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

Education

PPS Just Unveiled Its Plan for Virtual School This Fall

And only kids and families with documented medical needs will be eligible to attend.

07/13/2021 By Julia Silverman

Coronavirus

From Resource Base to Full-Fledged Nonprofit, the Portland Student Community Response Is Making Moves

A year in, the student-led nonprofit continues to evolve. Its latest tool: a vaccine text line.

04/21/2021 By Gabriel Granillo

Education

Should Oregon Schools Stop Standardized Tests This Year?

With so little time in school buildings, districts are looking to opt out and scale back. But at what cost?

04/13/2021 By Julia Silverman