My Monthly Column - December 2016

Human Rights Are More Important than Ever

By Xavier Botana

December is Human Rights Month. It’s a time for us to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, and to do our part to reaffirm the dignity and worth of every human being by standing up for human rights. Recent events have brought the importance of protecting human rights into clearer focus for me than ever before.

One of the events that got me thinking more about human rights was the death of Fidel Castro. I’m a Cuban American who was born in Castro’s Cuba. My son has been working on a school project about Cuba for his Spanish class.  As part of his assignment, he has been interviewing people whose life was impacted by Castro’s rise to power. On Black Friday, he spent over an hour “skyping” with my older brother, the only living member of my family that lived in pre-Castro Cuba. The next morning we woke to the news that Castro was dead.

The conversation with my brother was wide-ranging, and I learned things I didn’t know about the revolution and its impact on my family. What wasn’t new was the pervasive sense that my family left Cuba at some peril. Not only did my family leave everything that they had worked to build over many years behind, but in doing so, they entrusted their future to strangers. My parents’ greatest fear was that their children would be taken away and forced to work the sugar harvest and, in the process, brainwashed by the revolution.

Flight attendants carried me and my infant brother to family who had left before us and would take care of us until my parents were able to leave. A generous country – the United States – welcomed all of us and gave us hope and a future. We were fortunate to be born at a time when we were able to come to this country and be afforded great opportunities.  And I am grateful for that every day.

It also makes watching the images of what is happening elsewhere in the world – places such as Syria, China, Russia, Kenya and Pakistan – stark reminders that the freedoms that we enjoy are not universal. Most importantly, it makes the tone of current conversations about immigration dissonant and difficult to reconcile with my own experiences.

Many of the children in the Portland Public Schools, Maine’s largest and most diverse school district, come to us fleeing oppression or worse. Regardless of where they come from – regions such as Central Africa or the Middle East or from former Russian republics – the themes in their stories are universal. They come to us hoping for the same opportunities my family enjoyed. They and their families want to be able to go to school, work hard, make their way and, in time, give back to this amazing country.  

Last month, I visited the Casco Bay High School Senior Exhibition “Pop-up Museum” on Heroes of the Middle East. Our CBHS students researched the stories of scores of men and women who have fought for human rights in that region, often at a great price. Through their research, our students learned how the hope for human dignity lives on even in the most inhospitable settings. Walking through the exhibits, I was proud of the depth of understanding their work displayed. I was most proud of the affirmation and commitment to understanding those experiences that was evident in their work.

And, above all, I am proud to lead a school district where I am confident that our schools are, and will continue to be, welcoming and supportive places for those seeking the rights expressed by the United Nations resolution that we commemorate this month. I can only hope that our country will continue to be that kind of place as well.

My Monthly Column – November 2016

Public Education Is Unifying Force

By Xavier Botana

This week – Nov. 14 to Nov. 18 – is American Education Week. It’s a time each year to celebrate public education and honor those who ensure that every child receives a quality education.

Thomas Jefferson saw public education as vital to the success of our democracy. “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people,” he said. “They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.”

Today, our public schools remain one of the few common democratic institutions that bring us together. Public schools are where all students – regardless of socio-economic, racial, ethnic or religious backgrounds or gender or sexual orientation or physical or mental disability – come together to learn.

The Portland Public Schools – Maine’s largest and most diverse school district – serves as a wonderful example of this.

About 33 percent of our approximately 6,800 students speak a primary language other than English at home. A total of about 60 different languages are spoken. We’re teaching new Americans about our country’s values, while at the same time building a new Portland community that is all the richer for the diversity these students and their families bring to it.  Every day in Portland, children from many different backgrounds work and learn together. These lessons give hope for the enlightened future envisioned by supporters of universal public education.

American Education Week started through a collaboration of two rather diverse groups – the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Legion.  Both were concerned in 1919 that 25 percent of the country's World War I draftees were illiterate, so they began to seek ways to generate public support for education.

