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Let's see....my daughter was reading at a 12th grade level by the time she was in the 6th grade and is now an 'A' student in college.  My son who is now a 10th grader is reading at an 8th grade level, BUT in the past year has progressed from reading at the 5th grade level to this 8th grade level.  Which high school deserves more credit?  Oh, yeah, the one that PPS wants to shut down, LEP High School.  We can rethink the structure of schools and remodel what the school looks like all we want but if PPS has the power to shut down  such a school how can we ever progress?

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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What does innovation look like in Oregon schools?  Look at LEP High School, 2044 E. Burnside, Portland, OR.  LEP (Leadership and Entreprenuership) High is a charter school.  Only in its third year, this school is changing lives.  You have to experience it or talk to the students and staff there to really 'get it'.  This is a college prep school and yet it attracts students who are some of the highest at-risk youth in the city.  It attracts students with learning disabilities who still dream of going to college. It attracts students who had dropped out of school because they didn't fit in but in their hearts still wanted to finish high school.  It attracts students who for whatever reason got lost in the traditional school setting. It attracts students who have much to contribute to this world if only given the right educational setting.  What sets this school apart? Imagine this: a school where 65% of the students live at the poverty level, but have hopes of attending college; where 20% of the students have learning disabilities but do well in regular classes because the extra help they need is integrated so they don't feel singled out;  where the students all know each other and respect for one another is the rule not the exception; where the teachers work an extended school day and extended school year and can still be found on campus working with students after hours.  Sound too good to be true?  Well, you may be right,  because Portland Public School Board wants to close the school this year because it is "not financially viable". Curious statement coming from the board that has withheld state funds that it had the option (and the responsibility) of passing on to this school.   

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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