Schools

A Years-Long Rift over School Fundraising Comes to a Head in Portland

At issue: should individual schools be able to buy more full-time staff members with foundation fundraising?

11/08/2022 By Julia Silverman

Education

Running the Numbers on Portland’s Substitute Teacher Shortage

Part of a statewide problem that worsened in the COVID-19 pandemic, the substitute teacher shortage is poised to persist in the 2022–2023 school year.

08/26/2022 By Julia Silverman

Essay

Notes on Answering the Call to Substitute Teach in a Portland Middle School

Of paper airplanes and Fortnite, TikTok, worksheets, clap-outs and trying to make up for lost time.

08/26/2022 By Emily Chenoweth

Education

At Portland Public Schools, a Budget Debate Is Looming Large

With enrollment on the decline and costs on the rise, the school board weighs cutting teacher positions or tapping the PPS rainy-day fund.

04/22/2022 By Julia Silverman

Feature

Inside the Search for Hundreds of Portland’s Missing Students

When Portland Public Schools’ buildings reopened in September, hundreds of students who should have been there never came back.

03/29/2022 By Julia Silverman Photography by NASHCO PHOTO

Schools

Portland's Largest School District to Go Mask Optional on March 14

PPS will remove the mask requirement, with other metro area school districts likely to follow suit.

03/03/2022 By Julia Silverman

Education

To Keep Schools Open, Portland Needs More Substitute Teachers

The problem is not everyone will make it through the application process, and not all substitutes want to fill in at schools where they are most needed.

01/21/2022 By Julia Silverman

Education

What's Next for Schools during the Omicron Surge?

For starters, more Portland-area schools are likely to move into temporary distance learning.

01/11/2022 By Julia Silverman

Education

Two of Portland's Biggest High Schools Will Move to Remote Learning

The switch at Cleveland and McDaniel High Schools comes after a big jump in planned staff absences

01/06/2022 By Julia Silverman

Education

Six Weeks Ago, a Vaccine Mandate for PPS Seemed Like a Lock. No More.

PPS students may be subject to a vaccine mandate—or not. Here's the latest on the ongoing Covid-19 restriction negotiations.

11/18/2021 By Julia Silverman

Education

Enrollment at the State's Biggest School District Is Down 4.1 Percent

Kindergarten enrollment stays flat, and the majority at the PPS Online Learning Academy are students of color, according to 2021 data.

11/15/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Q+A

Many Teachers Say They're At a Breaking Point. So Now What?

Talking with Portland Association of Teachers President Elizabeth Thiel about possible solutions, from more planning time to fewer standardized tests

11/01/2021 By Julia Silverman

Education

A Vaccine Mandate for Kids Could Be Coming to PPS

School board members will consider the pros and cons of such a move at a special session.

09/28/2021 By Julia Silverman

News You Can Use

5 Stories to Watch This Week, September 20-27

Booster shots for the 65+ crowd, a redistricting ruckus in Salem, and more schoolkids in quarantine.

09/20/2021 By Julia Silverman

Education

What's the Holdup with COVID Screening at Oregon Schools?

Unpacking why the state is behind the curve with its rollout of screening tests for K-12 students

09/09/2021 By Julia Silverman

Education

Burning Questions About Back to School 2021

All about masks, vaccine mandates, outdoor lunch, quarantine policy, and more.

08/25/2021 By Julia Silverman

School

Pack Your Schoolbag with These Local Back-to-School Supplies

Where to find everything from backpacks, planners, water bottles, and more while supporting Portland businesses.

08/23/2021 By Cami Hughes

Back to School

Portland Public Schools Mandates COVID Vaccines for All Employees

Oregon's largest school district will require shots for all except those who have medical exemptions.

08/18/2021 By Julia Silverman

Education

Back to School: Local Black Parents on Making a Tough Call

Nationally, many Black families were hesitant to return to school. One N. Portland school bucked that trend last spring, by building trust among families.

08/17/2021 By Fiona McCann

Back to School

The Application Boom at Portland's Private Schools

After more than a year of disrupted education, more families are seeking out private alternatives.

08/04/2021 By Julia Silverman