Today, cosponsors include the U.S. Department of Education, the National PTA, the American Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary, the American Association of School Administrators, the National School Boards Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the American School Counselor Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, the National School Public Relations Association, the National Association of State Boards of Education, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

The NEA, at the time American Education Week was established in 1921, called for it to be a week “observed in all communities annually for the purpose of informing the public of the accomplishments and needs of the public schools and to secure the cooperation and support of the public in meeting those needs."

That resolution is reflected in this year’s theme for American Education Week: “Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility.”

Supporting our public schools is part of our civic responsibility, and it’s clear Maine voters agree. In 2004, they overwhelmingly approved a referendum requiring the state to fund 55 percent of the cost of public education. That commitment has never been met. However, it now appears that Maine voters at the polls Nov. 8 approved “Stand Up for Students,” a citizens’ initiative designed to make that 55 percent funding happen by generating about $157 million in additional state education funding for all Maine school districts, including Portland. I look forward to state lawmakers implementing this initiative.

I’ll note also that Education Support Professionals Day is Nov. 16, and Substitute Educators Day, Nov. 18. My gratitude to our school support staff and substitutes. We all play a role in ensuring our students receive a quality education, and yours is essential. We couldn’t do it without you!

Also, November is National Family Literacy Month. I encourage families to start a habit of keeping everyone in your family engaged in reading on a regular basis. Do such things as having adults read a favorite story from their childhood and then read their children’s favorite bedtime story. By modeling good reading habits, adults can show the importance of strong reading skills to children.

Finally, Nov. 11 was Veterans Day. Some of our great Portland Public Schools’ employees are veterans. I want to express my gratitude to them – and all veterans – for their sacrifices for our country.

My Monthly Column October 2016

Time to Recognize All School Employees

By Xavier Botana

I’d like to propose an additional new designation for October: School Employees Appreciation Month.

Officially, October is National Principals Month. National Custodial Workers’ Recognition Day also falls during this month, as does School Bus Driver Appreciation Day. National School Lunch Week also took place this month, a chance for our Food Service staff to showcase the delicious and nutritious foods they prepare for our students each day.

All these recognitions underscore the wide variety of staff essential to the running of a successful school system. And although our jobs are very different, each of our more than 1,200 Portland Public Schools staff plays a very important role in ensuring all our students have successful learning experiences.

That’s why I want to express my appreciation to all our school employees for their dedication and service.

Let’s start with our principals.

A U.S. Senate resolution designating October 2016 as National Principals Month says, “Principals are educational  visionaries, instructional and assessment  leaders, disciplinarians, community  builders, budget analysts, facilities managers, and administrators of legal and contractual obligations.”

It also says their job involves working “collaboratively with teachers and parents to develop and implement a clear mission, high curriculum standards, and performance goals.”

We have great public schools in Portland – and that’s a clear testament to those leading them. Thank you to our Portland Public Schools school leaders – our principals, assistant principals and teacher-leaders!

Now a few words about the vital role our support staff plays in our schools.

We sometimes take for granted that our school floors and windows are shining, our trash baskets emptied and the building temperature not too hot or too cold. We also expect our buildings to be open after school for sporting events, extracurricular activities and meetings.

But those things only happen because of our dedicated maintenance staff. Many thanks to our custodians and other maintenance personnel for all they do to ensure our students have clean and comfortable facilities in which to learn.

And then there are our school bus drivers.

Before the first day of kindergarten classes this year, I took a practice bus ride with a group of youngsters about to start kindergarten at Lyseth Elementary School and their parents. It was a great opportunity for these new kindergartners to have a chance to become familiar with riding a big yellow school bus before their actual first day of school.

Being a school bus driver involves not only good driving skills but also great people skills, and our Portland Public Schools bus drivers exhibited both that day. The drivers not only calmed the students’ jitters but also their parents’. I am so grateful for our school bus drivers.

And let’s not forget that a healthy school lunch helps students learn, giving them the energy to power through the day. As of Oct. 1, 55 percent of our nearly 6,800 students qualified for free or reduced-price school meals. We have many students who might go hungry if not for school breakfast or lunch.

