East Portland Welcomes New Multicultural Community Center
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Wednesday, May 06, 2015
Briauna Skye McKizzie, GoLocalPDX Contributor
This evening will definitely be a night to remember not only for members of APANO but for all Americans interested in equality, activism, and leadership.
Photo Credit: APANO (Image Cropped)
This Thursday, May 7th, The Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) will host the grand opening of the new APANO/Jade Community Center located on 82nd and SE Division.
The center is a welcome addition after years of organizing and planning that has taken place amongst neighborhood leaders. The space will be made available for events, forums, art shows, and performances.
The event will feature performing artists including the taiko ensemble group Unit Souzu. Ms. Hasegawa, the executive director of the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development will give a speech about housing needs and strategies to fight and eliminate racial inequality.
Lastly, APANO will announce the new Minori Yasui Voices of Change Award which recognizes people who have made exemplary strides in the civil liberties movement.
The Award is named after Minoru Yasui, a known figure in Oregon, who is recognized for standing up against military orders during WWII when 110,000 people with Japanese heritage were forcibly removed and imprisoned in the United States. APANO is excited to remember Yasui’s courageous fight for humanity through this award.
This evening will definitely be a night to remember not only for members of APANO but for all Americans interested in equality, activism, and leadership.
Click HERE for more information.
Related Slideshow: 10 Things To Know About the Portland School Transfer System
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#1
Why The Change
Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole Smith asked SACET in March 2013 to recommend a new transfer policy, in order to improve district equity and quality.
After researching trends of transferring students and the effect on neighborhood schools, SACET felt the current policy was not living up to the standards of the Board. In a report to the Board in October, their research found racial disparity between schools and neighborhoods, in part due to transferring students.
By changing the policy, SACET said in their report they hope to improve the quality of schools and the resources available.
“All students should have access to a high quality and appropriate education close to their home,” the report said.
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#2
Who It Will Affect
Every year a few hundred students apply for the Portland Public School transfer lottery. In 2014, 425 students in grades K-8 entered the lottery, and 80 percent received the transfer they wanted. Now, petitions will be the only option for transferring neighborhood schools.
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#3
Anyone Can Transfer
All students in the Portland Public School District have the right to request a transfer, but now all transfers to neighborhood schools will be picked through a petition process.
Before, many transfers were granted through a lottery system that randomly selected students who applied within a timeframe. The number chosen depended on how much space was available at the school after those already in the neighborhood district were accounted for.
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#4
Petitions
A parent or guardian must fill out a petition form to the Enrollment and Transfer Center, explaining why they want the student to transfer into a different neighborhood school. Transportation hardships or concerns for child safety are some examples of viable reasons for a transfer.
The specific criteria of what will be considered when reviewing transfer petitions will be made available before the transfer cycle opens for the coming school year. The petition process follows the same guidelines as the earlier hardship petition policy.
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#5
Process for Approving Requests
Petition specialists with the Portland Public School District staff will review the petitions for each school, with three assigned to every application. The specialists then go over the request with the schools and the family to gather additional information and review the case.
Afterwards, the specialists will make their decision. The entire process could take several weeks.
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#6
Appeals
If parents are unhappy with the result of their petition request, they can appeal the decision to the senior cluster director who oversees the school they are trying to transfer to. The senior director’s ruling is final and should be given within 10 days.
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#7
Focus Option Schools
Focus option schools formerly known as magnate schools, specialize in enhanced programs such as art or environmental studies. These schools and programs will solely use the lottery process, since they are they are designed to attract students from all over the district.
However, siblings and low-income students will be given preference before the lottery winners are picked.
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#8
Sibling Preference
At focus option schools, siblings of currently enrolled students will have highest transfer priority before the lottery takes place, only behind students who are required by to attend a focus option program under district policy.
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#9
Low Income Students
Low-income students applying for a transfer to a focus option school will have a lower priority than a sibling requesting a transfer, but will have a higher preference than all other lottery entries. SACET’s research says this will help focus option schools become more diverse.
The policy defines low income students as someone who qualifies for free and reduced-priced meals or enrollment in a Head Start Program. The preference will apply in schools that have a lower enrollment rate of low-income students than the district average.
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#10
When It Starts
The changes to the new transfer policy will start for the 2015-2014 school year and the coming enrollment period.
For high school students, the transfer period is Feb. 4-18. Elementary and middle school students have from Feb. 9 –March 6 to submit transfer petitions.
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