Jack, your analysis might be right on. But is there any hope that he might realize that they will go down in defeat after much discussion of PERS, administrative abundance, teacher pay, health benefits, and the failure of using the recent federal and state dollars to do little about Portland's school conditions?
Probably not, but there's hope.

Here's a better solution.

1. Eliminate the State Department of Education.

2. Eliminate all of the ESDs.

3. Create a new, statewide education agency that would provide the needed special services that the ESDs provided, plus curriculum development for all schools (thus eliminating the redundancy currently required in our decentralized system. There's absolutely no reason why a student in Portland has to use a different textbook than a student in Jordan Valley from a student in Joseph from a student in Brookings.)

Erik -

You forgot a few. Huge money wasters, "feel good" crap, that takes up time which sjhould be spent on real curriculum.

First one is "Outdoor School".

Lets have a contest!

What your candidate tfor eliminating a PPS money waster in the actual school buildings.

Nothing at the Blanchard Building headquarters is eligible for the contest. Stuff over there is almost all a money waster.

.

Erik:

On number 3 I hear the great wailing noises of all district level curriculum employees... but then if they wanta job then they can apply to teach in a classroom with real students.

As for the the actual curriculum lets hope that Jordan Valley, Joseph, and Brookings are in charge of selecting it not Portlaweirdia. It would do the whole state good if some rational perspective was brought to the classroom.

Portland has extra needs because it has more disabled and MRDD students, possibly more newer immigrant students needing ESL help. So it needs more money. But Dr No is right that a statewide fundamental change would be a better solution. Meanwhile the money went to the fish in the river (Big Pipe) and light rail (with a brand new bridge across the river) to Milwaukie (why Milwaukie?)

I would vote no on any new Portland taxes because our leaders have squandered way too much money on fun things like streetcars and a beautiful zoo (and police and fire pensions-rim shot.) I wish I could change this because kids and their education are the real top priority.