Ruth in the news
Read all about it! Click below to see mentions of Ruth in the press.
And another letter in Oregonian in support of Ruth, 5/12/07
Letter to the Oregonian, 5/12/07
Pick Adkins, Schultz
In her May 10 letter, Elizabeth Engberg makes the same error that Portland School Board incumbents Doug Morgan and David Wynde make in arguing that the district's K-8 reconfiguration "helped secure a crucial package of interim [school] funding from the county and business . . .." For them, apparently, the end justified the means.
In a rush to make change for change's sake, however, these incumbents fell down on the job. They accepted the short timelines and limited justification for the reconfigurations, making no effort to ensure that these hasty and sweeping changes really were best for the district.
Challengers Ruth Adkins and Michele Schultz might have implemented some similar changes; both have stated as much. Before doing so, however, they would have helped build a citywide consensus on those changes, rather than force-feed them to skeptical parents, teachers and students.
For me, the means endorsed by Wynde and Morgan justifies their end. I'm voting Adkins and Schultz.
JEFF DOBBINS Southwest Portland
Another set of letters to the Oregonian in support of Ruth, 5/11/07
Friday's letters, including a great one from Susan Jewell, are not online yet. Here are 4 letters in support of Ruth posted today on the Oregonian's new opinion blog:
More letters on Doug Morgan/Ruth Adkins race
Posted by Giselle Williams May 11, 2007 05:00AM
The Oregonian was absolutely right to endorse Ruth Adkins for Portland
School Board. Portland is a fantastic place to live, and it should have a
healthy school system to reflect that.
I cringe to think of the great elementary schools like Smith and Edwards that closed, forcing parents who once believed in the public school system to look elsewhere. My family
almost faced the same reality when Rieke Elementary was on the chopping
block.
Thankfully, my daughter will enter Rieke in the fall, thanks to the energy and motivation of Adkins and a bunch of parents who worked so hard to show the school board that closing a vibrant, high-achieving school is detrimental to the community and the school system.
I just don't get the sense that Adkins' opponent is in touch with parents and
teachers, nor has spent much time in a public school lately. Adkins has three
children in elementary, middle and high school and has spent countless hours
volunteering in and championing these schools.
We need a board member who is not afraid to engage the community when it comes to making tough decisions. Adkins has the experience, the smarts and the energy for the job. I want my tax dollars under her watch.
HEATHER HAWKINS, co-founder, ReadySetMom.com, Southwest Portland
__________________________________________________________________________
I was so pleased to read your endorsement of Ruth Adkins for the Portland School
Board. I have been involved with her on several school-related matters and find her to be knowledgeable and thoughtful in every way.
Her rigorous intellect will be a welcome addition to the board, as well as her positive
vision for the school district's future.
While Doug Morgan seems to be a decent fellow, I have been very unimpressed with his hands-off manner of dealing with the difficult subject matter that comes before the school board.
Thanks again for endorsing Ruth Adkins. I am confident you made the right decision.
SUSAN CRABTREE, Portland Public Schools parent, Northeast Portland
___________________________________________________________________________
Portland's children, Portland's voters and Portland's neighborhoods are lucky to have Ruth Adkins as a candidate for the Portland School Board.
As a long-time teacher, I view Adkins as remarkably qualified through her experience, beliefs and personal qualities. In her 10 years as an active volunteer in school and community organizations, Adkins' collaborative style works for the benefit of all.
Driven by a relentless desire for high-quality schools throughout Portland, Adkins devotes countless hours to this cause. As a Portland School Board member, she would bring exceptional intelligence, ability and integrity to every task. She would do her best to choose the superintendent our children deserve - one who will stick around until the job is done.
AMY MEABE, Southwest Portland
______________________________________________________________________
I am a parent of two children. One attends our neighborhood school, Stephenson Elementary. The other attends a focus option school, Winterhaven.
I have met with Ruth Adkins on several occasions. I support her because she is supportive of focus option schools and strong neighborhood schools. She has a passion to
make all Portland schools better.
When tough decisions have to be made, it is not an excuse for making bad decisions. I believe the current school board has made bad decisions in closing neighborhood schools
and forcing schools to conform to one-size-fits-all.
