(no subject)
This evening I traveled to N. Dixon street to hear our superintendent, Vicki Phillips, deliver her proposed budget to the board. Initially, I was rather annoyed that I was taking the time out of my life to go, but now I'm glad I went. It was really interesting to hear what she had to say. Her ability to clarify and speak from something that wasn't pre-prepared was a bit lacking (I felt, at times, as if she was evading questions not because she didn't have logic backing up her plans, but because she was uncertain of how to explain it), but overall I have to say I really do sympathize with her. She has a tough job, and while she isn't making perfect choices, I can't say that I'd do any better at running the district. Also, her focus on long-term stability seems smart, though I still think she's quite sketch on how she plans to accomplish parts of it. Managing PPS is a pretty big job, and while I don't agree with everything she does, I don't know that I have much better of solutions, given all the parameters and constraints and issues that come up. The budget doesn't cut school days or teaching positions, which I'm happy about regardless of what else happens, and they did make administrative cuts, something I think is important. Plus, ODS and athletics were preserved. Other than that, it's a mix of heads and tails, but thats the way the coins fall. In all, it was a really good experience. Tomorrow I'll head back that way after break to listen to her proposal on school closures/consolidations, which will definitely impact my thoughts on the budget, and probably the thoughts of a number of other Portlanders.