Spring is here, and it’s an exciting time of year as we look forward to the promise of new growth and possibilities!

New opportunities for growth for the students we serve are constantly on the minds of boards of education and legislatures, who are tasked with incorporating new areas of curriculum that are proposed by academic leaders, industry, and the community at large. The challenge is that while new subjects are added, we seldom hear within the conversation what in the curriculum will be replaced, despite the fact that the instructional day and year remains the same. At the end of the day, this burden is shouldered by teachers, principals and district leaders who have to figure it out.

This is not to say that new areas of learning, such as computer science, civics, and financial literacy, should not be taught. They should! Rather, the holistic conversation about what students need to know today so that they reach their full potential needs to be framed by a pedagogical approach that excites them about new knowledge, innovations, discoveries and the welfare of humanity. One thing that educators know for sure is that students who have a healthy appreciation for themselves and their own cultural heritage are better equipped to learn, grow, and become the leaders of tomorrow.

Enter stage right…ethnic studies!

A number of states are making progress towards ensuring that all children graduate high school having completed an ethnic studies course. In a peer group where more than half of all students come from a non-white ethnicity, our children are growing up in a world where they are faced with more diversity and benefit from an ability to think critically about issues like race, equity, and heritage. Within the U.S. public education system that has been slow to recognize the dominance of White cultural veneration in so many aspects of our curriculum, we can see clear evidence that providing students with the opportunity to explore their own cultural experience and build empathy and awareness for other’s contributes to better graduation and college-going outcomes.

Are you interested in learning more? I’m excited to share an early artifact from our Policy Leadership Platform – an AI generated policy brief on ethnic studies and graduation requirements focused on current trends and past history. 

This month I am also thrilled to introduce our featured superintendent, Sandy Husk, who is currently serving as the interim superintendent of Portland Public Schools in Oregon and has had a lifelong commitment to equity and inclusion. Sandy brings over 30 years of experience as an educator and leader, with previous roles as Superintendent of Salem-Keizer Public Schools and Chief Executive Officer of AVID. Her deep expertise in instructional leadership, equity, and systems change, position her well to lead Oregon’s largest school district through this time of transition. I look forward to sharing more of Sandy’s insights and perspectives in this issue.

Saludos,

Christina

APRIL 2024 | DR. CHRISTINA KISHIMOTO

Dr. Kishimoto

Welcome to the April edition of The Stories We Tell. I am sitting here with Dr. Sandy Husk, who, for some reason, is sitting in Portland, Oregon right now. So, we’re going to talk a little bit about that. But, Sandy, I just love following your leadership across the nation. Welcome to the show. 

Dr. Husk

Well, thank you, Christina. And I love following yours. And we’ve got a sunny day, and you’re right over the river. 

Dr. Kishimoto

It’s gorgeous here in the Pacific Northwest these days, isn’t it?

Dr. Husk

Yes, it sure is. It’s great to be here.

Dr. Kishimoto

So, you have this tremendous background. You’ve been a superintendent, I believe, three times over, if I remember this correctly. I know you were in Tennessee, I believe you were in Colorado, and you were in Oregon before as well in the Salem Keizer district, and now you are back in Oregon. How did that happen? What’s that about?

Dr. Husk

Well, after I left Salem, I went to Avid for eight years. I was wrapping that up; we kept our home in Oregon, even though I was working in San Diego. And so, I was wrapping that up, and ASCD called. I was on their board. The CEO quit, and they asked if I would do an interim. That was March of 2023. And so, for nine months, for the first time since I was 20, I didn’t have full-time work. I still had plenty of things to do, but not a full-time assignment. And so, in December, when the Portland board called and said we need an interim, I thought, oh, my gosh, do I want to do that? And I immediately went in to talk to my husband. And he said kind of what I was thinking, which is, you’re really committed to the state, you know the work, you know what to do. And we live here, and they need you. So, I think you should do it. So that’s how the process got started. With a very quick conversation.

Dr. Kishimoto

I’m starting to get a new theme here for your life. So, you did an interim with ASCD. And I think you served on that board for a number of years. And now you’re doing an interim in Portland. So, is this a new line of work for you?

Dr. Husk

No, in fact, on Friday, we had a lot of things boiling and hopping. We had a student walkout. One of those days you don’t love as a superintendent, but you know how to make sure everybody stays safe. I was talking to a friend of mine, who also retired and then went back in to do an interim. And he said nothing convinces you that you don’t need to be doing the job full time, after an interim. This is a lovely experience. The people are so talented, the kids are wonderful, and the community’s got a lot of strength in it. And I don’t need to be doing this full-time anymore. But I am committed to doing it through the end of June.