The district has many smart, creative parents who want to participate in decisions that lead to changes in neighborhoods and schools. Adkins also supports this
bottom-up decision making. We can make great decisions that unite and benefit our communities when given a chance.
SHARON KEAST, Southwest
Randy Leonard's Oregonian letter to the editor in support of Ruth, 5/10/07
Randy Leonard's Oregonian letter to the editor in support of Ruth, published 5/10/07
Adkins a creative leader
I am very appreciative of The Oregonian's endorsement of Ruth Adkins for the Portland School Board. Adkins would bring strong leadership and creative ideas to the board. I am looking forward to working with her as a partner in the city's efforts to plan for the future and to preserve and enhance the livability of Portland.
Adkins is committed to working collaboratively to ensure that all children have quality schools and that Portland remains a family-friendly city. I urge my fellow Portlanders to vote for Ruth Adkins.
RANDY LEONARD City commissioner Southeast Portland
Another Oregonian letter to the editor in support of Ruth, 5/9/07
Best for district: Adkins
In the wake of Vicki Phillips' abrupt resignation announcement, Portland parents and students have become acutely aware of the issues that will face her successor. Among them, the none-too-trivial tasks of completing Phillips' massive, half-finished K-8 reconfiguration, and implementing a common curriculum in the classrooms.
The next superintendent is going to need a lot of help, and that is going to mean enlisting the energy and enthusiasm from the diverse communities that make up Portland Public Schools, but this will also be no easy task.
Many parents and students were none too pleased with the manner in which Phillips' sweeping changes were handled over the past couple of years, and with most of those changes still in need of resolution, some have become understandably jaded.
Portland Public Schools needs to prove to the public that it knows how to listen, and right now the best thing that could happen to the school district would be to have Ruth Adkins on the school board.
A founder of the Neighborhood Schools Alliance and PTA president, Adkins knows what it means to engage the community in the process and understands that a cookie-cutter approach is not right for this city. Her input would be critical in helping to find an effective superintendent.
JASON BASKIN Northeast Portland
Further Oregonian Endorsement of Ruth, 5/9/07
Wednesday's (5/9/07) Oregonian includes a re-endorsement of Ruth Adkins for Zone 1.Willamette Week checks the box for Ruth, 5/9/07
The May 9 Willamette Week reminds its readers that it thinks Ruth is the best choice for School Board from Zone 1...Oregonian Letter to Editor in support of Ruth, 5/8/07
Letter to the Editor, Oregonian 5/8/07
Adkins would serve well
We appreciate your endorsement of Ruth Adkins for Portland School Board.
As a former board member, I (Karla Wenzel) know that the perspectives and experiences Adkins has to offer the board and district will serve us well. In this time of declining enrollment, Adkins has experience and ideas about engaging community members and marketing all that Portland Public Schools has to offer.
As many have said, one of the most important duties of a school board member is to hire a superintendent -- its chief executive officer. We believe that the board needs Adkins' skills and experience as it heads into another search and hiring process. Please join us in supporting Ruth Adkins for the Portland School Board.
