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Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Scappoose School District Land Acknowledgment

With gratitude, the Scappoose School District honors the Indigenous first nations' ancestors and survivors of this land who have lived in this place since time immemorial and continue to be a vibrant part of the region today. We recognize their struggle and resilience by respectfully acknowledging the generational impacts of settler colonialism, genocide, forced displacement, and assimilation on Native American families. We humbly understand that injustices visited upon them have yet to be properly rectified. Wherever we now sit or stand and where our schools rest, we strive to put our learning communities into right relationship with Indigenous people of the past, present, and future. 
As a center for learning, Scappoose commits to building strong connections with Indigenous communities. We are dedicated to expanding efforts to elevate Indigenous knowledge, and respect for the resilience of Indigenous Peoples. Our intention is to be a collaborative relationship and to ground our work in the awareness of place, presence, perspective, power, political nationhood, and partnerships. As we seek to create equitable outcomes and to build a community of inclusive belonging for all students, we call on everyone in our extended community to learn more with us about tribal studies and to join us in our journey to live intentionally on Indigenous land. 

#ScappooseStrong

#ScappooseStrong isn’t just a hashtag.  It is a reference to who we have been, who we are today, and who we aspire to be in the future.  It is a phrase that is grounded in the concepts of togetherness, support, and unity.  The current school year has exemplified the positive impact we can have when we come together as a community of strength.

With recent protests, tragedy, and unrest in our country, we want to emphasize our stance on racism and equity.  First and foremost, the Scappoose School District does not condone racism, biased remarks or actions, or the like, and we stand by our students and staff of all races and affinity groups.  We promise inclusivity, equality, diversity, and empathy. We must continue to come together, to listen, to learn.

Physical, mental, and socio-emotional wellness was identified as a primary goal when our strategic plan was developed in 2019.  We understand that equity and access are conduits of that work.  We have and will continue to increase our efforts around equity and inclusion.  In an effort to better address institutionalized racism and equity throughout society, we built a diverse, candid, and courageous team composed of staff, parents, students, and community members.  The newly developed SSD Equity and Social Justice Team has a focus on professional development, success planning, and performance monitoring. Additionally, the district joins this team's effort by committing to culturally responsive pedagogy. As we look ahead to curriculum adoptions in the future they will be reviewed with an eye for diversity and inclusion. We expect that our classrooms and libraries will be shelved with books and resources with diversity and inclusion in mind.  We own and recognize that much more has to be done to support ALL of our learners.

We will continue to welcome critical feedback and the willingness of our #ScappooseStrong family to share their sentiments on such an important topic. It is through open dialogue that we grow as a district and the entire community.  Watch for information in the near future pertaining to inquiry and listening sessions with multiple audiences. 

We are committed to equity in education and ensuring that our students feel safe and supported in schools.  We see the struggles some of our students and families are facing.  We hear you. We support you. We are ScappooseStrong.

Yours in service,

Tim Porter, Superintendent & Jen Stearns, Director of Student Achievement

Ways to Be Involved & Resources