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Parents and teachers press PPS for Vietnamese immersion staffing as paraeducators raise alarm over ESS transfer
Summary
At the Oct. 14 board meeting parents, teachers and state Rep. Thuy Tran urged Portland Public Schools to add staff to the Vietnamese dual language immersion program amid 31‑student first‑grade classes; earlier public comment raised alarm over a district plan to transfer paraeducator subs to private firm ESS.
Parents, teachers and a state representative urged the Portland Public Schools board on Oct. 14 to address understaffing in the Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion (VDLI) program and to clarify a planned transfer of paraeducator substitutes to a private staffing company.
VDLI staffing crisis State Representative Thuy Tran (House District 45) told the board Rose City Park’s first‑grade VDLI cohort has one teacher for 31 students and asked the district to assign additional full‑time equivalent (FTE) positions to restore the 50/50 model. "If we can pass the threshold for 33 then more kids can come," Tran said, asking the board to find funding for another teacher.
Parents and teachers echoed that plea. Bobby Rowett and other parents described large class sizes, recent staff reductions and blended classes that they said threaten program quality and student well‑being. VDLI teacher Chao Hua described classroom strain: "This year I have 30 first grade students in my classroom…The stress and mental health toll is real." District staff responded that principals are using Vietnamese education assistants strategically, curriculum translation is underway for math and English language arts, and senior staff are reviewing the issue at the building and district levels.
Paraeducator transfer concerns Earlier in public comment, Kathy Huck, a PPS paraeducator and para sub, said a recent Human Resources notice told para subs they would be dismissed from PPS and could seek rehire through Education Solution Services (ESS), a private for‑profit staffing company. "We're basically gonna be fired from our positions with the opportunity to be rehired by ESS," Huck said, calling the arrangement opaque and raising concerns about privatizing district jobs. She asked whether the district had reviewed internal HR recruitment and the financial transparency of the deal; the board acknowledged concerns and said staff would follow up.
What board and staff said Superintendent Armstrong and senior staff recognized the VDLI concerns and said district teams are working with building leadership to target supports, translate materials and examine staffing. The superintendent said the district is entering a boundary and programming review phase called "growing great schools" that will examine right‑sizing and supports for specialized programs. On the ESS transfer, district staff took the comment and indicated the board office would follow up with HR for clarification.
Why it matters Dual language immersion programs are resource‑intensive: early grades require bilingual instruction, translated curriculum and additional supports. Parents and teachers said under‑resourcing undermines equity and program outcomes. The paraeducator transfer raises labor, transparency and governance questions because it would move district roles into a private staffing arrangement.
Next steps Board members asked staff to pursue more information, to respond to families and to report back on specific staffing actions requested by the VDLI community.