Many thanks to our dedicated Food Service staff for all the meals they serve and for incorporating fresh, local foods such as fruits and vegetables that make them nutritious as well as good tasting.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the space here to also talk about all our great teachers, educational technicians, school nurses, social workers, Central Office administrators, office assistants and many other staff. But please know that the work you do matters very much to our students – and that we greatly appreciate you.

I’ll close by noting that the Portland Public Schools teaches our students to be good citizens. Part of being a good citizen is doing our civic duty, so I hope you’ll take the time to vote on Nov. 8. And I’ll remind you that the Portland Board of Public Education has endorsed “Stand Up for Students,” the citizens’ initiative on the state ballot that would generate about $157 million more in state education funding. If that Question 2 initiative passes, Portland stands to get approximately $11 million in additional state aid, reducing our reliance on local property owners. That’s something many Portland taxpayers can appreciate!

My Monthly Column

September 2016

Updating Our Comprehensive Plan

 By Xavier Botana

In 2011, the Portland Public Schools completed its Comprehensive Plan, a roadmap to align our district’s work with our mission and vision. That plan has served us well, but it’s a dynamic document. It was deliberately designed to last only five years – until 2016 – so it could be updated to meet the evolving needs of our students. The Portland Board of Public Education has asked me to lead an effort to update the Comprehensive Plan framework for Maine’s largest and most diverse school district.

We’re not starting from scratch. It took a two-year, communitywide effort to develop our Comprehensive Plan, and we’ll be building on its solid foundation. For example, the district’s vision and mission will remain unchanged.

Our vision is: “All learners will be fully prepared to participate and succeed in a diverse and ever-changing world.”

Our mission states: “The Portland Public Schools are responsible for ensuring a challenging, relevant, and joyful education that empowers every learner to make a difference in the world. We build relationships among families, educators and the community to promote the healthy development and academic achievement of every learner.”

What we’ll be updating are the goals that represent that vision and mission realized; and, more importantly, how we organize to meet those goals and how we measure and report our progress toward them. The plan will serve as the basis for my accountability to the board.

Because it’s critical that the plan reflect the work of our schools, we’re actively seeking input from our educators – teachers and administrators.

We’re holding workshops in our schools this fall to get staff input. Then we’ll be reaching out to the community for feedback. We’re hoping to have a final draft by the end of this year.

We currently have four proposed goals: Achievement; Equity; Whole Student; and People. I’ll briefly explain each and give examples of possible ways we may measure progress on these goals.

Achievement focuses on having all students graduate from high school but also on what level of knowledge they should attain. To measure achievement, we could track everything from kindergartner academic readiness to high school graduation rates and enrollment in college or pursuit of a productive career path, such as in the trades.

We are proposing adding a goal around achieving equitable results: our Equity goal. I have been struck by the value the Portland community places on our diversity.  As such, we aspire to be a system that holds a high bar for everyone and meets every student’s needs. 

As a district, we would be committing to devoting resources, time and energy to help more students meet our ambitious goals. We would be looking to measure progress toward representative participation in our special education, gifted and talented programs and in Advanced Placement courses.

As educators, we don’t only teach academics. We also help students achieve the skills and habits they need to succeed and be productive community members.  Students’ self-monitoring, their persistence when things get tough, and their ability to work with others are as influential in their future success as their subject matter knowledge. To gauge progress on our “Whole Student” goal, we might track the percentage of students that have a connection to a caring adult or their ability to self-assess their learning.

We know we can only realize our mission and vision if staff members have the tools and resources needed to do their jobs. Our “People” goal recognizes that education is human resource intensive and that our success depends on our ability to attract, retain and support a talented and diverse workforce using their strengths to achieve our goals. We might expect to see improved staff retention rates and a higher degree of employee satisfaction.

We’ll be finding out over the next few months if these goals resonate with staff and the community. Everyone’s feedback is important to ensure we have the right goals and are measuring and reporting on what our district and community value the most.

