Who is Lisa?

Lisa Richardson is a longtime Portlander. She graduated from Marshall High School in Southeast Portland and received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Portland State University.

After graduating, Lisa joined the 2006 Teach For America Corps, a movement working to eliminate academic inequity and promote student success in low-income rural and urban schools nationwide. Lisa accepted a 2-year teaching assignment in urban St. Louis, Missouri, teaching 8th Grade Spanish.

Lisa earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from Webster University in May 2008, and is currently finishing her Master of Business Administration.

After completing her teaching assignment, Lisa returned to Portland and accepted a position as a certified vocational counselor.

Lisa has maintained residency in Oregon and is an active voter.

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Why Lisa?

As a Portland Public Schools board member and representative of Zone 6, Lisa will advocate:

Strong Neighborhood Schools
Strong Neighborhood Schools are vital for real achievement to happen. Transfers ought to be allowed, with a reason, but they should be the exception, not the norm. A school should be a fixture of a neighborhood, where kids feel connected to their families and to their learning.

Lisa does not advocate forcing students to go to a low-performing school if they don’t live in a well-to-do area. She advocates educational equity--that no matter where a child’s family lives, they can be confident that their neighborhood school is a quality school.

Connection with Schools, Students, Families and Teachers
As a school board member, Lisa will focus on obtaining the input of families, students, and teachers on decisions that will affect them. As a representative of Zone 6, Lisa will be visible throughout the district, and especially in Zone 6 schools.

The thoughts of families, students, and teachers will be vital to the decisions that Lisa makes. Lisa will not be disconnected from those who are affected by her choices.

Thinking Critically About Issues
The education of our children is too important to rubber-stamp all decisions handed down by the superintendent and district administration. Portland's children deserve the absolute best choices, even if they aren’t popular with district leadership. The school board should not behave as a figurehead entity, and Lisa will fight to ensure that it does not.

Watch-Dogging Efficiency and Effectiveness
As a large public school district, PPS must be as efficient as possible. Effectiveness is also an issue. As a classroom teacher, Lisa constantly evaluates her own efficiency and effectiveness. Wasting time and money simply does no good. As a representative of Zone 6, Lisa will help lead the district to increase effectiveness and properly monitor efficiency.

Closing the Gap
As a Teach For America corps member and alumnus, Lisa is part of an organization that dedicates itself to closing the achievement gap and working to eliminate inequity. Her experience as a classroom teacher with students severely below grade level empowers Lisa to work with teachers and students toward educational equity across the district. And the insight that only a teacher can have is presently missing from the board.

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Why Zone 6?

Lisa Richardson has lived in east Portland for most of her life, attending Woodmere Elementary School, Lane Middle School, and Marshall High School. Lisa values her connection to east Portland and wouldn't live anywhere else, if she had the choice.

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How can I help?

1. Spread the word! Tell your friends, neighbors, and fellow voters about www.lisarichardson.org. It's a long way to campaign season, but the more people talk about candidates and issues, the better--for everyone.

2. Read Lisa's blog. Comment. Tell her what issues you think are important, whether you're a teacher, a student, a parent, or any member of the community. Lisa listens.

3. If you'd like to volunteer, the time will come! When the campaign officially begins, volunteer help will be vital to getting the word out. Contact Lisa to offer your support.

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Thanks to everyone for visiting www.lisarichardson.org! Remember to vote in May 2009...and every election in between!