Advocacy 2025

AT A JUNE 4 MEETING convened on short notice by Portland Public Schools, seeking comments to inform the process of replacing MLC's principal for Fall 2025, parent and activist Alisa Welch posed this question:

"I’ve been a parent at MLC for 11 years, and in that time, I’ve watched five principals come and go. It often feels like each one arrives with only a passing understanding of our unique school and makes sweeping changes—more with a chainsaw than a scalpel. Why has it been so hard to find a leader who can stay, understand the school deeply, and lead with care and stability? What is the district doing differently this time to make that happen?"

MLC has had to fight many times over 5½ decades to preserve key elements of its founding conception and continue offering alternative public education that stays in step with changing demands.

2025 MAY BE ONE OF THOSE TIMES

TO:
Korinna Wolfe, M.Ed, MSW

Senior Director of Schools, Multiple Pathways to Graduation

(503) 916-5437, kwolfe@pps.net

FROM:

Alisa Welch

May 16, 2025

Dear Korinna,

I’m writing as a committed and hopeful member of the MLC community to share growing concerns around sustained leadership instability at our school. With the recent departure of our principal, Suezann Kitchens, MLC has now had five principals in just eleven years. This level of turnover has understandably disrupted school culture, eroded long-standing programs, and affected the trust that students, families, and staff place in the institution.

MLC has long been recognized for its unique, student-centered, experiential approach to education. We believe this model not only works—but can thrive. But without consistent and collaborative leadership, we’ve seen the gradual loss of many core programs and traditions. Over the past decade, we’ve lost:

• Regular principal-parent engagement such as teas, coffees, or open forums

• Shortened lunch time impacting student well-being

• Weekly half-day Fridays, which has resulted in:

  • No 7x8 field trips this year

  • No Friday Focus programming

• Electives for 6th through 8th grade

• The Fall 4x5 trip and 8th grade trips

• Signature events like the Renaissance Faire and Día De Los Muertos

• In-person parent attendance at student performances

Perhaps most dramatic is the loss of student autonomy and choice in their education which is the antithesis of MLC's ethos.

This shift has many families—myself included—deeply concerned. MLC has experienced a 25% drop in enrollment, and at recent open house events, prospective families reported hearing more about what MLC no longer offers than what it still does. It’s clear that something must shift to reestablish MLC as a vibrant, inclusive, and future-ready school.

We believe MLC is not just worth preserving—it is worth reinvesting in. As the district looks ahead to new leadership, we respectfully ask that our core community values be reflected in that search:

1. Commitment to Experiential Learning for K–12
MLC is an alternative school by design. Its project-based and student-driven learning model is the reason our families choose it. We want MLC to continue to be a beacon of what’s possible in public education—not a replication of what already exists elsewhere in the district.

2. A Welcoming Environment for Families and Caregivers
Parents and caregivers should once again be welcomed into the building at drop-off and pick-up and invited to attend performances like Solstice and the Talent Show in person. MLC has thrived for 57 years on a foundation of strong community partnerships, and we are eager to return to that level of openness and collaboration.

3. Bring Back Weekly Half-Days
The long-standing PAT contract exemption for weekly half-days should be reinstated. This time has historically allowed teachers to plan field trips and experiential programming—key parts of what make MLC unique. Without it, those opportunities have disappeared.

We know that with the right support and leadership, MLC can grow into its next chapter stronger than ever. We ask PPS to commit to providing that support by involving families and staff in the hiring process, sustaining a clear vision for alternative education, and helping restore the programs and culture that have long defined this school.

We’re a passionate, resilient, and engaged community—and we’re ready to collaborate with the district to rebuild and move forward.

Thank you for your time and thoughtful attention. I would welcome the opportunity to speak further or support these efforts in any way I can.

Warmly,
Alisa Welch
Past PTSA President
Chair, MLC 50th Anniversary Celebration
Current MLC Parent of 7th Grader

And it may require alumni attention and assistance. Please stay tuned to this space for updates. Meanwhile, the Friends of MLC website features current information and background including Alisa's May 16 letter to Korinna Wolfe, Senior Director of PPS's Multiple Pathways to Graduation initiative, who is leading the principal selection process.

The letter, presenting very specific ideas, is reproduced on this page, along with the organizational chart for Multiple Pathways showing MLC's place in the larger PPS scheme.

Organizational chart courtesy of Portland Public Schools