I’ll close by inviting you all to join me at an Oct. 8 community meeting of the school board’s Public Affairs Committee, which focuses on enhancing community engagement. The 10-11:30 a.m. meeting is at the Woodfords Club, 179 Woodford St.

August 2016

Attending School Is Important – Starting with Day One

By Xavier Botana

When I worked as a senior administrator for the Chicago Public Schools, first-day-of-school attendance was a very big deal. Every year, we worked hard to encourage all of our students to attend school, beginning with the very first day.

Now, as the new superintendent of the Portland Public Schools, I want to place that same emphasis on attendance here. Going to school matters – and it starts with day one.

In Portland, the first day of school for students in grades 1-12 is Aug. 31 this year. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children start on Sept. 6, the day after Labor Day. It’s critically important that students be there from the first day of school.

The start of the school year is when students and teachers get to know one another and establish relationships and important classroom routines. Students who miss those early experiences chance getting out of step with the learning going on in their classrooms and can find it hard to catch up.

And, of course, students need to keep up their attendance throughout the rest of the school year too. Missing school can have long-term negative impacts on student success.

“Students who miss school frequently end up with gaps in their learning,” according to Count ME In, Maine affiliate of the national organization Attendance Works.

 “They are less likely to read proficiently by third grade and more likely to drop out of school. Missing school, even in kindergarten, has consequences for children.”

Parents are important partners in ensuring students attend school. In addition to making sure their children are in school every day, families should also get involved with their child’s education. The start of school affords a variety of opportunities for families to meet teachers and familiarize themselves with their school communities. 

Even before the official first day of classes, our schools will be holding events that include ice cream socials, barbeques, open houses to meet teachers and visit classrooms and welcoming events for new students. Families can learn more by visiting our district website, www.portlandschools.org or by clicking here.

I urge families also to stay involved throughout the school year. Stay in touch with your child’s teacher by doing such things as attending open houses and maintaining contact through other means, such as email. Please also keep track of your child’s academic progress including grades and assignments, through Infinite Campus, an online portal for parents and guardians accessible through our website at https://ic.portlandschools.org/campus/portal/portland.jsp

Families should be aware that students in eighth grade this year will be the first to have to comply with the state’s new proficiency-based high school graduation requirements. An amendment passed this year requires certification of proficiency in language arts, math, science, and social studies by 2021. The Class of 2021 is next year’s freshman class!

I’d also like to remind families that most of our elementary schools and two of our middle schools will have new start/end times this school year so that our school buses can transport students to and from school in a more timely manner. This past school year, some students had long wait times for buses after school and some buses had to drop children off at school too early in the morning. These schedule changes should ensure that doesn’t happen.

There will be no bell schedule changes at the high schools, King Middle School, Riverton Elementary School and the island schools. Please see the Portland Public Schools 2016-2017 calendar on our website for more details on the schools that have schedule changes, or check with your local school.

Families also should know that the Portland Board of Public Education has asked me to organize a new strategic plan for our district that will be the successor of the Comprehensive Plan framework that has been in place since 2011.  There will be opportunities for parents, guardians and other community members to be involved in helping to shape the future direction of education in our district. Expect to hear more about this at the end of this month and into the fall.

July 2016

Stopping the 'summer slide'

By Xavier Botana

I’m the new superintendent of the Portland Public Schools. I officially started my job on July 1, but I visited each of the district’s schools in June to meet staff and students on the last two days of school.

Being in the district then allowed me to see the excitement that comes with the end of the school year and sense the allure of the summer: long, lazy days of fun, rest and new experiences.

Yet summer also is the time for the “summer slide.”

Almost 100 years of research have shown that learning can be lost the during the summer months if students aren’t engaged in educational activities. According to the National Education Association, “experts say much of the reading achievement gap seen in ninth-grade students nationwide can be traced back to unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years.”

A 2010 report by the Afterschool Alliance found that while 25 percent of students were participating in summer learning programs, many more would like the opportunity to do so. A full 83 percent of parents supported spending public funds on summer learning programs and 67 percent of low-income parents said their children would enroll in a summer program if they could.