KARLA WENZEL and FRED MILLER Southwest Portland
Multnomah Village Post endorsement, 5/3/07
Liberal and good-hearted, Ruth Adkins is a slam-dunk in race for Portland School Board
| |
| FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK 05/03/07 The panel posed several tough questions to the candidates. What would they look for in the next school superintendent? [My suggestion is that it should be someone not on the fast track to more power or money. God forbid, we should find a superintendent that wants to stick around more than a year!] Why wasn't the Wilson Cluster community included in the discussion about what to do about overcrowding at nearby Lincoln High School? Why the focus on K-8 mega-schools, while high performing smaller schools like George Smith and Mary Rieke are closed or threatened? Why did the Portland School Board repeatedly deny the Southwest Charter School's application, only to have it accepted by the State Board of Education? While neither candidate had any pat answers, Ruth Adkins particularly impressed me. As expected, she came across with a smooth delivery and thoughtful answers. But most surprising was how good-hearted and optimistic she was! I was so impressed by this woman, that I asked her afterward if she was planning to run for Congress after she won the School Board seat. "No, this is a dead-end job. I have my three children to take care of and that’s plenty for me," said Adkins. Too bad for the rest of us! If Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton herself were running for school board against Adkins, I'd vote for Ruth Adkins every day of the week and twice on Sunday! Doug Morgan, a much more conservative opponent, gave dutiful answers to questions and at times often sounded apologetic for his board's performance the past four years. Well Doug, I think it's time for fresh blood. Vote for Ruth Adkins for Portland School Board on May 15. |
The Sunday Oregonian (re)endorses Ruth, 4/29/07
April 29th's Sunday Oregonian reiterates why The Oregonian editorial board chose to endorse Ruth, and adds some timely advice encouraging everyone to vote in this election. Take a look! Highlight: "Challenger Ruth Adkins, a parent and market research analyst, makes a good case that the district can boost its enrollment by improving school quality, mending relationships with parents, marketing the district's strengths and working with other agencies on housing. .... In races this local, with the stakes for schools so high, every vote truly does count."Oregonian endorsement, 4/27/07
The Oregonian endorses Ruth:
Wynde, Adkins for school board
The pending departure of Vicki Phillips raises the stakes for board leadership in Portland schoolsFriday, April 27, 2007
...[B]oard members can kiss their dreams of a restful year goodbye, now that Superintendent Vicki Phillips has given notice. The board will need to hire a replacement, oversee the transition and create a sense of educational stability during this leadership change.
For these reasons, voters should re-elect incumbent David Wynde and elect challenger Ruth Adkins.
She's a Yale-educated market research analyst, longtime schools activist and co-founder of a neighborhood group formed in 2005 to oppose school closures....
She says she's prepared to tackle the excess capacity in high schools, where operations costs are the highest. She also makes a good case that the district can boost its enrollment by improving school quality, mending relationships with parents, marketing the district's many strengths and working with other agencies on affordable housing.
OPB News: "Phillips' Departure Takes Portland Schools By Surprise," 4/26/07
OPB News: "Phillips' Departure Takes Portland Schools By Surprise," 4/26/07
By Rob Manning
PORTLAND, OR 2007-04-26 Parents and others in the Portland Public School district are reacting today to the unexpected news that their Superintendent Vicki Phillips will be leaving. She announced late yesterday afternoon that she's taking a job directing education programs with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As the news sinks in, some parents are concerned that Phillips' departure will lead to problems. Rob Manning has more on the outgoing superintendent.
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....This emotional Vicki Phillips stands in contrast to the superintendent who never blinked when assailed by angry parents at school board meetings. But her top staffers say that Phillips formed a deep bond with Portland and its schools.
Leslie Rennie Hill runs the new Office of High Schools, which is incidentally funded by a Gates grant.
Rennie Hill: "I'm sure this was a very difficult decision for her to make, because she is so invested here. I think you saw genuine emotion, and I see that in the commitment, reflected in her commitment, every day."
Hill and others say they were very surprised by Phillips' announcement. Some parents were immediately critical. School board members at the press conference put a positive spin on the announcement, saying that Portland wasn't losing a superintendent, it was gaining a friend at the powerful Gates Foundation.
But school board candidate Ruth Adkins called the move "deeply disappointing."
Ruth Adkins: "Especially because so much work is left in the district. And it was also surprising considering the Superintendent and the board had just signed a 3-year contract. You know, I've questioned some of the initiatives that the Superintendent put forward, but I was really looking forward to working with her to mend the relationships with teachers and the community."
Vicki Phillips, for her part, says she understands why people might be upset. She says it wasn't her intention to leave Portland Public Schools after only three years.
Vicki Phillips: "In the best of all worlds, I would have stayed longer, absolutely, and a couple more years would have given us an additional amount of steadiness, that's certainly true. But you also never know when the right opportunity is going to come along, and this one would not have waited. That's on the personal side of it. But on the side of how parents and teachers and others should think of it: this work is getting steadier every day."
But some parents say the superintendent is leaving her own initiatives half-done. A numer of schools are in the process of changing to a Kindergarten-through-8th-grade structure. At the high school level, the principal that Phillips hired for Jefferson High is on administrative leave after having conflicts with that school community.
