5821 NE 55th Ave
Portland, OR 97218

The pandemic has wreaked so much havoc on schools across the country, so it’s not surprising that it has negatively impacted Beaumont Middle School. But we are so concerned about the current situation at Beaumont that we will not be sending our child back there for the next school year. 1. Kids’ behavior is outrageously out of control (again, as it is everywhere as a result of the pandemic) and the administration is not protecting children from their classmates’ aggressive and sometimes violent behaviors. They claim that there is not a significant bullying problem but my child has had physical injuries from peers as well as many items stolen from them over this school year. They are also constantly being called a gay slur. There is no protection from bullying and no feeling of safety, and my child is anxious every time they are there. 2. Meanwhile, the teachers and staff are overworked, burnt out, and some are visibly resentful of PPS and the school administration. As a result, students’ conflicts are not handled through restorative justice the way they were at our child’s elementary school. When there is a conflict between two children, there is no attempt at a resolution of the conflict or even a genuine attempt to find out what actually happened. My child has been accused of things and punished for them without an earnest investigation by staff of whether they are actually guilty. There simply are not enough staff available to get to the bottom of these things, and apparently being accused of something is enough to warrant punishment (and some kids freely lob accusations as an extension of their ongoing bullying). 3. As far as academics, it seems impossible to learn in an environment that is so highly chaotic and uncontrolled. My child complains that one teacher in particular who is kind and soft spoken is completely disrespected by multiple children in the class and is unable to effectively teach as a result. The teachers seem to be doing their best but there are structural problems not being addressed. For instance, one science class has over 35 students in it, including many particularly disruptive kids. How is anyone supposed to learn in that environment?4. The administration/leadership seems completely out to lunch and completely unaware (or willfully ignorant) of how bad things have gotten. We can’t get out of there fast enough! That’s why we’re counting the days until summer, and making arrangements to change schools for the fall.

Great community feel, with kids and teachers that have mutual respect for one another (which seems rare these days.)

I don't know where this information is being pulled from but it is significantly out of date. The school's name is no longer Madison but McDaniel. It's a great school, great teachers and a significant number of AP classes offered. Also, this seems to rank based on test scores. The problem is that testing is no longer required, and many students opt out. And it's a dubious method of educational evaluation, regardless. As parents, we have been very satisfied with the education that our daughter has received there.