A homeschooling mom takes a stand against the decline of Portland, documenting the city's destruction.
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Tara Faul never paid much attention to politics. But after 2020, the homeschooling mom picked up a camera and started documenting Portland's decline.
Portland's Decline: A Homeschool Mom's Perspective
Portland Public Schools has adopted a new rule barring teachers from displaying their personal views on a "political or personal issue" in the classroom. The new guidance prohibits the use of classroom materials for personal expression, regardless of whether they are related to a political or personal issue.
Portland Public Schools told Fox News Digital that the new rule has been in the works for a year and "acts as a reminder to all of our student-centered mission and also reminds our staff to use District spaces for educational purposes."
Portland's Decline: A Homeschool Mom's Perspective
The spokesperson confirmed that the new guidance does not bar teachers from displaying pro-LGBTQ or pro-Black Lives materials in the classroom. "The rainbow flag and BLM poster are district-approved symbols of inclusion to often marginalized students. Posters advocating for specific positions on political positions are not student centered in that they are not rooted in our educational mission or curriculum," they said to Fox News Digital.
The new guidance comes months after teachers' unions clashed with district leaders over whether teachers had the right to engage in pro-Palestinian activism in the classroom. Oregon Educators for Palestine, in association with the Portland Association of Teachers "PAT," released a guide titled "Know Your Rights! Teaching & Organizing for Palestine Within Portland Public Schools," allegedly in response to teachers being censored and facing "discrimination and harassment" at "the hands of PPS District leadership."
Portland's Decline: A Homeschool Mom's Perspective
Portland Public Schools responded to these accusations in June, saying in a statement, "It is our expectation that staff create these spaces by facilitating respectful, age-appropriate, and standards-based learning and contextualization of major world events such as the ongoing Israel-Hamas war or, before that, the war in Ukraine."
"When these expectations of staff are not met – such as when a teacher engages in political advocacy while working – our process is to talk with the teacher about our expectations and direct corrections, removal, or replacement of inappropriate content," the statement to Fox News Digital continued.
Portland's Decline: A Homeschool Mom's Perspective
According to The Oregonian, the new policy restricting teachers from displaying their personal views on political issues has already been put into practice. Administrators at Grant High removed a "Stop the Genocide" poster from a social studies teachers' doorway earlier this month. The school's principal reportedly said in an email the poster violated the "PPS policy regarding political speech."
The Portland Association of Teachers has filed a grievance with the district over the new rule. The union alleges the guidance conflicts with "contractual language on academic freedom, which allows teachers to introduce controversial topics that are relevant to their courses, and PAT’s right to post union related materials in schools," according to The Oregonian.
Faul, who has lived in Portland for over 20 years, said she started documenting the city's decline after the 2020 riots. She said she was shocked by the level of destruction and violence that she witnessed.
"I saw businesses being burned down, people being attacked, and the city being looted," Faul said. "It was like something out of a war zone."
Faul said she started taking pictures and videos of the destruction as a way to document what was happening. She said she wanted to show the world what was really happening in Portland.
"I wanted people to see the truth," Faul said. "I wanted them to see that Portland was not the same city that it used to be."
Faul's photos and videos have been shared widely on social media. She said she has received positive feedback from people all over the country who are concerned about the decline of Portland.
"I'm glad that I can share my story with others," Faul said. "I hope that it will help people to understand what is happening in Portland and to take action to stop it."
Faul said she believes that the decline of Portland is due to a number of factors, including the rise of homelessness, the drug crisis, and the increasing political division in the city.
"Portland is a beautiful city," Faul said. "But it's in trouble. We need to come together as a community to save it."