Anne Trudeau is with the parent advocacy group, Neighborhood Schools Alliance.
Anne Trudeau: "Phillips has initiated many reforms, but because she's leaving at this time, there are many are left up in the air, including the K-to-8 conversion, the Jefferson reforms, and the curriculum reform -- all of those are up in the air."
Phillips and her top deputies say that the district has made progress, and can sustain the changes. Leslie Rennie Hill says her Office of High Schools is an example of something Phillips started that will help guide positive changes. She says reform efforts began before Phillips arrived, and will continue after she's gone.
Leslie Rennie-Hill: "I look at the Office of High School's work, that's data-driven, it's based on the analysis of our resources, the status of our system now, where we need to go, so this isn't the idea or the whim of a particular leader. This is a long term process that's going to take a long-term solution."
The next leader will be chosen by the school board. Four of the current board members were around when Phillips was hired. But former school board members led the way. Julia Brim-Edwards was one of them. She also sat through a failed search a year earlier. She says there is a magic formula.
Julia Brim-Edwards: "We decided that we were going to conduct a recruitement, not have a search. So we went out and found who was going to be the very best person, and bring them to Portland."
Brim-Edwards says it's also important to balance community involvement with the confidentiality of the candidates. Vicki Phillips, for her part, says the job at the Gates foundation could be a career capstone, even though she says she wasn't looking for it.
Vicki Phillips: "There's not something else sitting out there as a step sitting out there past this one. I've always been one to think of this not as a ladder, it's been a 'where can I have the most leverage, and where can I make the most difference?' And this job offers that, and offers it for a long time to come."
Phillips will be the Portland Superintendent through June 30th. The school board is holding a special meeting later this week to decide how they'll go about finding her replacement.
© Copyright 2007, OPB
Portland Mercury endorsement, 4/26/07
Portland Mercury endorsement, 4/26/07
ZONE 1—SW Portland - VOTE ADKINS
In SW Portland, Ruth Adkins—founder of the Neighborhood Schools Alliance activist group—has led an outspoken campaign against the "railroading" of parents, teachers, and community members by the school board's often opaque process.
Adkins contends that hearing from everybody is just as important as getting things done, and her opponent, Douglas Morgan, is viewed as siding too often with the superintendent, Vicki Phillips, behind closed doors. Adkins is more likely to stand up to Phillips, she says.
Adkins also has the support of Portland's public process monarchs, Commissioner Randy Leonard and former city council candidate Amanda Fritz. The Mercury feels Adkins would bring a more balanced and much needed new approach to the school board.
Renee Mitchell, "Job of fixing city schools is left to us," 4/30/07
By the end of elementary, middle, and high school, every student will meet or exceed academic standards and will be fully prepared to make productive life decisions.
Willamette Week endorsement, 4/25/07
Willamette Week endorsement, April 25, 2007
"....challenger Adkins' clear-eyed vision of education makes her a candidate who can stir the pot without causing too much sloshing. She's a market researcher and founding member of the Neighborhood Schools Alliance, which formed in 2005 to address inequity in the district.
"Adkins says PPS's board must repair relationships with the public, citing the K-8 reconfigurations as an example of a hurried process that left many community members feeling out of breath. True! And the board needs to balance Phillips' other hurricane-strength reforms. Adkins could be the cool front that changes this storm's direction."
Portland Tribune editorial endorsement: "Wynde, Adkins for School Board," April 20, 2007
Portland Tribune: "Wynde, Adkins for School Board," April 20, 2007
"....voters should not dismiss the potential of the energetic Adkins — a market research analyst and parent of three children currently in school. Adkins has proved her community credentials with volunteer work in the schools and elsewhere.
She would come to the board as a strong advocate for neighborhoods. She believes school administrators and the board must do a better job of communicating with constituents. Adkins also has worthwhile notions for how the district and other agencies can work to stop the flow of young families from the city.
Adkins would be strongly independent and probing in her questions.
As a new board member, Adkins must learn she no longer is in a pure advocacy role, but that her focus will shift to acting as evaluator and policymaker. We are confident, however, that she will be a cooperative member of the board while also serving as a leader who appropriately will challenge the status quo.
