The Role of the Urban Superintendent
Listen to the August 11, 2011 Episode of Topics In Education


Eggs & Issues with Dr. James C. Morse 9-14-10






Reflections on My First Year
by Portland Superintendent James C. Morse, Sr.

My first year as Portland's superintendent is done, finis, completed. It's been an adventure, a challenge and a thrill to be home again in Portland, working on behalf of my 1973 classmates' grandchildren (ouch) as well as all of the other children attending the Portland Public Schools. We're striving for equity and excellence of programming and services, and we're building a truly student-centered organization.

The Portland School Committee set high expectations for me. Committee members wanted accurate and complete information and thoughtful discussions that would result in meaningful change. We worked incredibly long hours together forging a new approach for Portland's schools. From laptops for our high school students to staffing issues at our middle schools and renovation of our elementary buildings, committee members examined every issue thoroughly and through the lens of equity.

The staff has been receptive and responsive to my leadership. They've embraced an absolute focus on the needs of students. All of our discussions, deliberations and decisions have been based upon respect, inclusiveness and collaboration. As one example, the staff at Portland High School (PHS) wrote a comprehensive federal grant proposal in record time. Sadly, we were not awarded the funding. But the grant proposal laid the foundation for an incredible strategic plan for PHS.

Portland's parents, leaders and community members gave me a warm welcome. Representatives from throughout the city joined me last December to help build a vision for the Portland Public Schools through a process called Future Search. Their work helped shape the development of the district's 2010-11 budget, and it continues to influence the School Committee's priorities.

During the past year, we improved our district's accountability on a number of levels. We spent less than the approved budget, creating the first surplus in three years. We set a goal of lowering the dropout rate, and we did so. We sought alternative funding sources, generating more than $900,000 for the district. We reframed the central office mission to focus on academic support and building support. We added foreign language instruction back into the elementary program in order to make our graduates more competitive when they enter the workforce.

My first year was both productive and exhausting. The hours are long, the days turn into nights while I'm still at work and the work never ends But I also had a lot of fun visiting the schools and spending time with students, parents and staff. I will share just a few of many examples.

I saw Riverton Elementary School students receive college scholarships for their essays about their future plans. I witnessed East End Community School building the most amazing playground with a dragon sculpture. I attended the recognition ceremony for the Hall Elementary School teacher who was the semi-finalist for Maine Teacher of the Year. I spent time with parents at Peaks Island Elementary School, visited classrooms of English language learners at PHS, toured the exhibits at King Middle School's Celebration of Learning, attended the Portland Arts and Technology High School fashion show and participated in all of our district's spring graduation ceremonies.

During my first year as superintendent, I focused on building structures that support a systemic approach to all that we do. In the year ahead, I will devote myself to creating system-wide expectations and standards to which all are held accountable. As we strive to make Portland's public schools the best in Maine, I look forward to the excitement of teachers and students arriving for the 2010-2011 school year.

It is great to be back home.

Superintendents Corner

  • Portland Adult Education
  • Grateful for Grants
  • Portland Teachers' Union Works On Behalf of Students and Taxpayers
  • Crafting a budget for the next school year was the most difficult assignment of my 22-year career.
  • When Losing Means Winning - That is the case with a $200,000 grant recently awarded by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation to the Portland Public Schools and two partner organizations. I want to tell you about how the grant will launch a major effort to change our district's high schools so that they do a better job of reaching all students and helping them achieve their potential. This initial grant could lead to a much larger one in future years.
  • Kids These Days - I often hear phrases that start "Kids these days" and imply that youngsters are less thoughtful, caring or engaged than in past generations. Sometimes, people ask me, "What are young people thinking?" Or they remark, "I don't know what's happening with today's youth!"
  • Portland's Public Schools Receive National Recognition

Dr.Morse meets with Legislators
Monday morning, most of the Portland delegation and I met with Portland's Superintendent Dr. Jim Morse. We had a productive meeting discussing the Portland School Budget, funding from the state, and policy changes that may occur from the new administration in Augusta.

The two biggest topics are the overall Portland School budget shortfall and the potential cuts to the English Learning Language (ELL). In order to talk about both, here's some background information. The Essential Program and Services (EPS) funding formula sets the total cost of K-12 education for the state of Maine. Over sixty components make up the EPS formula, with the two biggest factors being a community's total land valuation and the district's student population. Currently, the City of Portland receives around $14 million of our $90 million budget from the state.

The 2012-2013 Biennial Budget is facing a shortfall. Estimates place it around $800 million worth of cuts, and it is likely that a large chunk of that will come from education and health and human services. In the meeting, we talked about Portland's $6 million budget shortfall. $4.1 of this is due to federal recovery funds ending in June. $1.1 are cuts to special education funding, and $900,000 is from cuts to the No Child Left Behind program. The only good news is that the Portland School Committee and Superintendent have received $1.8 million dollars from the 2010 Federal Jobs Bill to help offset our $6 million loss.

The ELL cuts could stem from a change to the EPS formula. If this change occurs, Portland stands to lose another $2 million. These cuts are being suggested because both Lewiston and Portland have been unable to submit their total costs involved in the ELL programs. From this, the state believes that both districts are not using their entire distributions. A bill will be introduced to cut ELL funding, and I will keep you up-to-date when it is scheduled. We also discussed teacher retirement, vocational and special education, and the potential for establishing charter schools in Maine.