2017.09.04 Portland Public Schools Angst

Last week Simon started attending his new school: the Access Academy for Regional Gifted Humans. OK, no - it's not actually called AARGH. But the fake acronym-ized version of the Access Academy Alternative Program does capture a sliver of my annoyance. While it is probably true that it is the best thing for Simon, considering the related opportunities, that doesn't mean there aren't any downsides. First, there's the location delta: from a 1-block walk to a 45+ minute bus ride across town. Plus the bus stops are sufficiently distant that we need to drive him to and from them. Pain. In. The. Ass. Then there's the fact that the school district seems intent on bungling the administration of the school. From having it seemingly perpetually under-resourced, to appointing a robot as the new principle, to an ill-considered screening/selection mechanism.

The lack of prioritization for resources bothers me, but only slightly. This is the Trump era, after all. And we're hardly living in Aleppo.

I do not have anything against robots, or robot-like people, personally (for what should be obvious reasons). It's just that they make questionable leaders to face a needy bunch like the Access parents. But really, the litmus test that matters is my wife. Her interpersonal skills tower above most mortals, and her insightfulness is legend. If she feels ill-served by an administrator, that clearly suggests a problem.

The screening and selection mechanism is what chafes me the most, though. Part of my difficult-to-validate worry about Access Academy was the sense that it was primarily oriented about serving children that had problems. On one hand, it might be helpful should Simon's giant throbbing brain lead to further social problems (as happens to Castles). But on the other hand it might also seem to subliminally feed such problems, both by example and permissiveness. This problem-oriented aspect also had the nauseating effect in the qualification process of massive preferential selection for males - because females are less likely to demonstrate such problems. This did not sit well, and people spoke out, so now the school district has announced expanded qualification demographics. Perhaps this will improve the situation, but the core failure of vision might remain.

In a similar vein, PPS has gotten a head start on pissing me off with weather-related closures.

Tomorrow was supposed to be Violet's first day in Kindergarten. Except that now it's going to be too hot (plus poor air quality due to forest fires), so they're delaying the kindergarteners first day. Plus the rest of the school system will let out early. Dammit.

Logically, I do want them to act conservatively - as they do in the winter time and close the schools at the slightest risk to the staff and students. But it's hard not to wish that they had air conditioning. Or in the winter to be able to shovel walkways, plow roads, and have halfway-decent busses snow-traction-wise. Climate change is going to make all of this worse.