Here in Portland, we take steps every summer to provide students with learning opportunities to stop the summer slide. What we offer is both fun and instructive.

The Portland Public Schools offers summer literacy and math programming for elementary school students. We also have a program for rising sixth-graders that focuses on math, literacy and easing the transition from elementary to middle school. We have a credit recovery program for high school students who need to make up a class that they were not successful in completing during the school year. Our Multilingual & Multicultural Center provides summer programming at the middle and high school levels. And our students with disabilities, K-12, participate in multiple programs.

Try as we may, however, our programs reach only a fraction of our students. That’s why it’s important to talk about other ways to keep students learning in the summer. The NEA says that a recent study showed that “giving kids 12 books to read over the summer was as effective as summer school in raising the students’ reading scores.”

With this in mind, The Portland Public Library and our schools have partnered to offer a joint eight-week reading program for elementary school students this summer. Called “Reading in Portland: Time of Wonder,” the program encourages children throughout the community to read about and explore the natural world.

The program began in June but runs through mid-August, and kids can still sign up at the library. The goal is to read or listen to at least eight books this summer. Students get a reading log/adventure map that contains suggestions for reading as well as outdoor activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

A variety of educational and entertaining programs also are offered at different Portland Public Library locations. Children who reach the reading goal and return their logs to the library will receive a certificate, a book, a Gelato Fiasco coupon and a free Kids’ Meal from Subway. Visit portlandlibrary.com for more details; I encourage all of our families to take advantage of Portland’s library programs.

Schools today serve many social functions. Some of our students depend on school breakfast and lunch during the school year to get adequate nutrition. Their hunger doesn’t take a break in the summer just because school is out.

That is why the Portland Public Schools and Opportunity Alliance are offering free meals this summer for all youngsters 18 and under across the city of Portland through the middle of August. With their nutritious meals, youngsters can enjoy games and other fun enrichment activities to combat the summer slide. Learn more details by calling 2-1-1 or visiting 211maine.org.

We want to ensure that our students enjoy their summers – and not slide back in their learning while doing so.

My Monthly Column

Attending School Is Important – Starting with Day 1

By Xavier Botana

August 2016

When I worked as a senior administrator for the Chicago Public Schools, first-day-of-school attendance was a very big deal. Every year, we worked hard to encourage all of our students to attend school, beginning with the very first day.

Now, as the new superintendent of the Portland Public Schools, I want to place that same emphasis on attendance here. Going to school matters – and it starts with Day 1.

In Portland, the first day of school for students in grades 1-12 is Aug. 31 this year. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children start on Sept. 6, the day after Labor Day. It’s critically important that students be there from the first day of school.

The start of the school year is when students and teachers get to know one another and establish relationships and important classroom routines. Students who miss those early experiences chance getting out of step with the learning going on in their classrooms and can find it hard to catch up.

And, of course, students need to keep up their attendance throughout the rest of the school year too. Missing school can have long-term negative impacts on student success.

“Students who miss school frequently end up with gaps in their learning,” according to Count ME In, Maine affiliate of the national organization Attendance Works.

 “They are less likely to read proficiently by third grade and more likely to drop out of school. Missing school, even in kindergarten, has consequences for children.”

Parents are important partners in ensuring students attend school. In addition to making sure their children are in school every day, families should also get involved with their child’s education. The start of school affords a variety of opportunities for families to meet teachers and familiarize themselves with their school communities. 

Even before the official first day of classes, our schools will be holding events that include ice cream socials, barbeques, open houses to meet teachers and visit classrooms and welcoming events for new students. Families can learn more by visiting our district website, www.portlandschools.org, or by clicking here.

I urge families also to stay involved throughout the school year. Stay in touch with your child’s teacher by doing such things as attending open houses and maintaining contact through other means, such as email. Please also keep track of your child’s academic progress including grades and assignments, through Infinite Campus, an online portal for parents and guardians accessible through our website at https://ic.portlandschools.org/campus/portal/portland.jsp 

Families should be aware that students in eighth grade this year will be the first to have to comply with the state’s new proficiency-based high school graduation requirements. An amendment passed this year requires certification of proficiency in language arts, math, science, and social studies by 2021. The Class of 2021 is next year’s freshman class!

