Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus

Mission

To promote quality education for all students with emphasis on the unique needs of students of color.

Goals

To promote positive and effective relationships among school board members of color, their communities, political leaders, and OSBA.

To build and increase capacity of school board members of color and support a pipeline for people of color to run for school board seats.

To serve as a resource.

To develop, promote, and advance legislation to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for students of color.

To equip and advance board members of color to serve in the general OSBA leadership.

To build capacity of the general board membership in understanding the issues of people of color.

Membership

The Caucus members include any elected or appointed member of any public board of education in Oregon who are active members in good standing with the Oregon School Boards Association and identify as a person of color. To join the Caucus, contact Helen Ying.

Leadership

Caucus officers

• President - Bill Graupp, North Marion 15
• Vice-President - Donna Tyner, Beaverton 48J
• Secretary - Helen Ying, Multnomah ESD 
• Treasurer - Anthony Medina, Woodburn 103

Directors

• District 1 - Erika Lopez, Hillsboro 1J
• District 2 - Lori Theros, Klamath Falls City Schools
• District 3 - Sonja McKenzie, Parkrose 3
• District 4 - Sami Al-AbdRabbuh, Corvallis 509J
• District 5 - Kathy Wai, North Clackamas 12

At-large representatives

• At-large 1 - Linda Hamilton, Lane ESD
• At-large 2 - Yesenia Delgado, Reynolds 7

• School board appointments put process in the spotlight
  Thursday, August 15, 2019
  Changing student demographics drive demands for younger, more diverse school board voices.
• School board members discuss benefits of diverse school leadership
  Monday, March 11, 2019
  Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus officers held a Friday Forum conversation about why schools need diverse leadership. They talked of the importance of having more voices with different experiences and backgrounds to make education decisions that benefit all students.
• OSBA members approve voting position for Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus
  Wednesday, December 19, 2018
  OSBA member boards approved giving the Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus an OSBA Board voting position.
• OSBA election includes adding Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus voting seat
  Tuesday, October 30, 2018
  OSBA election season kicks into high gear in November with the opening of member board voting. In addition to voting for OSBA Board of Directors seats, members will face two resolutions.
• OSBA Board forwards caucus voting seat issue to members
  Monday, September 17, 2018
  Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus's co-presidents say providing the caucus a voting seat would allow its members to advocate better for children of color at the state and national levels.
• OSBA Board creates nonvoting position for Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus
  Monday, August 13, 2018
  The OSBA Board supports efforts to increase the diversity of school boards and educators and to help underserved student populations.
• OSBA School Board Members of Color Caucus reaches milestone
  Wednesday, November 15, 2017
  The caucus’s mission is to promote a quality education for all students, with a focus on students of color.
• New Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus debuts
  Wednesday, October 5, 2016
  The caucus has a number of objectives, including promoting a high-quality education for all students and positive relationships between school board members of color.
• Caucus Timeline
  An overview of actions related to the OSBMCC

• Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus Meeting - July 2019
  July 20, 2019
  Bend - Riverhouse on the Deschutes
• Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus Meeting - November 2019
  November 16, 2019
  Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront

Minutes of the meetings of the Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus are listed below in date order. The files are in PDF  format. 

• January 19, 2019 membership meeting

• February 4, 2019 Executive Team meeting