News One part of Portland Public Schools' new two-year contract with its teachers union is supposed to save the financially starved district $4 million a year by increasing high-school teachers' workload.But that feature of the new contract—to have high-school teachers teach six out of eight periods a day instead of five out of seven—still remains something of a proposal. While PPS administrators have ...   More

News The campaign committee supporting the two Portland Public Schools tax measures on the May 17 ballot has raised at least $1 million to urge passage of the large levies, a consultant for the campaign announced yesterday.Online election records for Portlanders for Schools still show that campaign committee has collected $800,000, but expect those state records to be updated shortly.A million bucks is ...   More

News Trillium Charter School, a K-12 facility in North Portland that serves 350 students, has suspended classes temporarily because of financial difficulties.In an online message to parents at Trillium, officials with the school say scarce resources and insufficient financial controls created the problem that threatens the school's continued existence."The board and new administration of Trillium were informed ...   More

News Portlanders for Schools, the campaign fund for both Portland Public Schools' $548 million construction bond and its $57 million-a-year operating levy, recently crossed the half-million mark in fund-raising.To date, the group has raised just over $577,ooo for the two tax-increase measures on the May ballot.Among the top donors in recent weeks: Walsh Construction gave $12,500, for a total now of $25,000; ...   More

News Portland Public Schools plans to ink its own contract to study the possible sale of the school district's headquarters, a site Mayor Sam Adams wants to consider for his massive Rose Quarter redevelopment plans. On Monday night, the Portland School Board will consider that new $25,000 contract with Macadam Forbes, Inc., a commercial real estate firm, to evaluate "district options on selling or leasing" ...   More

Schools The School Board on Monday night hailed Portland Public Schools’ new labor contract with teachers as collaborative   More

News The Portland School Board voted 5-1 last night to approve a new, two-year agreement with the district's teachers union, the Portland Association of Teachers. Board member Martín González was the lone "no" vote. But board colleague Trudy Sargent, who missed the last-minute meeting due to prior travel plans, sent a 3 1/2-page written statement explaining why she would have voted "no," too.   Following ...   More

News Portland Public Schools' tentative agreement with its teachers union, the Portland Association of Teachers, includes a salary increase for the district's most veteran teachers in the second year of the proposed two-year contract.That pay bump comes in the form of a new "step" on the teachers' salary schedule and translates to a 2 percent raise for teachers with more than 12 years of teaching experience. ...   More

News This week, the Portland School Board and the Portland City Council are poised to sign a memorandum of understanding that commits $5 million of the district's proposed $548 million construction bond to transportation improvements around several schools should Portland voters approve the school district's new tax levy in May.That agreement, set for a vote at the School Board tonight and at City Council ...   More

News In the wake of Portland Public Schools' October decision to close Marshall High School at the end of this school year, student attendance at the Southeast Portland high school has fallen to the point that school officials have decided to offer "incentives" to students to improve the schools' attendance rate.The "incentives" include tickets to Harlem Globetrotter games, pizza parties and Netbooks for ...   More