Teachers at Rosa Parks Elementary in North Portland say Portland Public Schools moved too fast when it named a new principal this month, and they are making their frustration official. Seventeen educators signed a no-confidence letter after the district tapped a new leader following Principal Tina Joyce’s leave and her notice to staff that she would not return. Teachers say that sudden change left the school community cut out of its usual role in picking who runs the building. They argue the stakes are especially high at a campus that serves many high-need students and has struggled with chronic absenteeism.
According to teachers and community members, roughly half of Rosa Parks students missed at least two days of school per month during the 2024–25 school year. They say the 162-student school has about 30 percent of students in special education and a large share of families living at or below the poverty line. Those indicators, staffers contend, make it all the more critical for families and educators to have a say in leadership decisions. Their letter accuses the district of bypassing its usual community feedback process in this placement, as reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
District Brings In Veteran PPS Leader
Portland Public Schools has appointed Chrysanthius Lathan as the new principal at Rosa Parks, pointing to her roughly 20 years with the district. Lathan previously served as principal at Sabin and has worked as a districtwide principal mentor. The district staffing notice also lists her as a principal coach and mentor to early-career administrators. The move is described in the district’s staffing announcement as an administrative placement rather than the product of a full community-led search, according to Portland Public Schools.
Staff Say Their Voices Were Shut Out
Teachers told the paper they are frustrated that the district skipped its usual step of gathering community input before installing a new principal. The formal no-confidence letter, they said, lays out specific concerns with how the decision was made, not just who was chosen.
In a statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive, district communications director Isaac Cardona called the Rosa Parks placement a “situational exception” to Portland Public Schools’ typical feedback practices. Cardona added that Lathan would spend time visiting staff, students and families as she starts the job in order to build relationships…