I’d also like to remind families that most of our elementary schools and two of our middle schools will have new start/end times this school year so that our school buses can transport students to and from school in a more timely manner. This past school year, some students had long wait times for buses after school and some buses had to drop children off at school too early in the morning. These schedule changes should ensure that doesn’t happen.

There will be no bell schedule changes at the high schools, King Middle School, Riverton Elementary School and the island schools. Please see the Portland Public Schools 2016-2017 calendar on our website for more details on the schools that have schedule changes, or check with your local school.

Families also should know that the Portland Board of Public Education has asked me to organize a new strategic plan for our district that will be the successor of the Comprehensive Plan framework that has been in place since 2011.  There will be opportunities for parents, guardians and other community members to be involved in helping to shape the future direction of education in our district. Expect to hear more about this at the end of this month and into the fall.

Stopping the 'summer slide'
By Xavier Botana
July 2016

I’m the new superintendent of the Portland Public Schools. I officially started my job on July 1, but I visited each of the district’s schools in June to meet staff and students on the last two days of school.

Being in the district then allowed me to see the excitement that comes with the end of the school year and sense the allure of the summer: long, lazy days of fun, rest and new experiences.

Yet summer also is the time for the “summer slide.”

Almost 100 years of research have shown that learning can be lost the during the summer months if students aren’t engaged in educational activities. According to the National Education Association, “experts say much of the reading achievement gap seen in ninth-grade students nationwide can be traced back to unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years.”

A 2010 report by the Afterschool Alliance found that while 25 percent of students were participating in summer learning programs, many more would like the opportunity to do so. A full 83 percent of parents supported spending public funds on summer learning programs and 67 percent of low-income parents said their children would enroll in a summer program if they could.

Here in Portland, we take steps every summer to provide students with learning opportunities to stop the summer slide. What we offer is both fun and instructive.

The Portland Public Schools offers summer literacy and math programming for elementary school students. We also have a program for rising sixth-graders that focuses on math, literacy and easing the transition from elementary to middle school. We have a credit recovery program for high school students who need to make up a class that they were not successful in completing during the school year. Our Multilingual & Multicultural Center provides summer programming at the middle and high school levels. And our students with disabilities, K-12, participate in multiple programs.

Try as we may, however, our programs reach only a fraction of our students. That’s why it’s important to talk about other ways to keep students learning in the summer. The NEA says that a recent study showed that “giving kids 12 books to read over the summer was as effective as summer school in raising the students’ reading scores.”

With this in mind, The Portland Public Library and our schools have partnered to offer a joint eight-week reading program for elementary school students this summer. Called “Reading in Portland: Time of Wonder,” the program encourages children throughout the community to read about and explore the natural world.

The program began in June but runs through mid-August, and kids can still sign up at the library. The goal is to read or listen to at least eight books this summer. Students get a reading log/adventure map that contains suggestions for reading as well as outdoor activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

A variety of educational and entertaining programs also are offered at different Portland Public Library locations. Children who reach the reading goal and return their logs to the library will receive a certificate, a book, a Gelato Fiasco coupon and a free Kids’ Meal from Subway. Visit portlandlibrary.com for more details; I encourage all of our families to take advantage of Portland’s library programs.

Schools today serve many social functions. Some of our students depend on school breakfast and lunch during the school year to get adequate nutrition. Their hunger doesn’t take a break in the summer just because school is out.

That is why the Portland Public Schools and Opportunity Alliance are offering free meals this summer for all youngsters 18 and under across the city of Portland through the middle of August. With their nutritious meals, youngsters can enjoy games and other fun enrichment activities to combat the summer slide. Learn more details by calling 2-1-1 or visiting 211maine.org.

We want to ensure that our students enjoy their summers – and not slide back in their learning while doing so.