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Native parents urge North Clackamas SD to restore Indian education leadership after staff termination
Summary
At the May 22 North Clackamas School District board meeting, parents and community members said the district terminated the student and community engagement specialist for the Title VI (Indian education) program and called for a full‑time Indian education administrator, greater Native community involvement in hiring, and a Native Student Union.
At the May 22 meeting of the North Clackamas School District Board of Directors, parents and tribal community members urged the board to restore dedicated leadership for the district’s Title VI Indian education program after the termination of the district’s student and community engagement specialist.
Amber Bostrom, a Milwaukee resident and member of the “Confederated Tribes of Salettes,” said she represents Title VI parents and students and described the terminated staff member, Cheryl Shane, as having spent the last four years expanding the program and building partnerships with Native artists, educators and programs across the Pacific Northwest. “The program has grown exponentially under Cheryl’s watch,” Bostrom said.
Chenoa Landry, who identified herself as a member of the Puyallup Tribe and a parent of a North Clackamas student, told the board the program supports students facing low graduation and high dropout rates in the community and described the program as part of a federal responsibility to enrolled tribal members. Landry asked the district to hire “a full time Indian education administrator with benefits, office space, [and] long term support,” and to involve Native community members in any subsequent hiring if the current staff member does not accept a continuing role. She also asked for support staff to aid outreach and for creation of a Native Student Union and a dedicated student space for culturally relevant education, language preservation and well‑being services. “We want to move from acknowledgment to action,” Landry said.
Speakers said the current staff member helped students receive tribal language credit, applied for grants, and formed partnerships. Board Chair Wey told the speakers the board would discuss the matter with the superintendent to understand “the full picture.” No board action on staffing was recorded at the meeting.
The public comment rules cited at the start of the meeting were read aloud by the chair; the board’s public comment process is governed by policy KBA AR, as noted on the record.
The board did not vote on staffing or a hiring plan at the May 22 meeting. Board members asked staff to follow up with district leadership and bring additional information back to the board.