Dr. Kishimoto

You’ve had three superintendencies, you’ve been in professional associations, a really wonderful one, ASCD. And you’ve done Avid for just, I think, under ten years, that’s where I really knew your work. And you were a tremendous national leader around advancing the opportunities for young people in this nation. So, you do have the background to come into a complex school system like the Portland Public Schools. This is a wonderful school district with just amazing leaders. So, this is a great interim for you. What do you hope to accomplish while you’re there?

Dr. Husk

I have been telling the staff and the board I think the best contribution I can give is leadership, culture, and communication. Because there is so much talent in the district. And there’s a lot of work to be done. But they’re doing that hard work. And they’re making things happen. So, what I hope to do is to get through some of these situations like the budget reduction, some of the other things that we’re doing to support the community, but really tee it up for the next person to come in and to know this is a great district they’re walking into, and that the handoff will be smooth with a lot of support from the board, the community, and the staff. And from me. I’m just over the hill over the mountains here. So, I won’t be leaving the state, and if they need some follow-up conversations, I’m happy to do that.

Dr. Kishimoto

So, I understand that the goal is to have someone on board permanently sometime in the summer, perhaps as quickly as possible. I’ve seen some news announcements from the board chair and board members around really leaning in quickly to get a permanent leader in place. But there have been things that have put Portland Public Schools in the national limelight and media front around the relationships of teachers and the strike in the fall. What are the results now? How do you, as the leader, move on, stay focused on students, stay focused on the great district that Portland is, and move forward?

Dr. Husk

I think that’s where the experience really helps. At the end of the day, it’s about your integrity, it’s about relationships, and it is about what you know, and how you do the work. People here really care about the school district. They care about the children in this community. And I think one of the nice things about coming in as an interim is I’m not holding on to those feelings from the strike. I wasn’t personally involved in it. So, lifting up with a voice around enthusiasm, and mission and vision, and how much talent is here. That’s what I mean by leadership, communication, and culture. Let’s think about what we have. We have visual and performing arts in every single building. We have amazing athletic programs. We have strong academic programs. It’s a busy place. And so, my message is to keep people’s vision up and focused forward and put all the support we can around kids and families.

Dr. Kishimoto

So, as you think about the work that you’re doing now and the fact that you have lots of choices and options for where you want to be serving and leading, as you think a few months from now, you’ll be handing the reins over to a permanent CEO, superintendent to lead Portland Public Schools. What does this mean for you as you think about where you want to continue to show up and have an impact? 

Dr. Husk

I think the advantage I’ve had over my career is that I’ve been able to really focus on specific states, but I’ve also had a really good national perspective. Enjoying what I was doing during those nine months, I hope to go back to serving on boards, supporting entrepreneurs, and supporting people coming into the profession. And there are different ways that I feel like I can do that. Staying connected with your organization is one of them, Christina. That’s why I’ll be there physically with you in June. And really excited about that. 

Dr. Kishimoto 

Just knowing that you’re coming to the conference, and you’ll be with 250 amazing women leaders from across the country, how much fun is that going to be?! 

Dr. Husk

Yeah, and I was teasing a little and saying I’d like to do it without having to set the alarm for 5 am every morning.

Dr. Kishimoto

I don’t blame you at all. As we wrap up here and you reflect on your work, are you in a joyful space?

Dr. Husk

I am. I really feel like every time I changed positions; my desire was to be able to make a difference through adults because I’ve been doing the top seat now for 26, 27 years, something like that, through adults so that we can make a difference for students and families. And I feel like I’ve done that. I feel like there’s a lot more work to do. So, let’s focus on the next crew coming up and how we shore them up and keep them motivated as well.

Dr. Kishimoto

Sandy, as a colleague and friend and someone I have admired for your national work and your pure passion for serving our young people in this nation, thank you for your leadership and for being with us today.

Dr. Husk

It’s mutual. Thank you too, Christina.

We are counting down the days to When Women Lead, the premier national event for women in executive leadership in public education. Visit the Event Website to Register and plan your visit to Vancouver, Washington, today!

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Welcome to the April Wellness Corner! Join me for this 15-minute chair yoga session you can do at your desk. You don’t even need a mat!

Tiana