Portland committee reviews 2024–25 curriculum and policy work, sets priorities for next year

The Portland Public Schools Curriculum and Policy Committee on June 11 reviewed its work from the 2024–25 school year and outlined priorities for next year, including a student-proposed civics curriculum, an updated district calendar that adds Muslim and Jewish holidays and a requested policy on research in schools.

The review matters because the committee sets or recommends district policy and curriculum changes that affect all Portland Public Schools students and staff. Members said the work this year advanced sections of the district strategic plan on equity, academics, special education and whole-student supports, and they identified items to pursue over the summer and at the start of the next school year.

Julianne Opperman, chair of the Curriculum and Policy Committee, opened the meeting by summarizing the year’s agenda and thanking staff for their work. Opperman said staff “pulled us through” on research and policy tasks the committee relied on to complete its reviews. The committee’s work this year mapped to strategic-plan goals Opperman listed as 1.1 (equity), 2.1 and 2.2 (English language arts K–5 and K–8), 2.4 (high school redesign), 2.5 (special education) and 3.1 (whole-student supports).

Committee members singled out several completed or ongoing items. Mina Fitzgerald, the student board representative, brought forward a proposal for a high-school civics curriculum; Opperman said teachers she had checked with were “very excited” to begin planning. Members also noted adoption earlier this year of an updated policy for student calendars to include Muslim and Jewish holidays; one committee member called that change particularly meaningful for those communities.

Members identified areas for further work. Several called for a clearer district policy on research conducted in schools, saying current practice needed explicit guardrails to protect students, staff and families. The committee also flagged curriculum rollout tasks: a new math curriculum is due to come online next year, and the committee plans to monitor literacy and middle-school academic supports and to continue work on access to rigorous high-school courses.

Committee members discussed a district team’s work on a consolidated high-school major-construction proposal submitted to the state. Staff reported the state extended the proposal deadline and that the earliest the district might hear back was late summer; a staff member described an August timeline as possible but not certain. Committee members emphasized that the construction proposal and related timelines depend on state review and funding decisions.

Dr. Ahmed, assistant superintendent of secondary schools, said the inclusion of Muslim and Jewish holidays on the district calendar had been well received. “The superintendent joined the Eid celebration, and it was amazing to hear the response,” Dr. Ahmed said, adding that students and families expressed appreciation for the recognition.

The committee also reviewed policy housekeeping and larger policy priorities for 2025–26. Members proposed auditing existing policies for outdated or racially insensitive language, continuing work on the district’s cell-phone policy begun this year, and exploring whether hiring and evaluation practices could better reflect student demographics and community needs.

No motions or formal votes were taken at the meeting. Members said they expect to bring several items—policy audits, curriculum rollouts, and updates on the major-construction proposal—back for committee work in August and during the coming school year. The group closed its final meeting of the 2024–25 committee cycle with plans to reconvene under the new board year.