Frankly, we also give weight to the fact that Adkins has a child at each level in Portland Public Schools — elementary, middle and high school. That means she is vested in a positive outcome for schools and will bring a sense of urgency to the job."
SWNI News: "Pivotal School Board Race," April 2007
From Southwest Neighborhoods Inc. April 2007 newsletter (not yet online at www.swni.org)Pivotal School Board Race
Changes in Portland Public Schools have been in the news a lot
lately. Did you know that some of the most important changes have
been decided by a 4-3 vote of the school board? A difference of one
vote could mean a whole new direction for our schools. Now that our
own Zone 1 member, Doug Morgan, has a challenger, Ruth Adkins, that
vote could be different next year. Bobbie Regan is the other westside
school board member (who is running unopposed). Come listen to what
these three people have to say. Two of these people will be
responsible for representing us on the school board.
What is best for our schools and our neighborhoods? You decide.
Come to the Voter's Forum on Monday, April 30th, to hear what the
three candidates have to say and make up your own mind.
A panel of local journalists, including a representative of the
Wilson High School paper, will quiz the candidates, and there will be
questions from the audience as well.
Sponsored by Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc, and Neighbors West
Northwest. For more information, call 503-823-4592 or e-mail
ginny@swni.org.
Stand for Children press release on OregonLive.com
http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/03/stand_for_children_endor...
Stand for Children endorses Portland school board candidates
Posted by The Oregonian March 23, 2007 17:09PM
An education and children's advocacy group has endorsed four Portland School Board incumbents and one challenger.
Shannon Campion, director of Stand for Children's Portland chapter, said the organization supported the incumbents in their first bids for office four years ago, and each has delivered.
Stand will support incumbent David Wynde over challenger Michelle Schultz in the Zone 2 race. Wynde's steady leadership and focus on academic achievement in his first term edged out Schultz's passion and interesting ideas, Campion said. Wynde will receive campaign help from Stand.
In the Zone 1 race, both incumbent Doug Morgan and challenger Ruth Adkins received the endorsement. Morgan's financial stewardship and commitment to community participation impressed, Campion said. As for Adkins: "She will be very committed to ensuring there's more public engagement at the front end of some decision-making."
Incumbents Dilafruz Williams in Zone 7 and Bobbie Regan in Zone 3 are running unopposed. Stand endorsed both. Portland School Board members represent zones but are elected at-large. Election Day is May 15.
SW Community Connection, March 07: "Schools activist to run for school board"
SW Community Connection, March 07: "Schools activist to run for school board" - not available online yet; link coming soon!
Schools Activist to Run for School Board
"Hillsdale resident Ruth Adkins has three children who attend neighborhood schools. As an involved parent, she has been active with the PTA, volunteered in the classroom, helped save Rieke Elementary School from being closed, and is a founding member of the Neighborhood Schools Alliance. The 43-year-old woman has stayed busy trumping for quality schools and a collaborative decision-making process for years. Now Adkins says she is ready to take her involvement with Portland Public Schools to a new level, having thrown her hat into the ring as a candidate for the school board."
"Adkins said her goals as a board member would be to include the community in district decisions, support equal opportunities for students and work to increase enrollment. 'I am very excited to bring new energy to the school board,' she said. 'If elected I will work in partnership with the community, Portland Public Schools teachers and staff, the superintendent, and the school board to reach our common goal -- outstanding schools for every child in this city.'"
Willamette Week, 3/21/07: "Spreading the Good News"
Willamette Week, 3/21/07: "Spreading the Good News"
....WW has learned that the school district agreed to pay $4,000 to a local writer to pen good-news articles and place them in regional and national publications. ....
"Our resources are way too limited," says Ruth Adkins, a challenger to Morgan in Zone 1. "It seems to me we don't need to be hiring out to do PR."
Willamette Week online, 2/26/07: "Second Challenger Enters School Board Race"
Willamette Week online, 2/26/07: "Second Challenger Enters School Board Race"Willamette Week, 2/21/07: Murmurs
Willamette Week, 2/21/07: Murmurs
The Portland Public Schools Board of Education election May 15 will mark a minor historical moment . For the first time in three election cycles, all board incumbents up for re-election have chosen to run again . Doug Morgan, who represents Zone 1 covering Southwest Portland, became the fourth and final incumbent to enter the race when he filed his candidacy Tuesday. As of Tuesday, Morgan was the only candidate to have a known challenger—Ruth Adkins, a founding member of the Neighborhood Schools Alliance and a longtime activist from Southwest.
