable to attend the forum because I work full-time during the day; however, I do think that all parents need to consider the impact that open enrollment and school choice has on schools, children, and communities. Like all PPS parents, I have struggled with "which is the right school for my child". Open enrollment brings choice and loads of pressure to parents to make sure they find a school that is the right fit for their child. Lots of us feel overwhelmed with making the best choice for our own kids...much less thinking about the implications of choice on our neighorhoods and communities.

Still, I think any rational discussion of schools must include an examination of what each of our individual school choice decisions have on our collective communities.

Thanks, wackymama, for bringing up this important issue. I know that urbanmama's and papas are engaged citizens of Portlad that are not afraid to look at an issue from multiple perspectives. I look forward to future urbanmamma/activista events that allow for an inclusive, respectful, and deep examination of personal and political issues.

[Anne]

Thanks Lisa - I'll go ahead and post my question and will hope for response from anyone with some knowledge. My question was about having kids on IEPs: first, is the educational experience for kids with ASD affected more by parents than the environment (i.e., does it matter as much where the kids go to school as how involved parent's are in advocating?) And second, I know Karen said the environment at Buckman is very important for her daughter. I am interested in Buckman, but heard that the classrooms can be very unstructured. With one kid with autism spectrum and one with sensory integration, I am looking for structure - but structure without rigidity...probaby what we're all looking for, really. I wondered if Karen, or another Buckman parent, could comment on that.

I don't know if this is clear: a day spent at the expo center has left me completely wiped out!

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.