ABOUT

Jaime Cale is a Black and Indigenous, married mom of two biracial sons, both attending Portland Public Schools.  She is  a social worker, mediator, PPS employee and co-founder of Mxm Bloc.  Each of these roles has heightened Jaime’s conviction that PPS needs stronger leadership, rooted in a foundation of equity, and racial & social justice. 

As a native Portlander, Jaime is well aware of the historical inequities that have impacted education in Portland for generations.  BIPOC students, Special Education students and those who are not native English speakers are consistently left behind.  The pattern of neglect that leaves these students marginalized must be changed.  Jaime pledges to disrupt the status quo, focus on equitable experiences and outcomes and help create a PPS district where all children have access to the support they need to be successful. 

 

Jaime believes:

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• BIPOC children and young adults need educators and mentors that look like them.  When services are culturally relevant, students are more likely to have increased engagement in school.  Increased engagement leads to better grades and higher graduation rates.  Jaime plans to ensure that all students in the district have access to community-based organizations, with a focus on the historically underserved (HU) communities across the district. 

• Graduation rates for students of color are slowly increasing across all racial demographics.  We must work harder to ensure that all students have a graduation plan.  We need counselors and mentors to help students access vocational programs, employment or college.  Every student is unique and should be offered plans that are geared toward their abilities, interests and needs. 

• PPS has an obligation to do right by its students by grounding itself upon a strong foundation of equity, trauma-informed practice and social-emotional learning (SEL).  The trauma many HU students face daily, compounded by a global pandemic means our students are challenged by ever increasing  anxieties and challenges.  Our district needs a plan for robust SEL services across grade levels when students return to buildings in the fall.  This means hiring more social workers, counselors and increasing the CBOs (Community-Based Organizations) across the district. 

• Students receiving Special Education services should be at the forefront of budget planning, but more often get what money is left over.  This is unacceptable.  Students receiving SPED services deserve specialized instruction, adequate paraeducator staff and consistent communication from the district and the department. 

 

Our country is in the midst of an historic and unprecedented moment, and our school district is a reflection of this.  The global pandemic has resulted in a decrease in key instructional skills, such as math and reading, for many students.  Jaime advocates for a strong re-entry plan for the Fall - one that aims to provide safe and equitable options for learning, including focused attention on the students for whom this year has been devastating, as well as continued CDL options for those who are unable to return to buildings.  Many students will not be vaccinated in the Fall, and we cannot guarantee a continuous drop in Covid-19 numbers in our city.  It is time to think outside the box and create CDL programming that is robust, relevant and rigorous, so children who remain learning from home have the same access to quality instruction that children in classrooms have.  In addition, the deferred maintenance and lack of adequate custodial staff and grounds crew must be addressed.  Our students deserve to have clean and safe buildings of which they can be proud.  Plans for reopening should be based on ensuring safety over convenience. 

 

As a proud Portland Public School graduate, employee, and parent, Jaime is driven to build connections amongst the staff, the board, and the students and families we serve.  Through these connections, she believes that together we can increase a sense of ownership and community throughout the district as we work together to meet the needs of all. 

 

Connecting Communities.  Supporting Equity.  Creating Change.