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PPS adults are trustworthy, reliable, and courageous allies. Each adult is approachable and is someone whom every student, family member, and colleague can count on because they follow through with their responsibilities consistently and hold themselves and others accountable. They have consistently high expectations and levels of preparedness  so they can best respond to the needs of the students in front of them.

PPS adults are highly competent in their areas of practice. Those engaged in instruction are also skilled in a variety of evidence-based, engaging teaching approaches, including strategies for social-emotional, culturally-responsive academic learning. Adults are proactive about keeping their professional knowledge up-to-date and even anticipating future trends in their fields, and contributing to innovations and best practices in their schools and departments. They are committed to using a range of tools, including current and emerging technologies and data to inform continuous improvement of practice, collaborate with colleagues throughout the system, and support diverse learners.

PPS adults are courageous change agents who actively promote and ensure racial equity and social justice. They understand that the perceived reality, based on the dominant culture, has often excluded the perspectives of people of color. They understand that they can replace the narrative with a more inclusive and objective multi-cultural approach that contributes to the positive identity development of adults and students of color.

PPS adults respect, understand, and adapt to the unique cultural, linguistic, and special needs of our diverse learners. The adults are mindful of who our students are and are aware of students’ unique needs as they design and conduct their daily work. They adopt a growth mindset—seeing all students’ capacities as growing and developing, not fixed. They are deeply familiar with a variety of inclusive practices, along with culturally and linguistically responsive teaching strategies. Adults see their own diversity and that of our students and families as assets that support learning and as gifts that enrich both the school district’s culture and the community.

PPS adults understand,  respect,  and  appreciate the communities they serve. They cultivate deep relationships with students, families, and community members. They are eager collaborators, willing to reach beyond school-based resources and connect community members with students and each other. They are team players who are both leaders and followers, sensitive to and willing to rise to the needs of the moment. They are constantly looking for allies and partners to help create positive outcomes for students. They live the belief that “none of us knows everything, but together we know a lot.”

PPS adults are self-aware  and  knowledgeable as to their own strengths and biases, and they have a positive sense of their own identity. They are reflective about their own areas of growth, enabling them to practice continuous improvement and lifelong learning. They recognize vulnerability as a strength, are open to feedback from peers and mentors, and have high social-emotional intelligence, enabling them to create emotionally safe spaces for students, families, and peers.

PPS adults  are  curious  and  future-focused leaders. They understand a variety of leadership models from various cultures and can “lead from any seat.” They are committed, creative problem- solvers who develop and implement solutions that are assessed thoughtfully and that  balance  risk and results. They are capable of being both locally minded and globally oriented to collaborate with others in addressing challenges. Along with these collaborations, they model a global orientation for their students by speaking more than one language and being knowledgeable about other cultures.

PPS adults demonstrate care for students and families and are enthusiastic about building personal relationships. They hold a strengths-based view (recognizing and encouraging strengths rather than focusing solely on deficits) of every person at PPS and are particularly attentive to the needs

of our most vulnerable students. They are dedicated to implementing strategies to develop and/or support each student’s skills and talents. They inspire learning and are willing and able to facilitate difficult conversations that show empathy across wide-ranging student and family experiences.

PPS adults honor culture and traditions while being open to change. Each person supports this openness by understanding that failure, multiple attempts, and iteration are necessary, if not critical, parts of continuous learning. They demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement by developing the skills and persistence to shift the system and structures around them when necessary and build their own resilience through self-care, and collaboration with students, educators, and others.

We believe that all students have the ability to succeed and that positive impacts on students are at the center of each decision and action. We believe that student voice is essential to understanding and solving the core issues of education and that including student voice is a priority.

We believe in the fundamental right to human dignity and that generating an equitable world requires an educational system that intentionally disrupts—and builds leaders to disrupt—systems of oppression.

We believe in demonstrating honesty and integrity in every action we take, with sincere, ethical, transparent, and accountable communication and decision making in service of our students, families, staff, and community.

We believe in rigor and high standards for all students and staff, and that achieving excellence and high performance is the result of the school system acting as a continuous learning organization.

We believe in respect for all. Every person brings value and deserves to be treated with care, courtesy, and compassion.

We believe that relationships are vital to our success. Authentic human connection, established through kind, caring relationships, builds trust, fosters understanding, and strengthens our ability to work together toward shared aspirations.

We believe in the power of effective problem solving, supported by a culture of creativity and innovation. Challenging assumptions, nurturing curiosity, welcoming new ideas, and developing lateral thinking skills are essential to developing effective strategies for constructive change.

We believe that together, we know and can achieve a great deal, and that by leveraging the collective actions of a group of committed stakeholders, we can achieve our Vision.

We believe that our unique Portland identity gives us the collective wisdom to acknowledge and learn from our community’s diverse history and fuel our progress toward a new era of courageous and innovative collective action to create a better Portland for all.

We believe in learning and leading in ways that foster human connection, deep appreciation for each other, satisfaction in our work, and appreciation of the learning process