In a year that will involve budget cuts and leadership changes, Portland Public Schools Superintendent Jim Morse does have one simple task to handle – he already knows what his mission is.
“Superintendent Jim Morse plans to appoint a chief academic officer and two curriculum coordinators to increase staff accountability and student performance across the district,” according to a story printed today in the Portland Press Herald.
It’s heartening to hear this student-focused message coming out of the Superintendent’s office. It is clear that the school district and Superintendent Morse are committed to strengthening student performance and holding teachers accountable for making it happen.
In an effort to ensure that the needs of students of color, low-income students, and students with special needs receive an equal education from here on out, Superintendent Morse is restructuring administration and meeting with advocates to determine a plan for moving forward. Earlier in the winter, I attended one day of Superintendent Morse’s visioning meeting, which involved advocates, educators, community members, decision-makers and students to determine the vision for Portland Public Schools. As an advocate, it felt great to be invited to the table and to provide a civil liberties perspective to education issues. A few weeks ago, I attended a meeting with Superintendent Morse and 15 other administrators in the district, along with the NAACP and the League of Young Voters. Superintendent Morse and the three principals of Portland high schools reported on a temporary effort, initiated by the ACLU of MAINE and our coalition partners, to track contact between students and administrators related to discipline. The ACLU of MAINE suggested tracking discipline after reviewing haphazard data that was obtained through a FOIA by a local community member. It was interesting that each high school tracked the information in a different way, and exciting that these three methods led to a conversation about best practices.
Now that it’s been several weeks since my meeting with the Superintendent and his administrators, it was encouraging to see the article today in the Press Herald. I imagine that equally educating students in Portland public schools will warrant many changes. It’s great to see so many already underway.