#PPSSucks

My friend Carissa wrote our Oregon Representative & Senator about my son Avi’s Lead testing of his school’s fountains.

My friend Carissa wrote our Oregon Representative & Senator about my son Avi’s Lead testing of his school’s fountains.

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Sent to Senator Kathaleen Taylor & Representative Karin Power   Date Sent: June 4, 2019   Dear Rep Power and Senator Taylor,   I am contacting you because Sellwood Middle School is in your district.   I wanted to bring to your attention an excellent piece of work by 14 year old citizen scientist, Avi Rubin,…

My name is Avi Rubin. I’m 14. I was lead poisoned as a baby in 2005. Today (in 2019) my school is poisoning my friends.

My name is Avi Rubin. I’m 14. I was lead poisoned as a baby in 2005. Today (in 2019) my school is poisoning my friends.

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Tuesday, June 4, 2019 Portland, Oregon My mom is one of the leading experts on Lead Poisoning Prevention in the world. She started doing Lead Poisoning Prevention advocacy because I was acutely Lead-Poisoned as a baby (when I was 7 months old.) [See Avi’s story here.] I have been very interested in her work for…

Dear School Administrator, You are an ASSHAT for dismissing my son’s very real life-threatening medical condition.

Dear School Administrator, You are an ASSHAT for dismissing my son’s very real life-threatening medical condition.

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This week I got a call from my the school psychologist for my son’s school (Let’s call her Becky, because that’s her name.) Becky has always been fairly cordial and reasonable – although I cannot say that her work with my children has produced any specific positive results, but I have historically blamed the school…

The e-mail I received tonight from the VP at my son’s school, dismissing my concerns for lead in the water fountains.

The e-mail I received tonight from the VP at my son’s school, dismissing my concerns for lead in the water fountains.

The vice principal at my son’s school sent me the e-mail below in response to THIS LETTER (that I sent this morning.) You can see my response to this e-mail HERE. For context: Time: 4:54 p.m. Date: Friday, November 9, 2018 Good afternoon Tamara, Please read the report below. Hope this helps address and answer…

My response to the school Vice Principal this evening. (Warning: I’m MAD! This is my kids [& their friends] we’re talking about.)

My response to the school Vice Principal this evening. (Warning: I’m MAD! This is my kids [& their friends] we’re talking about.)

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Introduction:  My husband has concerns that I am a bull in a china shop when it comes to this issue. He thinks I should be treating the administrators of our children’s schools with respect because they are fellow human beings with the capacity to do good. I on the other hand am FURIOUS that after…

2018 Lead Levels in Portland Public Schools, Sellwood Middle School Are NOT protective of children’s health.

2018 Lead Levels in Portland Public Schools, Sellwood Middle School Are NOT protective of children’s health.

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I am posting this so that I can link this information to other posts I have written on the subject. Below you will find the lead-in-water test results for 2018 for Sellwood Middle School. Please click each of the images below to see the image full size. The RED circles I have made highlight the…

Letter to the Portland Public School District This Morning Re: Lead in PPS Schools’ Water

Letter to the Portland Public School District This Morning Re: Lead in PPS Schools’ Water

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Note: I wrote this post in response to my child coming home distraught – in tears, actually – over the cavalier attitudes/misplaced and absolute confidence of nearly all of the adults who whom he has interacted with at school regarding this issue. While my tone may seem inappropriate and my anger may seem misplaced to some, for me…

Here’s what one might expect a modern clearance test to look like in 2018

Here’s what one might expect a modern clearance test to look like in 2018

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     For those new to the Lead Safe Mama website: Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe…

Portland Public Schools is simply NOT using the strictest standards nor best practices to protect your children from lead in schools: A series — Part 1: Post Lead-remediation construction dust found at Lewis Elementary School

Portland Public Schools is simply NOT using the strictest standards nor best practices to protect your children from lead in schools: A series — Part 1: Post Lead-remediation construction dust found at Lewis Elementary School

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  For those new to the Lead Safe Mama website: Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama,…

I asked for help with my disabled children and the special education program administrator called me “Crazy”.

I asked for help with my disabled children and the special education program administrator called me “Crazy”.

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Alternate Title: What does the Portland Public Schools special education administrative staff really think of parents of children who need their help? – Written: Wednesday, August 22, 2018.  [You might want to sit down with a cup of coffee to read this one!] – Yesterday we rented a car for a week. We don’t usually…

#AskTamara: I’m concerned that contractors at my Portland, Oregon elementary school are not using lead safe work practices. What should I do?

#AskTamara: I’m concerned that contractors at my Portland, Oregon elementary school are not using lead safe work practices. What should I do?

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For those new to the Lead Safe Mama website: Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama, LLC…

December 2014 Letter to the Portland Public Schools Special Education Representative in response to PPS not offering FAPE to our disabled child.

December 2014 Letter to the Portland Public Schools Special Education Representative in response to PPS not offering FAPE to our disabled child.

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This is a note my husband Len sent out in December to the people on our IEP team – specifically regarding the behavior of Jeff Brown – the SPED rep for our section of the school district. On Dec 7, 2014, at 1:15 PM, Len Rubin wrote: Jeff, In our most recent IEP meeting with…