The School Board needs Ruth Adkins more than ever

Yesterday’s announcement by Portland Public Schools Superintendent Vicki Phillips of her impending departure in a more lucrative career move, gives even more compelling reasons to elect Ruth Adkins to the Portland School Board.

Before I discuss why, please note that this is what professional administrators do. They move around the country, selling their services to the highest bidder. [The Oregonian reports Superintendent Phillips earns $203,000 a year in Portland, while her predecessor at the Gates Foundation made about $340,000 in 2005.] Portlanders would do well to consider this fact when deciding whether to put all the City’s eggs in the basket of a Chief Administrative Officer, as requested in Measure 26-91. Professional administrators hired “in a nationwide search” (always – searches that can be very expensive), who consider Portland just another stepping stone in their career, are likely to be head-hunted away if they’re successful. And can be costly to get rid of if they aren’t – as we’ve seen with Portland Public Schools officials. “Think on”, as they say in Yorkshire.

With the Board needing to hire a new Superintendent, there is a new urgency to elect Ruth Adkins. She will ask the questions that Portlanders want answered. She’s connected in the community and will speak for the community. She knows the issues affecting Jefferson and Marshall as thoroughly as those in her home zone, and is committed to providing excellent public schools in every Portland neighborhood. Her professional experience in market research and non-profit management will serve us well when evaluating proposals for and of the new Superintendent. She knows the district from the ground up. She’s active in the peace movement and political action networks on other issues – she understands decisions in Portland Public Schools affect all citizens, not just students, parents, and staff. Now more than ever, we need Ruth Adkins on the School Board to ensure that decisions made in the district over the next few years are made in full consultation with the entire community.

If you want more information to make your decision, the League of Women Voters of Portland is co-sponsoring a forum tonight with Community and People for Public Schools (CPPS), the Portland Schools Foundation and the Portland Council PTA. It’s at 7:00 pm in the PPS Board room, Blanchard Building, 501 N Dixon. The event will be broadcast on PPS Channel 28, probably multiple times – I’m not sure if it’s on live.