Portland Mercury Endorsement, 4/26/2007
In its April 26 - May 2 edition, the Portland Mercury endorsed Ruth! According to their endorsement, "[t]he Mercury feels Adkins would bring a more balanced and much needed new approach to the school board." Read all about it at the link.Portland Tribune, 2/20/07: "Schools race sees new face"
Portland Tribune, 2/20/07 "Schools race sees new face"
It’s looking like it might not be the status quo after all in this spring’s Portland school board race, since neighborhood schools activist Ruth Adkins announced she will throw her hat in the ring.
The Hillsdale mother of three is one of the ringleaders of the Neighborhood Schools Alliance watchdog group, and has made a name for herself as a vocal critic of Vicki Phillips’ initiatives.
Adkins, 43, would challenge sitting member Doug Morgan in the Southwest Portland zone if he files for re-election — which he had not done as of Monday morning.
“She’s the mom next door,” says her campaign spokeswoman, Cindy Young. “I think she’s got a real connection to the people who have issues with how things are going.”
The three other board members up for re-election have filed to run again and face no opponents so far.
Willamette Week online, 2/15/07: "School Board Race Heats Up: Wynde and Adkins In"
Willamette Week online, 2/15/07: "School Board Race Heats Up: Wynde and Adkins In"
...Doug Morgan, who represents Zone 1, is now the only incumbent who has not announced whether he will seek his seat on the seven-person board. If he's dragging his feet because he's wondering how he'll raise enough money to run a successful campaign, he won't welcome this news: Neighborhood School Alliance activist Ruth Adkins has announced she will seek his seat. Although she has not yet filed to run, Adkins is the first challenger to throw her name into the mix.
SW Community Connection, Feb. 07: "War rally brings Hillsdale together"
SW Community Connection, Feb. 07: "War rally brings Hillsdale together"
More than 30 people braved the frigid evening weather in Hillsdale on Jan. 11 as part of a rally protesting the war in Iraq. The rally, at the corner of Southwest Sunset Boulevard and Capitol Highway, was one of 600 national events that took place in the twenty-four hour period after President George W. Bush’s televised address to the American people announcing 20,000 additional troops were to be deployed to the war. “We’re here to say no [to the escalation of troops.] We have a voice, and we do need to use it,” said Ruth Adkins who organized the Hillsdale rally....
Oregonian letter to the editor, 1/7/07: "Early Childhood Education"
Oregonian letter to the editor, 1/7/07: "Early Childhood Education"
I'd like to know why the article "What's best for the kids?" accepts without question the pathetic premise that Oregon "can't afford" to provide Head Start, full-day kindergarten and low class sizes for all children.
As a mother and a taxpayer, I say: Yes, we can afford to do the best for Oregon's children. We just have to muster the political will.
Making corporations pay their fair share will get us part of the way. I am sure that corporations want a bright, well-educated work force. They also want to support their workers (especially lower-paid workers) who are struggling to find quality care for their young children. Less-stressed working parents translate to higher productivity.
To raise additional funds needed, how about reducing or eliminating the many tax breaks for wealthy individuals and out-of-state corporations? Where there's a will, there's a way to raise the money.
RUTH ADKINS Southwest Portland
Oregonian, 1/7/07: "For many, 2007 Legislature is 'golden chance'"
Oregonian, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007 "For many, 2007 Legislature is 'golden chance'"
Ruth Adkins had enough.
Two years ago, the Portland mom drove to Salem on PTA lobby day only to have to beg for five minutes with a legislator. Then she read about beer and wine lobbyists treating lawmakers to trips to Maui.
She was angry at House Republicans and "at wits' end" with Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
That was then. Today, Adkins has renewed hope for the 2007 Legislature, which starts Monday. And she isn't alone....
