April 2023 School Board Memo to District 3 Community

DATE: April 12, 2023 

TO: The District 3 Community

FROM: Julianne R. Opperman

RE: Recent Actions and Insights

Leadership

We’re in the midst of the push-pull of the Portland Public Schools budget negotiations. This particular budget process is difficult. What makes it difficult is the person who’s role it is to define the vision for Portland Schools success has yet to be hired. 

This budget process illustrates the importance of what criteria we deem important in hiring our next School Superintendent.  Why? Because we need to understand how the person we hire will use our resources to best effect, which for me is to improve Student Outcomes. 

If the present situation is to be improved, we need a new Superintendent to execute a plan we have vetted and believe in. And, we expect the new Superintendent to take full responsibility for the results of that plan. 

Here is how you can get involved in the hiring process. 

• Nominate yourself or someone you believe in to be part of the Interview Panel but do it before April 17th. Here is a link.

• Suggest a question to ask the Superintendent candidates but do it before April 26th. Here is another link.

I urge you to get involved. 

Budget Tension

As we wait for a new Superintendent, the School Board was presented with a budget that increased by 7%. That tax increase has been lowered by 1% due to a state subsidy increase. Here is a copy of the revised budget. We have asked for an additional cut but we’ll have to wait and see what options are presented. 

What increases the tension around the budget is that past budgets have not bought us the results we want. We need to improve. The evidence of standardized test scores tell us Portland students are below grade level academically. And, the mental health and behavior issues indicate a deep need for emotional and executive function support. 

It appears only the most motivated of Portland students are prepared for the next level whether it be work or higher education.  Yet, the school budget continues to grow and the school population gets smaller.  I have heard from the community at large and parents in particular, and they are very concerned.

The Solution: Efficiency or Effectiveness

The key to improving Student Outcomes is to provide students with direct and frequent contact with a teacher they trust. My research and experience tells me this is what works. But, how will we ever reduce our budget when teachers and staff make up 80% of the budget?

Using an “efficiency approach” to the budget means cutting the very thing that is proven to work. Maybe an “effectiveness approach” will work better. Which brings me back to hiring a new Superintendent. Why not make one of our hiring criteria be “a proven ability to reallocate present resources to improve Student Outcomes”. Then, agree upon a measurement tool that tells us where we stand relative to our goal.

We need a new Superintendent who can take us to the next level - who can use our resources and get better results. It’s our only chance because we can’t go on with business as usual and expect improved Student Outcomes in the future.