Portland Public Schools outlines HR restructuring and equity plan with measurable staff goals

Portland Public Schools presented detailed human-resources and equity plans to the finance, personnel and operations committee on Sept. 29, 2025, including new onboarding processes, role-specific training and targets for staff awareness and belonging.

"We moved to group onboarding to expedite the process and to make sure new employees feel engaged and excited to work for Portland Public Schools," said Jennifer Slaving, executive director of human resources and equity. Slaving told the committee she and HR staff have reviewed FMLA and ADA practices to improve consistency and compliance and implemented a position-control workflow tying requisitions to budget lines.

The HR overview covered four initiatives tied to the district strategic plan. Initiative 4.1 revisits the district’s "vision of excellence" with the goal that 70% of staff be aware of the vision by year end and that at least 50% of staff report recognition explicitly tied to that vision. Initiative 4.2, led by Rosa Torres, focuses on recruitment, retention and leadership pipelines, including an EdTech spotlight group and a Portland Leadership and Advancement Network planned to begin phase 1 in January 2026. Slaving said the "elevating educators" grant will be wound down by June 2026 and repurposed toward pipeline and leadership supports.

Initiative 4.3 addresses onboarding and data capture. Bridget Wheeler, newly promoted to director of compliance, will support launch of 30/60/90-day surveys for new hires, stay surveys and more systematic exit interviews. Slaving said benefits enrollment has moved to ADP to enable a more digital onboarding experience and better capture of professional development activities in Vector/PLBSS so credentials and recertification data are easier to verify.

Initiative 4.4 sets a timeline for evaluation pilots. Slaving told the committee a rubric and self-reflection process for non‑bargaining central-office and network staff will be piloted in 2025–26, with work groups for EdTechs, teachers and administrators to pilot evaluation tools in subsequent years.

Equity work under strategic initiative 1.1 was presented by Jen Brady, director of people and culture. Brady said her approach begins with a baseline review and a listening tour, then role-specific training and equity-behavior workshops. "We want to see equity behaviors embedded in district and school procedures, in 1-on-1 coaching, and in written communications," Brady said. She reported 100% participation in the first of four planned professional-learning sessions for leaders and teachers, and set a measurement aim of leaders consistently modeling at least one equity behavior by year end, tracked initially by self-report.

Brady described measurement goals that are primarily behavioral to allow monitoring and tracking: 100% participation in the training series for leaders and teachers, exit surveys and reflections to capture shifts in practice, and a district goal to improve staff sense of belonging by 20% for staff of color over time. Brady acknowledged that some measures will be self-reported in the first year and said the district plans additional observation and measurement as work matures.

Board members emphasized transparency and practical concerns. Several members asked whether the vision of excellence and revised job descriptions would be publicly available; Slaving said the vision is in development and a fuller draft is expected around January and that job descriptions will be made more transparent. Members also urged care that career-path messaging does not encourage leaving student-facing roles; Slaving and Brady said pathways are intended to retain talent and to create options for staff who seek advancement while also strengthening supports for classroom-facing personnel.

What’s next: the committee will receive another update on certifications and HR work on Oct. 27, 2025. The HR team will continue the listening tour and begin pilots of evaluation tools and onboarding surveys through the school year.

Sources: Committee presentation by Jennifer Slaving, executive director of HR and equity; presentation by Jen Brady, director of people and culture.