Portland Public Schools -- News - MLC’s ‘heartbeat’ honored for her dedication to students

MLC’s ‘heartbeat’ honored for her dedication to students
Ruth Frankel.jpg

Forty years ago, Ruth Frankel helped create the Metropolitan Learning Center. Her duties have changed over the years, but she’s still going strong at Portland Public School’s only K-12 school. For her dedication, she recently was honored by the Northwest Portland community.

The daughter of two New York City public school teachers, Frankel moved to Portland in 1965 and helped launch MLC three years later. She volunteered for years before signing on as a staff member, a development that surprised some colleagues fooled by her ubiquitous presence — many thought she was already an employee.

Currently, Frankel is MLC’s activities coordinator. In a single day she might make potato latkes with kids to teach Jewish culture, coordinate with teachers to ensure standardized testing runs on schedule and calm a student upset because he didn’t get into Yarntastic, one of the 87 student-, parent- and community-taught elective classes Frankel helps organize.

Recently, The Northwest Examiner newspaper recognized Frankel as one of 11 Community Award recipients for her exceptional service as an educator. Community members make nominations, and award winners are selected by a committee that includes past recipients.

“No one has better exemplified the compassion, integrity and creativity of this institution,” award organizers wrote. “She has held nearly every position in the school, and is the first one called for special projects.”

In a letter recommending Frankel for the award, MLC Principal Frank Scotto wrote: “In short, Ruth Frankel is the heartbeat of the school.” Her contributions, he said, “have positively touched and influenced thousands of lives. I cannot think of a finer legacy.”

Frankel lives in NW Portland with her husband of 44 years, pediatrician Herman Frankel. Both of their grown daughters attended PPS from kindergarten through grade 12.

Not immune to funding pressure, several years ago Frankel voluntarily cut her salary but shows no sign of working less. She remains a relentless advocate of MLC.

“My bottom line is kids — and having school be exciting and involving, a place you want to come to in the morning and stay at in the afternoon,” she says. “Yes, kids do research; yes, kids do homework, and those things are important. But we do much more than that here.”

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Portland Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and educator.

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