Portland Tribune, 3/31/06: "Empty Schools Won't Go to Waste"
Portland Tribune, 3/31/06: "Empty Schools Won't Go to Waste"
The Portland school board may vote this month to close several schools, but those schools will not be gone for good.
Although the district could earn millions of dollars from selling them, schools officials say they also can generate rental income and may be needed again in the future....
Southwest Portland parent Ruth Adkins, of the watchdog group Neighborhood Schools Alliance, also wants the process slowed down and is critical of a drastic overhaul.
“How many young families will settle in a Portland neighborhood based on having to bus or drive their kids past a mothballed neighborhood building to a distant consolidated school?” she wrote in a letter to city Commissioner Sam Adams.
Portland Tribune, 4/25/06: Quoted in article on K-8 reconfiguration
Portland Tribune, 4/25/06 Quoted in article about blogger/parent Betsy Richter, regarding K-8 conversion process
...
Ruth Adkins, a lead member of the schools alliance and Southwest Portland mother of three, says the group is simply trying to ensure the community and school board don’t rush through the process before the scheduled May 1 vote on the budget and restructuring plan.
Adkins thinks the district should have issued its proposal in the fall and had it finalized by January. She wants to see more supporting data about costs and curriculum and staffing changes, and she wants board members to have all the answers they need.
“So, yes, we are going to question a process that is fundamentally flawed and that we feel will harm our neighborhood schools and our city,” Adkins says. “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. So far, they aren’t doing it right and we fear they are pushing our city down a path toward chaos. For one thing, they simply haven’t got the staff capacity to carry out all these transformations over the next year, and do them all well.”
Portland Tribune, 4/7/06: "Phillips’ schools plan put under microscope"
Portland Tribune, 4/7/06: "Phillips’ schools plan put under microscope"
Superintendent Vicki Phillips’ proposed budget and plan to close and reconfigure schools this week caps at least five months of polls, tax scenarios, community meetings, rallies and competing visions of what Portland’s schools should look like.
That’s why it took Phillips nearly an hour to explain the sweeping proposal to the media and public on Tuesday, leaving most of the crowd of parents, school board members and observers scratching their heads and trying to digest it all.
“The devil’s in the details. We’re still trying to look through it to see what it means,” says Ruth Adkins, a member of the grass-roots Neighborhood Schools Alliance. The day after the announcement, the group raised at least a dozen questions about the logistics, rationale and validity of different aspects of Phillips’ plan.
Among them: “Why must successful neighborhood schools close simply because they aren’t big enough?” “Why the sudden, headlong rush to K-8?” and “How much will we really end up paying to carry out this huge, complex transformation?
Oregonian letter to the editor, 10/3/06: "Measure 48: State spending on the table"
Oregonian letter to the editor, 10/3/06: "Measure 48: State spending on the table"
Don McIntire and the supporters of Measure 48 keep talking in vague soundbites about the "efficiencies" that will come with drastic cuts to our state budget. Where, exactly, are the "efficiencies" they claim will magically materialize?
While it may sound good to limit state spending, when a budget reduction amounts to billions of dollars, as it will with Measure 48, there will be an effect on the essential services that benefit us all.
Where, exactly, do they intend to cut our government services? Will they cut Head Start, state police, our parks, roads or colleges? Will they close prisons?
I challenge the supporters of Measure 48 to produce a specific, detailed list of proposed cuts or "efficiencies" in state government so that voters can make an informed decision.
RUTH ADKINS, Southwest Portland
Portland Tribune, 12/20/05: "At Jefferson, single-sex classes, uniforms mulled"
Portland Tribune, 12/20/05: "At Jefferson, single-sex classes, uniforms mulled"
Superintendent Vicki Phillips last week proposed a sweeping set of changes for the school and surrounding schools in North and Northeast Portland, aimed at boosting enrollment and improving achievement. They are on a fast track to be approved by the Portland School Board on Jan. 23, a little more than a month after Phillips announced them.
“We would like to see more process to make sure we’ve got a consensus,” said Ruth Adkins, who represents the Neighborhood Schools Alliance, which has taken on a watchdog role over the district.....“It would be good if there were some way to send home surveys (about uniforms) with parents at the beginning of the year,” Adkins said.