North Marion Team Shares Views on Equity After Conference

By Jillian Daley 

What is equity and how can it make a difference for a school community?

That’s something that nine North Marion School District staff, teachers, and administrators pondered last week while attending the Oregon Equity Educator Summit from Sept. 22 to 23 at The Grand Hotel in downtown Salem. Thought leaders and education experts came together to offer insight on topics such as restorative justice, best legal practices for supporting LGBTQ2SIA+ students and staff, equity-focused state legislation, equity in early learning, and much more. Our North Marion team shared their thoughts on the meaning of equity and why they find inspiration in events like this conference, which was put on by the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators.

“For me, this conference emphasized the ways in which we are all connected,” said Desiree Kiesel, North Marion Director of Teaching and Learning. “When we address issues of equity, we are ultimately making our system better for all students. Equity is about honoring student and family voices, and ensuring that we are building our systems to meet the needs of all of our learners.”

North Marion was in good company, with hundreds of attendees coming from school districts throughout the state to listen to or to lead an information session.

“I appreciate having the opportunity to hear the great things that are happening in districts to give diverse students and families a voice,” said Irma Patton, North Marion Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Title Programs. “Learning how these districts are taking actionable steps to include different groups gives all of us an opportunity to elevate students and families in ways we have not considered.”

North Marion attendees said they were impressed with keynote speakers Libra Gilbert-Forde, interim Executive Director of Western States Center and North Clackamas County School Board member, and Eugene Hamilton, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Eugene Hamilton Group.

North Marion Superintendent Ginger Redlinger said she came away filled with inspiration and joy after hearing Gilbert-Forde’s speech, and attending a session that she led.

“She offered both a reminder of who we are as educators: people with the power to fan the flames of a student’s joy in learning and people with the power to douse that fire,” Redlinger said. “If our vision is clouded by how we believe a child should be, we may not be able to help that child discover who they could be.”

The North Marion group also came away with fresh ideas after hearing young speakers, including Kennedy Phillips, representing the Oregon Association of Student Councils. The Parkrose High School student and ASB President defined equity as essential to who we are, embedded within us. It’s about how we treat others, how we embody that welcoming feeling of including all our students and staff every day.

"I learned that we are equity,” North Marion Home School Consultant Rubi Contreras said. “It’s not just an action we take.”

All participants walked away with newfound knowledge, but one thing North Marion brought to the event was one of the largest groups of attendees, nine, despite being one of the smallest school districts. Every member had their own reason for wanting to learn more about equity, much of it about who we want to be for students.

English Language Development/Schoolwide English Learning Teacher Jaime Vredenburg said that she attended because equity is “a part of everything we need to be for students,” and she wanted to learn more about being a strong ally to underserved students.

“I learned that if you’re doing the work that you need to do on yourself, then equity isn’t just an add-on,” Vredenburg said. “It will immediately be a part of who you are. I need to go, glow, grow.”

That desire for improvement is a part of what defines equity here in North Marion, giving all that we can of ourselves to make our schools better for students, staff, and families. It’s also, as the attendees said, an integral part of us, a key to honoring our families, and a way for all of us to connect. That is because our differences can unite us, like each of us bringing a book to fill a library, which needs every one of those stories to be whole.

To share stories on the North Marion School District, email Communications Specialist Jillian Daley at jillian.daley@nmarion.k12.or.us.