As a Portland School Board member, I will work with in partnership with the community, Portland Public Schools teachers & staff, the Superintendent, and the School Board to help improve the decision making process and connect better with the community.

We need to find a balance in the decision making process for Portland Public Schools. Too much “process” and endless discussion isn’t helpful if we are to move forward and make progress in Portland Public Schools. Our children shouldn’t have to wait to get the best education they deserve. But at the same time, moving too quickly and without truly involving and engaging the public risks poor outcomes and an alienated community, which undermines the progress we are all trying to make.

Major decisions such as conversion to K-8, standardized curriculum, and school consolidations & closures have a profound impact on our schools and neighborhoods. The Board and Superintendent must make sure they are proceeding prudently and are including the public in the process. Let's preserve and build upon what is already working well in our school district.

Too often, the public is brought in to comment or react to a proposed policy that is already far along the road toward implementation. This top-down approach tends to create an unnecessarily adversarial situation. Quite simply, top-down doesn’t work in Portland.

Another issue is the speed at which major decisions and sweeping changes are being pushed through in Portland Public Schools. Again, we need to find a balance: while it’s important to keep moving forward on all fronts, we also need to make sure we are making the best possible decisions — decisions that make sense in terms of financial impact, are backed by the professional experience of educators, and above all will improve the quality of education for all our children. If a major change is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.

Just a few improvements in decision-making processes I will work for as a Board member:

• Allow ample time before undertaking major initiatives to publicly lay out the issues and to gather input from teachers & staff, parents, and community members on how best to meet a shared goal or vision.

• Ensure public gets sufficient opportunity to weigh in early enough in the process so that all options are truly still on the table.

• As part of the decision making process, fully explore and document all costs and benefits associated with the proposal.

• Ensure that research and data provided during the decision making process includes both pro and con viewpoints so that the public can weigh the options.