Dear PPS Community,

Saturday night, gunshots were fired outside of a district-wide basketball tournament held at Franklin High School. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and the suspect is now in custody, but if you have any information about the incident please call 503-823-3333 or utilize the SafeOregon tipline.

Dear PPS Families, 

As we prepare for the winter sports season, we want to share a few reminders for our spectators.  

Dear families, students, and colleagues,

It has been a joy to visit learning spaces over the past four months and see our students reengaged in their classroom learning and school activities. I am pleased to observe our students interacting with peers and diving into new curriculum materials. 

This has been a very productive time for Portland Public Schools. My appreciation to all the dedicated Team PPS members who work everyday to make our school system better and stronger.

Dear PPS Community,

Every single person in Portland Public Schools believes that our learning spaces must be safe, stable, and secure, and that we have a shared responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the students under our care. We recognize that recent events, both locally and nationally, have rattled our community.

Superintendent Guerrero issued a broader statement about gun violence and its impacts on our schools, but we also want to explain how we both keep schools safe, and keep you informed.

June 2021

Dear Odyssey Community,

I am pleased to announce that Crystal Gassert will be the new principal of the Odyssey Program in the 2021-22 school year.

She will succeed Eryn Berg, who has been Odyssey principal since 2019. We thank Eryn for her service and wish her the best in her new role as principal at Sunnyside Environmental K-8 School.

Crystal comes to Odyssey from Lent K-8 School, where she has served as assistant principal since 2019, and now as interim principal. Utilizing data, she led Lent’s effort to focus resources and systems to meet the needs of historically underserved students; make significant improvements in literacy and grade level reading scores; and foster climate shifts for staff, students, and families.

She began her education career as a teacher in DC Public Schools, where she served as the lead of their academic leadership team, focusing on building school systems and family partnerships. Starting in 2015, she was a studio teacher for reading and math in the Beaverton School District before moving into administration. Throughout her years as an educator, Crystal has worked in multiple transdisciplinary programs that emphasize an equity lens while preparing students to be leaders in their communities. As a former PPS student, Crystal is excited to serve the community that has given her so much.

Crystal earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The Catholic University of America, a Master of Education from the University of Maryland, and an Administrative License from Portland State University.

Please join me in welcoming Principal Gassert to Odyssey.

Shawn Bird, Ed.D.

Chief of Schools