Dear Astor Families and University Park Community,

I am greatly honored and excited to take on the role of Astor Principal. I’m a school leader focused on racial equity, and I’m committed to creating welcoming spaces for students and families. I strongly believe that all children deserve an exceptional education that is personalized to their individual needs while preparing them to graduate from college. For many of our students, Astor is the first step in this journey. 

I have worked for the last 14 years in Portland Public Schools, first as a paraeducator, then as a teacher, and now as a school leader. I’ve taught throughout the district, including at SEI, Beverly Cleary, Astor, and Ockley Green. For the last four years, I was the Assistant Principal at Jason Lee. Prior to moving to Portland, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Fiji Islands with my wife, Miranda. I’m also an Astor parent and have two daughters who attend our school and have loved their experiences so far. I am so happy to be back in North Portland and to be joining the incredible teachers, staff, Dr. K, and all of you for the 2020-2021 school year.

Finally, I have an open door policy; please bring concerns to me at any time. Know that I will approach every situation striving to do what is best for students and putting students first. This has been a difficult and uncertain time for our students, community and world at large. There will be challenges that face us in the coming months, but I’m confident that with your partnership and support we can provide our students with an excellent education.

Warmly,

Principal Robertson
brobertson@pps.net

Aloha Astor Ohana:

During the past year at Astor, students and teachers have had to pivot and “relearn” school as the nation entered a period of great upheaval. This fall, we enter this school year with new learning and understanding of what can happen when students are not fully connected to school and to the school community. To that end, one of our goals is to work to provide students with a safe, healthy, and inclusive school setting, where students feel connected to school and can see themselves and are celebrated and honored for who they are.

In my 20 plus years in the district, I have had the opportunity of working to impact student learning from a variety of venues. I currently support Astor as a building administrator but I have also supported students in the classroom as a middle school teacher, a high school literacy specialist, worked with teachers on classroom management as  a climate specialist, worked centrally as an administrator at the district level coordinating the equity work in the district, have served emergent bilingual students as an ESL administrator, and served as an interim senior director as part of the district’s senior leadership team, where I oversaw the New Teacher Mentor Program, College and Career, Makerspace Environments, and CTE.  Wherever I have been in the organization, working to ensure a learning environment where Inclusion and belonging are modeled and practiced has been paramount for providing safe spaces where students can engage in rigorous learning, compassionate critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving, in order to be prepared to lead a more socially just world.

That being said, my most gratifying role is that of being mother to my five grown children and  grandmother to my six grandchildren, for whom I continue working toward building an educational environment where they, along with all children, are celebrated for their brilliance. I look forward to working with Mr. Robertson, staff and students and to what this school year brings. 

Malama Pono 

Dr. K.