Dear PPS Community,

It is with a sense of optimism and encouragement that I am sharing with you news about something I believe will have a lasting impact on the future of our school system and our ability to better serve our students. The Oregon Legislature has approved, and Gov. Kate Brown has signed, the Student Success Act, an investment package projected to provide public schools throughout the state with approximately $1 billion a year in additional funding. This is a huge and historic win for public education in general and for Portland Public Schools in particular. Our work begins now to lay out a plan for how we will use our share of the additional funds, starting in the 2020-21 school year, in ways that will improve the educational experience for all of our diverse learners.

Two teachers at Franklin High School have won significant awards for their service to students. Mercedes Munoz won an Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year Award, and Anne McHugh won a Presidential Innovation Award for the Pacific Northwest from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Over the last year there has been a groundswell of activity around improving student health and wellness in Portland Public Schools. Aided by partnerships that have resulted in PPS receiving three grants totaling about $3 million, the district’s Health Education and Student Support Services teams have been able to bring innovative programming and new staff to PPS’s health education efforts.

Roosevelt High School has one of the most diverse student bodies in Oregon, and the school celebrated Friday with its second annual Unity Fest. The event, which was designed and organized by students from the school’s seven Ethnic Studies classes, drew hundreds of students and community members to the North Portland campus.

In this week's PPS Pulse: Groundbreaking ceremonies set for Madison and Kellogg; meet Benson track star Micah Williams

Two high school teachers from Portland Public Schools have been selected to the OnPoint Community Credit Union Circle of Excellence, with one of them, Wilson's Joe Minato, named a finalist for the organization's Educator of the Year Award.

Pigmice, a robotics team made up of 16 students from Cleveland High School and one from Franklin, completed its most successful year with a strong performance at the FIRST Robotics Championships, also known as “worlds,” in Houston, Texas.

The start of construction on a modernized Madison High School and new Kellogg Middle School is only a few weeks away. To celebrate, upcoming groundbreaking ceremonies will take place at both locations. These two schools are the first major construction projects funded by the May 2017 Bond.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Portland Public Schools’ Student Success and Health department offers some tips and resources.

In this week's PPS Pulse: District launches master plan for arts; state nearing historic investment in education

Three performers from Portland Public Schools won their categories in the recent Oregon Music Education Association State Solo Championships at Pacific University in Forest Grove.

Cleveland High School held an assembly to honor its Native American community and recognize the past, present and future of its relation to the school. The event was called RISE, for Reclaiming Indigenous Identity through Solidarity and Education, and held May 2 in the school auditorium.

Madison High School senior Stella Feuerborn has learned a lot in two years in a photography class. An image Stella created was chosen as one of the student pieces displayed at the recent HeART of Portland, Portland Public Schools’ annual showcase at the Portland Art Museum.

The Oregon Legislature is on the cusp of making a historic $2 billion investment in the state’s preK-12 education system.

Last week, the Oregon House of Representatives passed House Bill 3427, which would establish a new commercial activity tax on businesses, coupled with a personal income tax reduction for most Oregonians. The bill, if passed, is expected to generate $2 billion in new revenue every two years, of which $1 billion would be appropriated to an equity-focused School Improvement Fund that would be distributed directly to school districts.