Who Listens Ever since Ben Canada took the reins of Portland Public Schools, he s been working as if the community s future depends on him. Turns out he s right. When job seeker Ben Canada was on the hot seat back in the spring of 1998, answering questions about his management style, one of his words seemed strangely out of place. Healing brings to mind scalpels and blue scrubs. But that word arguably embodies the most important mission of Portland s top administrator today.
Scores plunge, resources wither, buildings decay.
It s a death knell Portland doesn t want to hear. In Canada, who had led the Atlanta school system for four years, the board thought they saw a man with the right blend of warmth and doggedness to lead the ailing district back to health. Canada s first year on the job is barely behind him, but already, a note of optimism is creeping into school discussions. Maybe, people are beginning to say, Portland can hold on to its claim as one of the nation s best urban school systems. When they hired Dr. Benjamin O. Canada, they hired, above all, a healer.