Parkrose School District

With our relationship starting in 2015, Parkrose School District hosts three of our Teaching Preschools at Sacramento, Russell and Shaver Elementary Schools. Partially funded by Preschool Promise and Preschool for All, TPP facilitates growth and change from teaching practice to administering teaching and learning in preschool through 2nd grade.

Sacramento and Russell Teaching Preschools

In the 2022-2023 school year the Prescott Teaching Preschool (PTP) and Sacramento Teaching Preschool (STP) opened as full day preschool programs in collaborations between Preschool for All, Parkrose School District and Teaching Preschool Partners. Russell Teaching Preschool opened in the Fall of 2024, celebrating a preschool in every elementary school in the Parkrose district. Originally, Prescott Teaching Preschool opened in fall of 2015 funded by Parkrose School District with support from Teaching Preschool Partners. As teaching preschools, Prescott and Sacramento Teaching Preschools function both as classrooms and as demonstration sites to showcase inquiry-based teaching approaches to administrators, educators and other stakeholders who are interested in supporting high quality approaches to teaching and learning in the early years.

Children are eligible to enroll in Prescott, Sacramento and Russell Teaching Preschools by applying through Preschool for All. Children who live in the Parkrose School District and currently have the least access to high-quality early learning experiences will be prioritized for the first available slots through Preschool for All. Children whose families experience barriers accessing preschool include:

Black, Brown, Native American Indigenous, and all Children of Color;
Children who speak languages other than English;
Children with developmental delays and disabilities;
Children living in or at risk of placement in foster care;
Children from families experiencing low incomes; and
Children experiencing homelessness.

In 2022-2023 PTP and STP each served 18 children who attended the preschool 6 hours each school day, Monday through Friday. PTP is staffed by one lead teacher who holds an Oregon teaching license and 2 Educational Assistants. A studio, music and PE teacher give support one day a week. A mentor teacher supports curriculum implementation and teacher professional development through Teaching Preschool Partners

Shaver Teaching Preschool

Shaver Teaching Preschool is a collaboration between the Parkrose Public School District and Teaching Preschool Partners and Preschool Promise, an education initiative of Oregon’s Early Learning Division with the purpose of increasing access to quality preschool education and enhancing early learning practices in existing early education programs for preschool-age children in Oregon. Preschool Promise funds are distributed through early learning hubs located throughout the state.

Shaver Teaching Preschool is located in outer northeast Multnomah County, an area of the city where poverty has migrated but services have not kept pace, and receives its funding through its hub, Early Learning Multnomah (ELM). The Parkrose district was selected to receive Preschool Promise funds for its program at Shaver Elementary as it serves the population that PSP is striving to serve as well as due to the success of Prescott Teaching Preschool (see above).Children are eligible to enroll in Shaver Teaching Preschool if they are members of families whose incomes, at the time of enrollment, are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The preschool classroom is located within Shaver Elementary School of the Parkrose Public School District. The preschool serves 20 children who attend six hours each school day, Monday through Friday. STP is staffed by one lead teacher and two educational assistants. In addition, a studio teacher, music and PE teacher provide part-time support, and a mentor teacher supports curriculum implementation and teacher professional development through Teaching Preschool Partners. STP opened in September 2016 and begins its seventh year of operation in September 2023.

Alignment Into the Early Grades in the Parkrose School District

In 2015, interested Prescott Elementary School teachers from Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades began to meet in an Inquiry Professional Learning Community (PLC) during the first year of operation. This community has continued their work into subsequent years resulting in the integration of Inquiry Curriculum structures and approaches and alignment of a Habits of Mind focus up into the early grades. At Shaver Elementary School, in 2017/2018, Kindergarten teachers began to work with TPP co-founder, Judy Graves to align teaching practices and Habits of Mind focus. A number of interested early grades teachers from the Parkrose district were able to attend Opal School professional development during the 2017/2018 school year. Many of those same teachers as well as those new to the district Prek-2nd grade are continuing to integrate playful inquiry inspired approaches into their classrooms.

Find out more about Parkrose School District’s preschools here.