Desegregation and Multiculturalism in the Portland Public Schools

Abstract

hElEn mariE casEy's booklEt Portland's Compromise: the Colored School, 1867-1872 recounts the story of William Brown, an African-American resident of Portland, Oregon, and his role in the first and only case of official segregation of African-American children in Portland Public Schools (PPS) in 187. After unsuccessfully trying to enroll his children in one of Portland's only two public elementary schools, Brown appealed to the school board, including directors Josiah Failing, W.S. Ladd, and E.D. Shattuck. Again, his children were denied access. The board of directors explained their resistance to integrated schools by saying: "If we admit them [African-American children], then next year we will have no money to run the schools." According to Casey, the directors were "afraid to provoke the taxpayers and rouse their ire." 1 Rather than attempting such a politically "risky" effort, the school board eventually allocated $800-$75 more than it had offered prior to Brown's threat of a lawsuit-for a segregated school at the corner Southwest Fourth and Columbia. Twenty-six African-American students, twenty-one boys and five girls-many of whom had previously attempted to attend another public, or "free," school in Portland but had been denied-enrolled in the school. The continued existence of the "Colored School" was constantly in question at annual school meetings. Funding for the school was abolished in 1872, and the next year, thirty African-American children were admitted to the newly integrated PPS. Since Oregon acquired statehood in 1859, the relationship between African Americans and public education in the city of Portland has been complex and closely correlated to the broader racial dynamics of the city,

Diversity for Whom? Gentrification, Demographic Change, and the Politics of School Integration

“…Similar to DPS, the PPS’s within-district transfer policies that allowed White families to flee to more diverse schools also exacerbated these enrollment declines, while also worsening segregation (Johnson & Williams, 2010). Some speculate that this choice policy may have fueled gentrification by allowing gentrifiers to send their kids to Whiter schools outside the neighborhood (Huseman, 2016):So, the [gentrifying] families who were moving in, and replacing the Black families who were moving out to less expensive areas, or who were being forced out due to urban renewal.…”

African American Teacher Recruitment: A Case Study in Oregon

“…Oregon historical context. The state of Oregon, and the largest metropolitan city in the state, Portland, historically has never had large percentages of African Americans as residents (Johnson & Williams, 2010). Admittedly, since 1859, when Oregon officially became a state in the U.S. and throughout the late 19 th century, Oregon was considered "the most formidable and dangerous place outside the South for an African-American person to call home" (Johnson & Williams, 2010, p. 7).…”

“…Admittedly, since 1859, when Oregon officially became a state in the U.S. and throughout the late 19 th century, Oregon was considered "the most formidable and dangerous place outside the South for an African-American person to call home" (Johnson & Williams, 2010, p. 7). In fact, racist laws remained in the state's constitution until the mid-1920s (Johnson & Williams, 2010). In part, because the population of African American students was so small, segregated schools were abolished in Portland in 1867 (Johnson & Williams, 2010 If educator preparation programs were able to graduate candidates who mirrored the demographics of Oregon's graduating high school students, the pool of candidates for hire should be over 31 percent racially and linguistically diverse.…”

“…In fact, racist laws remained in the state's constitution until the mid-1920s (Johnson & Williams, 2010). In part, because the population of African American students was so small, segregated schools were abolished in Portland in 1867 (Johnson & Williams, 2010 If educator preparation programs were able to graduate candidates who mirrored the demographics of Oregon's graduating high school students, the pool of candidates for hire should be over 31 percent racially and linguistically diverse. However, the percent of 2014-15 teacher candidates completing a public, private non-profit or for-profit educator preparation programs is 10.34 percent, approximately one third of that goal.…”

“…Johnson and Williams (2010) noted that the African-American community, in particular, has been for decades "fighting for a quality education for its children" (p. 33), including a history of struggle for "implementation of policies that never fully addressed the concerns and needs of the African American community"(p. 33), which Johnson and Williams insisted "continue to exist today" (p. 33). The state is by no means fulfilling the promise of the Brown decision, as mentioned above, but there is some effort to do so, as evidenced in the Oregon Educator Equity Act, what was…”