End Note
photo by Katie Gleason
Portland, Oregon, Mayor Tom Potter and 20 staff members recently set up shop for an entire week at Jefferson High School. An inner-city public school with a high-minority population, Jefferson has endured declining enrollment, low test scores, and controversy at the district office in recent years. Potter’s weeklong visit to the school brought media attention to Jefferson and the city’s public schools in general. It also gave students a chance to sound off about education and neighborhood issues to high-ranking City Hall workers, and provided a window into the world of local politics and public service careers. Here, Potter listens as two Jefferson High students talk about their plans for the future at a career and college fair.