Portland Public Schools’ Long Range Facilities Planning Advisory Committee met Tuesday evening, 3/20/12, at Markham Elementary School in SW Portland. The agenda included a review of the “guiding principles” they are developing and breaking into small groups to consider either enrollment/utilization issues or sustainability issues.
Considering their “guiding principles,” I was please to see some international wording in their first goal (here):
Goal 1: Effective Educational Environments Serving All Students
Facilities support student outcomes equitably. Create effective, accessible and inclusive learning environments that help all students achieve; that nurture and inspire learning, challenge and support students, teachers, parents and community; and that encourage learning beyond building walls—into the community and around the world.
Note that they want to encourage learning “around the world.”
But, on a more critical note, in their consideration of PPS’ enrollment/utilization futures, there is still no consideration given for the impact of online learning and high school study abroad programs on the need for facilities. I’ve previously estimated (here) that PPS was planning for one high school too many. They still are.
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