Mission

Portland High School, as part of the greater Portland Public School community, is responsible for ensuring a challenging, relevant, and joyful education that empowers every learner to make a difference in the world. We build relationships among families, educators and the community to promote the healthy development and academic achievement of every learner.

At the center of this mission statement is our purpose: the achievement of every learner. All members of our community - students and staff - must be committed to the opportunity and experience of learning. Thus, when we make decisions about policies, course offerings, rules, goals, etc., we strive to always do it with this intention in our minds.

Bulldog Beliefs

The Bulldog Beliefs are what we expect of the entire learning community—students, teachers, and staff. They provide us with the language and the tools to achieve our mission. The Beliefs should serve as a guide for your behavior and your decision-making while you are a member of the PHS community.

The Bulldog Beliefs

1. We honor and encourage the right to learn and the right to teach.
2. We are present and engaged in our learning; we listen, ask questions, problem-solve and collaborate.
3. We are appropriate; we use words and behaviors that are safe and considerate of our school campus, other community members, and ourselves.
4. We are truthful; we communicate honestly and take accountability for our choices.
5. We are an agent of inclusion and of empowerment; we respect and celebrate everyone’s identity and differences.

Rationale for our Behavioral Policy

Like all PHS policies, our behavior policy is directly linked to the goal of our mission statement. Our school rules are in place to ensure a safe learning environment and while it is necessary for all of us to be aware of the things that we should not be doing, it is more important to focus on what we should be doing. When you’re presented with a difficult or confusing decision, we hope that you will use the Bulldog Beliefs as your guide.

Additionally, and as stated in Bulldog Belief #5, we strive to ensure that all members of the PHS community feel safe and welcomed. All PHS students, and all Portland Public School students, have the right to attend school free from discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, assault, and misconduct. More information about our bullying and harassment policies can be found in the Student Expectations and Discipline section of this handbook, but we also encourage students to access the Students Speak Up website if they need direct support in reporting and responding to potential incidents of bullying and/or harassment: https://speakup.portlandschools.org/