Portland School District
Where available, click the collapsible text boxes to view the candidate's responses to some questions posed by the Democratic Party of Multnomah County's Education Study Group.
Brooklyn Sherman, Director, Zone 4
How do you see internet access impacting the digital divide and the impact that it has had on learning for students at all economic levels?
All PPS students should be provided with Chrome Books and Hotspots during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We have shown during this pandemic that we can provide internet access to all are students and we must keep this up after the pandemic
What is your opinion of the role of high stakes standardized testing in the education of our children?
I believe that standardized testing poorly portrays the intellect of the children. Teaching to the tests is a poor use of our embarrassingly short school year.
What steps do you see need to be taken in order for science to be taught as a method of inquiry and deduction, and not just a litany of facts?
We need to increasing experiential hands on programs in our district. Field trips and hands-on learning should be more normalized while also taking into account the fact that many students learn better with traditional methods. Experiential programs are a great way to wean students away from online-learning and back into in-person education. Out Door schools should be enhanced, and hands on trade learning should not be marginalized by the pure sciences.
Herman Greene, Director, Zone 4
How do you see internet access impacting the digital divide and the impact that it has had on learning for students at all economic levels?
Even before COVID many youth were accessing the internet at libraries and friends homes. We know that upwards of 44% of low income youth do not have internet at home - the majority are from communities of color. It isn’t only laptops and access to the internet- it is having a home environment that works for learning. There is real fear of the student achievement gap only growing. As a school board member I will continue to listen, learn and work with my diverse coalition to help take these lessons learned and make the needed changes now. The digital divide is one that we must remedy.
What is your opinion of the role of high stakes standardized testing in the education of our children?
Standardized tests have an implicit bias against children of color. We must ensure that the tests are relevant, culturally sensitive and actually provide a desired result. Almost 19% of middle school kids are not reading at a 3rd grade level. If we really want to change the graduation rate, we need to change this statistic. We want to start looking at early childhood reading benchmarks and make sure that we are properly testing our children on not just their reading but their comprehension. These are types of metrics we should be more concerned about than standardized test results.
What steps do you see need to be taken in order for science to be taught as a method of inquiry and deduction, and not just a litany of facts?
We should be introducing the topics of logic and deductive reasoning alongside the scientific method at a younger age and in the science classroom. Science is not an encyclopedia of facts and information about the world around us that we magically discovered over time. Science is a methodology for how we are able to build workable conclusions with repeatable results using empirical evidence. Students ought to be taught how to use this methodology to see and prove the reality around them rather than just accept what others tell them.
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Gary Hollands, director, zone 5
Julia Brim-Edwards, director, zone 6
Max Margolis, Director, Zone 6
How do you see internet access impacting the digital divide and the impact that it has had on learning for students at all economic levels?
If students cannot access WIFI, which is expensive, then they are being swallowed by the divide. The Internet should be accessible to all students. While PPS can provide Chromebooks to students, they could only offer a web link to families unable to afford the internet, which requires lots of documentation and a monthly paper. WiFi should be free for all people.
What is your opinion of the role of high stakes standardized testing in the education of our children?
Take away the stakes, get the insight. Standardize testing should be one measure of school success. It should be used to give feedback to students, parents, teachers, and administrators on students' academic strengths and weaknesses, not to punish schools. We should also work to make sure tests are culturally competent. The goal should always be toward building confidence and improvement. Standardize tests should be one of many lenses to measure a school's learning environment.
What steps do you see need to be taken in order for science to be taught as a method of inquiry and deduction, and not just a litany of facts?
When I was in high school, our science classes were extended two periods twice a week to allow for lab work. Science is applied learning, good teachers with access to resources demonstrate this every day. I would advocate for a curriculum, recommended by science teachers, that provides students with the ability to apply what they are being taught. The textbooks should pique students' interests and offer ways to explore various scientific theories and facts.
