Portland Public Schools Board Candidate Rob Galanakis

05/09/25 • 38 min

Rob Galanakis wants Portland Public Schools to see the forest and not just the trees outside classroom windows. His campaign for a seat on the PPS Board leans heavily on the idea that PPS goes about its business largely with its head in the sand while solutions to many problems can be found in the streets just beyond school grounds.

Galanakis, a co-founder of BikeBusPDX and software company owner who moved to Portland in 2014, biked over to the BikePortland Shed on Wednesday to share more about his vision for Portland’s troubled school district.

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This podcast is made possible by support of individuals like you. If you value BikePortland, please share a one-time contribution or become a monthly subscriber. https://bikeportland.org/support

Previous Episode

City Councilor Candace Avalos on Policing and Transportation

A few days ago I sat down with Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos to have a conversation about policing and transportation. Avalos, who represents an area east of I-205 including Lents in southeast and the Portland Airport, is a first time member of city council, but she's no stranger to local politics. She was chair of the Citizen Review Committee, where she served for six years and became a well-known advocate for police accountability. Prior to being a city councilor she was executive director of Verde, an environmental justice nonprofit.

I met Councilor Avalos in a conference room at Midland Library on SE 122nd Avenue. The impetus for our conversation was the new Community Board for Police Accountability or CBPA, a new, high-profile venue for oversight of the Portland Police Bureau. More than just a committee, the new, 21-member board will have a significant budget, will hire its own investigators, and will issue binding decisions.

It's crucial that this new CBPA have at least one member who understands how transportation issues relate to public safety and policing. It's my hope this interview encourages someone in our audience to apply for one of the positions. You have until April 14th to get your applications in. Here's the link to the application.

Next Episode

In The Shed - Episode 38

Co-hosts Jonathan Maus and Eva Frazier are back with another fun chat about all things bikes and Portland.

In this episode, Eva and I talk about:

My recent total knee replacement surgery
Cycle Oregon Block Party
Bike Summer for newbies and veterans
Why we need wildlife cameras but for Portland cyclists
Recent Portland City Council debates
Why it's time for Portland to empower citizen volunteers to improve our streets
Unhinged Nextdoor posts about Rose City Golf Course trail plan
How it's nearly impossible to ride a reverse steering bike... and the challenges of super tall bikes.
and more!