Readers respond: Boost PPS enrollment with focus areas

The newly elected board members of Portland Public Schools may be amenable to a different focus for their future discussions, according to an Oregonian/OregonLive article on them (At Portland Public Schools, a mom takeover and a brewing storm, July 23). A policy of offering an egalitarian curriculum in the district’s high schools was endorsed by a past PPS board. While there are undoubtedly some classes that benefit every student, high school also gives students the option to pursue electives to improve their own interests.

These classes at Benson Polytechnic High School are mostly career training. Students can apply to attend from anywhere in the district. Usually, more eighth graders apply than there is room for them each year, and Benson has one of the highest graduation rates among PPS high schools.

Since their inception in 1908 at what was then known as the Portland School of Trades, these magnet programs—which draw high school students from all throughout the district—have flourished. Although Benson is not the only high school in Portland offering specialized classes, we should think about whether this strategy may be implemented at other institutions as well. By doing this, each school would have a core group of motivated students, and the district would be able to expand the courses it offers, draw in teachers who are keen to teach these subjects, and possibly come up with a novel way to satisfy state standards.

English as a Second Language instruction may be made easier by designating a school for language instruction. There are innumerable subjects with a latent demand, including geography, business, mathematics, science, and information technology.